Small aluminum job

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OK, I was repairing the clutch on this golf cart and broke it       Its great to be a mechanic and a weldor.Here is the piece and the ClutchGround with a Die grinder with an aluminum bit ready to weldReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Completed.  I had a little trouble at first getting a good flow of clean aluminum.  I turned the cleaning up to 65%+ and the heat up to 150 amps.  I ran the arc over the aluminum with out filler to get the junk out.  This is cast aluminum.  Not the easiest stuff for me to weld.  Once it cleaned up, I just added filler in layers until it was a little bigger than original.    Machine Arcmaster 185, RED 3/32 tungsten  Pure argon @ about 30 cfh, 150 amps give or take, 150 Hz AC.  I did this on the machine because I could.  The heat did no damage to the clutch and I cooled it with wet rags as soon as it was welded.  As you can see, access was kinda a bitch. Here are the contaminated tungstens I used. Note the ball from having the machine set on 65% cleaning.  I prefer a pointed tungsten especially for cast aluminum and getting into the small groove.  It balled every time.  I am not too steady, so I had to change a few before the job was done.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Nice fix !  Looks as thought they maintain that engine bay really well .Did you cool the weld immediately or the surrounding area ?-Graham-Mechanical EngineerAutosport Mechanic/Fabricator
Reply:looks good to me, and for not beaning steady i now what you meani wish i was half as steady as i was wen i was still steady  i now just live with the fact that I'm going to dip the tungsten  so from time to time during the weld i put the filler on the tungsten     it is involuntaryChuckASME Pressure Vessel welder
Reply:Great job, especially considering where you had to work in!!And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:which filler rod did you used? did you used wax for the grinder?looks pretty good!My Babies: HF Drill pressHF Pipe Bender3   4.5" Black and Decker angle grindersLincoln Electric PROMIG 175that´s it!
Reply:Good job. Probably wouldn't have broke to start with if they would clean those clutches up once in a while.  Clean them up and they wouldn't have to jump on the pedal to get it to disengage.  They would run in and out a lot quicker too.Or (oops) is it your cart??
Reply:Grahm,  I cooled the entire spider.  There are some nylon or something bearings the spider slides on.  I did not have the proper tool to remove the whole clutch.Elveregon, I uses 5356 which is what I use for almost everything. No wax needed for the bit, it was designed for aluminum.Sandy, Its not my cart, I broke the ear driving the pin in.   .  The cart is a 1986, It sees NO maintenance.  I rebuilt the drive and driven clutches.  It came to me when it wouldn't go any more.  The brake cables were shot and the brakes were hanging up pretty good. More to the demise of the clutch.  Those links in the drive clutch were worn out, one had let go and parts went through the outside cover.  I replaced the brake cables too.Thanks for the compliments.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Creating a functional repair weld on a busted casting part, is easiest--if:-one can fit the cracked sections together, then verify required alignment in the mating parts--doing light grinding of the cracked section, just to make things line up-then apply tack welds, temporary stringers, verify alignment again!-then carbide burr/grind the full penetration bevels-full penetration weld-grind off any temporaries