Aluminum tig repair need help

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This is a transmission that got cracked. My friend sandblasted it to clean it with beach sand. This was my first time welding cast aluminum and it didn't seem like it took to many amp. The reason I need help is it kept wanting to crack on the weld and other spots as you can hopefully see in the pics. I used 5356 filler. Am I supposed to only weld an inch at a time or is it ok to weld like 5 inches at a time?thanks. Transmission was not disassembled at all Russians are crazy. There was alot of black crap floating up!
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Reply:my crazy russian friend sand blasting with no glasses lol
Reply:Yeah, im thinking unless you beveled it out almost through, you dont have full penetration, and the crack will likely re appear. Unless you hit it with 250+ amps to smoke through that casting. Id be worried about potentially deforming machined surfaces inside, or potentially smoking something else inside especially since its an auto. No matter the transmission, they arent designed to take 1000+ degree temps.
Reply:My friend didnt even want me to grind it out. So I said ok. I welded it just like it is in the photo. I used around 100 to 170 I think. Machine was set to 200 amps. Why does it keep cracking tho?
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313This is a transmission that got cracked. My friend sandblasted it to clean it with beach sand. This was my first time welding cast aluminum and it didn't seem like it took to many amp. The reason I need help is it kept wanting to crack on the weld and other spots as you can hopefully see in the pics. I used 5356 filler. Am I supposed to only weld an inch at a time or is it ok to weld like 5 inches at a time?thanks. Transmission was not disassembled at all Russians are crazy. There was alot of black crap floating up!
Reply:4043 for shizzle
Reply:somtimes we pull trannys the easy way
Reply:Is the filler 5356 whats causing the cracking visible in the pic or is that from to much heat at once?
Reply:Dewd, a lot of New Process (etc) transfer cases are Magnesium (not aluminum!) They crack instantly if you dont use MG filler. Look all over the case for an MG stamp in the casting.Welding/Fab Pics: www.UtahWeld.com
Reply:I welded on the transmission mike
Reply:Assuming you didn't drill out the end of the cracks either.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Nope. Transmission even had oil in it. Customer gets what customer wants
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313Nope. Transmission even had oil in it. Customer gets what customer wants
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313Nope. Transmission even had oil in it. Customer gets what customer wants
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313Nope. Transmission even had oil in it. Customer gets what customer wants
Reply:Originally Posted by GambleDude you are making a bad situation worse. That's not the proper type of repair and the wrong attitude.
Reply:Regardless of my choice of filler this is a good thread on exactly what NOT to do...Prep is EVERYTHING in this sort of thing and all you are doing is wasting your time...consumables...patience...what reputation you have.You don't just jump in with two feet without knowing what you are jumping in to.Trust me.The pool is empty and you know what happens next........zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by shaynoak  I don't know about you guys but I cant afford to tell the clients to piss off and get someone else to do it... matter of perspective..
Reply:I was in a situation like this when someone broght me a sea doo engine to weld on the idler arm mount that broke off the the engine where the rebuilder had not a clue. The customer brought it to me with the engine assembled. I told him I will not touch it until it is stripped down and cleaned. He said he is going to take it somewhere else. I told him, OK no worries. He called me back 2 weeks later and asked if he could now drop the stripped and cleaned block off for the correct repair and I had to grind somebody elses bird poop weld off. I repaired it and we actually became friends. He brought me tons of car care products for the company he works for.www.tjsperformance.comDynasty 300 DXHTP 240HTP Microcut 380Hyperthem 85JD2 Hyd Bender and HF Hyd Ring Roller all in one =(Frankenbender)Bpt. Mill/DRO4' x 8' CNC Plasma TableInstagram: tjsperformanceYT: TJS Welding and Fabrication
Reply:this is what you need, just gob it on and smooth it out....LOLOf all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:Originally Posted by roadkillbobbthis is what you need, just gob it on and smooth it out....LOL
Reply:I wonder if he welds gas tanks full? if thats what the customer wants...aside from the weld cracking ...wouldnt the tranny fluid vaporize at the high heat and become flammable, just like diesel?Last edited by roadkillbobb; 01-15-2015 at 08:47 AM.Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:Maybe if someone could chime in with some info on why it keeps cracking it will be done right next time.A quick test for magnesium is to wipe it with vinegar.  If it turns white, its Mg.  As far as doing what the customer wants, I feel ya about not turning down work, but if he tells you not to grind out the crack, he'd better be paying cash up front with no refunds if the repair fails, because it will. What if he tells you not to use argon to save $$$??  As much as I want to tell some of the guys who come in my door to caress themselves gently when they tell me "oh it'll be real easy, just a two inch crack, it don't have to be perfect", the fact is they don't know the difference between dirty steel repairs and dirty aluminum casting repairs, so you need to politely inform the customer about this thing welders deal with called "the f**king real world"
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313Maybe if someone could chime in with some info on why it keeps cracking it will be done right next time.
Reply:Do I need to weld only an inch at a time or less with cast AL? What about pre heat and post heat? And this guy is one of my friends I work at his tranny shop. Russians don't give a crap about most stuff everyone knows that
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313Do I need to weld only an inch at a time or less with cast AL? What about pre heat and post heat? And this guy is one of my friends I work at his tranny shop. Russians don't give a crap about most stuff everyone knows that
Reply:Alum isn't like cast iron where the material will crack because one part cools at a different speed than another one does for the most part.  Cast iron is very poor in tension, alum is much better in tension. Preheat with alum just helps to add heat to the system so the material doesn't wick heat away from the puddle as fast. Two totally different reasons for preheat.The crack I see that appeared in pict #3 could have been there to start with. No way to tell since you couldn't look at the back side. Black crud could come from contaminants in the casting, or oil seeping out from the cracks. Cracks also have a tendency to continue if you don't stop drill them.Since you mentioned how it surprised you how little heat it took, my bet is you didn't get a full penetration weld. I see way too many new guys who make pretty looking welds, say on outside corner joints or V grove welds who simply don't penetrate all the way thru to the back, but just pile the bead on the top. I'd also have expected a lot more contamination if you melted thru all the way to the back with it full of oil. You aren't simply building up a broken ear or tab. You are trying to weld all the way thru to restore strength, and you simply didn't do it right..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:OK I didnt read all the replies so if I repeat  something disregard it....First off your dealing with a casting that typically can be very dirty casting wise.  I myself DON'T like blasting with sand as it introduces silica into your weld which is most likely already boarder line for welding..For sure use a wide fluted burr and route out the  crack to get as much thickness back as possible  ( TIG doesn't penetrate like an EB welder ) Use a 80 grit sanderand skim off the sides from where you die ground about an inch or less......I wouldn't use 5356 I use 4043 for almost all castings and 4943 is even better...Set your machine to 70 balance if its adjustable.....Use a 1/8 Tungsten ( RED thoriated or pure whatever you have)  I like gas lens but a std #6 would be fine and weld it up....  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:The argument between 4043,4943, or 5356 is a good one. Typically my choice on a non high heat service part is 5356. 5356 is more ductile and crack resistant, but any filler would be crack resistant if the base metal was heated sufficiently to add filler and not cold crack. Personally I hate 4043 as it is too dependent on base metal dilution for strength, and this crack is on a stressed area. If wetting is a problem, then 4943 is perfect. I definitely advise to remove the crack, and burn in hard with your full 200 amps. Take your time and when the dirt pops up, stop to let is burn off for a few seconds and resume. If the contamination is too much, grind it out then move on. If a new crack appears above or below or spiders off, continue doing the same thing. Ford cases are a PIA and crack sensitive. Take your time and don't rush it as you may induce more cracking. And enjoy the experience. Tell the russians talent takes time.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:I will get a bad trans case and break it and practice the right way. Is it ok to weld the whole thing up at once or do I need to take baby steps?i tried telling him you need to grind it out and he didn't care nor did he want a bunch of penetration because the trans was all together. And bc I don't like pure or red for AL I use brown or e3 1/8. But I did use #5 and 6 cup
Reply:Happy New Year Terry....  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Thanks shovelon
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313I will get a bad trans case and break it and practice the right way. Is it ok to weld the whole thing up at once or do I need to take baby steps?i tried telling him you need to grind it out and he didn't care nor did he want a bunch of penetration because the trans was all together. And bc I don't like pure or red for AL I use brown or e3 1/8. But I did use #5 and 6 cup
Reply:Doesn't get much dirtier than Harley cases, done with RED Thoriated tungsten......  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:you should learn when to say no. That there is what you call a cluster****.
Reply:I agree.......  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Nice repair! What was the welding procedure?
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313Maybe if someone could chime in with some info on why it keeps cracking it will be done right next time.
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313I will get a bad trans case and break it and practice the right way. Is it ok to weld the whole thing up at once or do I need to take baby steps?i tried telling him you need to grind it out and he didn't care nor did he want a bunch of penetration because the trans was all together. And bc I don't like pure or red for AL I use brown or e3 1/8. But I did use #5 and 6 cup
Reply:Originally Posted by B_CHappy New Year Terry....
Reply:That is bad stuff, Moto.Just a couple welders, big hammers, grinders, and torches.Work will free you.Men in dirty jeans built this country, while men in clean suits have destroyed it. Trump/Carson 2016-2024
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313I will get a bad trans case and break it and practice the right way. Is it ok to weld the whole thing up at once or do I need to take baby steps?i tried telling him you need to grind it out and he didn't care nor did he want a bunch of penetration because the trans was all together. And bc I don't like pure or red for AL I use brown or e3 1/8. But I did use #5 and 6 cup
Reply:If your buddy has a problem with you grinding the crack out, maybe you should just fabricate a pan to go under the trans case.  This pan should have a sump with a pump to send the fluid back into the leaking case.  This would be a cheaper option than welding the crack with no prep. Perhaps you could substitute borscht for the trans fluid, I've heard cabbage is an excellent crack sealer.
Reply:Originally Posted by beboPerhaps you could substitute borscht for the trans fluid, I've heard cabbage is an excellent crack sealer.
Reply:So I haven't got an answer yet on how many inches to weld at a time? Ponyav?His mom makes good soup!
Reply:The reason you do short welds on cast iron is because you are trying to keep your total heat input down. If you do small short welds, the base material doesn't get so hot that it will expand from the heat, then contract and put the base material in tension that causes the cracks. Preheat /post heat on cast does basically the same thing. In this case you make it all hot, so it all expands together. Then by slow cooling it, the material relaxes at the same rate and doesn't "fight" itself. You keep seeming to be confusing cast iron with cast alum. Different materials.The only reason not to weld too much on alum is to prevent heat soaking the piece and causing issues like having large areas all go almost liquid at the same time causing things to start to sag and droop, or pulling all the temper out of heat treated parts so they loose their strength. With a large heat sink like this trans unless you preheat, I doubt either case will be an issue if you have enough amps to do the weld right in the 1st place.You need to understand "WHY" things are done the way they are, and not just latch on to some process and apply it randomly across the board to everything under the sun. That's the same as guys who always want to run 6010 roots then top with 7018 no matter what they are doing. there is a reason procedures call for 6010 roots, and it's not required if you aren't doing open root joints and have to close up the root 1st to prevent porosity in the 7018 beads. If using backing rings or doing T joints that aren't open roots, you can simply weld everything out with 7018....No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan