Miller 330AB/P poor stick welding???

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Just bought a 330AB/P downloaded owners manual and all.  Wanted it just because I didn't have a big Tig machine and wanted a really good stick welder mainly.  Got it home everything looks good on it.  When I went to try it out stick welding with 7018 and 6011s no matter where I put the selector unless I put it on high and turn it all the way up to where 400 amps + ought to be its like its only getting like 30 amps will just barely keep an arc.  I've adjusted everything on it.  The knife swicth is in the metallic position for stick.  Leads are hooked up right, ground is good.  HF is off.  Circuit breakers not tripped.  Got it to burn hot on AC once will try it some more this afternoon.  Also hooked my tig up to it for a minute and made one good bead before running out of argon.  When I do crank it all the way up to get it to burn a stick just don't seem or look likes it burning right.  Also I do have it on straight dc polarity.  I've never had this much trouble with a welder and beginning to wonder why I bought the beast.
Reply:Are you sure the jumpers are set correct for the voltage you are connected to? Cross your serial number against the service manual to be sure. I bought a 320 for a hundred bucks at an auction,had three different auctionnumbers from previous sales. Guys would buy ithook it up,welds likecrap,take it to the next auction. I bought it read theservice manual,went through it, no faults, reset jumpers for 220 works likes charm. Love that beast. Stick with it they are tanks, can't be much wrong.
Reply:I thought of that.  When I type in my SN on miller it don't find no matches so I just scrolled to the 330AB/P to find a manual.  The guy I bought it from had it hooked up in his garage and said it worked fine and it was running off 220, this guy was also from the backwoods of Ok and a compulsive liar, but I figured the welder had to the alright and for the deal I got on it I couldn't lose.  I've looked inside the welder for marking to tell where to hook it up for 220 or 460 and can't see nothing.
Reply:I'm not near my shop right now,but Tuesday if you gave me your serial #  I could look it up in the service manual and check the hookup diagram. Then if that's not it can you run a vom?
Reply:Its serial no. JD664486   There is also another number to the side that is D44011.  On the miller website the 330AB/P it comes up with is SN JJ396523 I was an apprentice electrician for a bit so I got a meter and all the tools, I've just never really been inside a welder to figure it all out.  I really appreciate the help.
Reply:http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o340d_mil.pdf Try this manual page 7 shows the jumper layout for different voltages
Reply:That helps in determining the right voltage, the manual I downloaded didn't show that.  The jumpers are in the right place for 230 volt which is what I'm running.  Went out and welded some with it this evening, got it to burning good on AC.  AC seems fine and like the settings are right.  I put in on DC though and in the middle which is supposed to be 15 to 260 amps and I have to turn it all the way up to between 80 and 90 to burn a 1/8" 7018, according to the gauge I should be running about 230 amps where it only burns like I'm running 100 to 120 amps.  AC on the same place with a 1/8" 6011 is like molten hot I'm talking like burning through 1/4" plate almost.
Reply:first thought is the selector switch or the diodes
Reply:It'd make sense took covers off switch mechanism is functioning properly it looks like.  Being that it works fine on AC I just wonder if the positon where I switch it over to DC is not making enough contact to get the full amperage draw.  As for the diodes I don't know wish they were like the new ones where they'd tell you what was wrong with them.  I'll mess with it some more if nothing else I guess I can scrap it for copper just don't wanna tear it apart.
Reply:Could be one of two things. If the welder out put is good and correct in AC.Then you have a problem in either one half of the diode bridge or one of the polarity switch contacts. Measure the no load voltage at the welder terminals. Make sure HF is turned off and the spark gap is not sparking. Should get 79 volts AC and 72 volts DC.If the HF is running it will kill your meter. You can test you diodes with a multi meter that has a diode test mode.They either test  as open or shorted. Open diode will read open both directions.A shorted diode will read 0 ohms or volts both directions.Most stick welding is done in (EP) reverse polarity and TIG in standard (EN)
Reply:with welder on dc straight or reverse I'm getting 76 volts DC with welder on AC im getting 82 volts AC. Turned welder on today with 1/8" 7018 put on on the highest setting 180 to 460 on DC turned adjustment to 10 and it only ran like it had 100 amps or so.  My meter has a diode tester guess it works just like testing the continuity.  I know the symbol for diode don't actually know what one looks like inside of something though, I'll get the diagram and do some studying.  where do I buy a diode to replace them at?
Reply:Originally Posted by Luke87I know the symbol for diode don't actually know what one looks like inside of something though, I'll get the diagram and do some studying.  where do I buy a diode to replace them at?
Reply:Found the diodes they are huge.  Googled it and found pictures to be sure.  Every diode I tested had current both directions and same reading. 0.42 one way 0.34 the other way.  Could they all be bad don't really make since to me I checked and made sure I had a good connection everytime and kept getting the same thing.  Its like everywhere I got the amp setting I'm only getting half of what I should be getting on DC on AC though it cranks just what it says.Last edited by Luke87; 07-10-2012 at 09:32 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Luke87Found the diodes they are huge.  Googled it and found pictures to be sure.  Every diode I tested had current both directions and same reading. 0.42 one way 0.34 the other way.  Could they all be bad don't really make since to me I checked and made sure I had a good connection everytime and kept getting the same thing.  Its like everywhere I got the amp setting I'm only getting half of what I should be getting on DC on AC though it cranks just what it says.
Reply:Put you voltmeter on the weld terminals. then strike a stick weld arc. Check the voltage drop. It will drop when working correctly. Should drop to around 20 to 25 volts.If the voltage drop is small, say from 79 to 60. Then you may have a loose connection in your weld leads.If it drops to less than 10 volts, then the problem is in side the welder. You can repeat this process at different points in the weld circuit as you work your way from the terminals back to the diodes and then to the weld transformer. In diode test a reading of 0.3 to 0,4 in circuit is good. Getting the same reading both ways in circuit, because you are reading through the transformer and the load resister. Just unbolt the flex lead on the diode for isolation test. One set at a time.  we Know none are shorted. But we could have an open one. Make sure the HF is turned off when making voltmeter readings. It will kill the meter.Check the screw in glass fuse and measure the DC voltage at the current control rheostat. outside terminals and to the center one from each side with the rheostat set in the middle.
Reply:computer hiccup caused double postLast edited by ccawgc; 07-11-2012 at 01:59 AM.
Reply:Alright I'll try all of this in a day or 2.  Gotta lay off working on it and messing with it about to drive my wife nuts spending more than in the shop than with her.  Really don't think its the leads though being I took the ones of my hobarts that work fine and put on it.  Guess I can clean the connections on the welder up then go from there testing.  I've been testing the diodes with the welder off do I need to do it with it running?  Once again thanks for the help everybody gonna to get this thing figured eventually
Reply:Have'nt got to test the terminals or rheostat yet.  I did unbolt and check all the diodes they all were good.  I redone some stuff in my shop today to make more room for this beast and burned some 6011's with it, it burned them good just had the control set way above where I thought it should be.  Thing welds smooth and good its just I gotta turn it up about 50 to 100 amps more than I think.  Welded aluminum yesterday with it first time I ever touched aluminum had some pretty welds on it within 30 minutes of messing with it.  Once I get this welder troubleshot now I gotta figure out the foot pedal can't make it do nothing and cant hear nothing clicking in when I push it.
Reply:Originally Posted by ccawgcPut you voltmeter on the weld terminals. then strike a stick weld arc. Check the voltage drop. It will drop when working correctly. Should drop to around 20 to 25 volts.If the voltage drop is small, say from 79 to 60. Then you may have a loose connection in your weld leads.If it drops to less than 10 volts, then the problem is in side the welder. You can repeat this process at different points in the weld circuit as you work your way from the terminals back to the diodes and then to the weld transformer. In diode test a reading of 0.3 to 0,4 in circuit is good. Getting the same reading both ways in circuit, because you are reading through the transformer and the load resister. Just unbolt the flex lead on the diode for isolation test. One set at a time.  we Know none are shorted. But we could have an open one. Make sure the HF is turned off when making voltmeter readings. It will kill the meter.Check the screw in glass fuse and measure the DC voltage at the current control rheostat. outside terminals and to the center one from each side with the rheostat set in the middle.
Reply:V oltage is correct.   Open (non welding) circuit voltage drops to welding voltage when u strike an arc.     Clean all your contacts.    Are u sure u hve the stick/ tig lever under the lower panel set correctly?Did u try welding on ac current.    As current flows to ac first then is rectified to dc its not uncommon to hqave good ac welding but problems on dcLast edited by soutthpaw; 07-23-2012 at 12:03 AM.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:I've cleaned everything I can get to and blew it out really good.  I've got the lever on electrode when trying to stick and tig when tigging.  Yes the AC works fine on it, its just the dc that don't, I've took every panel there is off the welder and can't find nothing that looks loose or bad really.  I'm about ready to just forget about it, it welds fine on DC you just gotta turn it up way past where you want it to get the amps you need.  I've turned the switchs for dc and ac and the amperage switch watching the wheel on the inside and it looks like its making a good connection everywhere.
Reply:With the side off check to see that the selector for ac, to dc selection is not moving too far. When you change selection several blade switches need to make contact, ifthings are worn it may be that some are not making or going too far and making poor contact. I did find with mine that due to wear contacts were going to far and no output would result in dc reverse.
Reply:Luke87 - Did you ever get this figured out?
Reply:[QUOTE=Kelvin;2393621]Luke87 - Did you ever get this figured out?[/QUNope found a clean dialarc at an auction bought it super cheap and sold the 330 ab/p for $100 more than I bought it for as is and bought the dialarc for the same price I orininally purchased the 330 for.  So all in all I came out way ahead the the dialarc welds flawlessly came with a bottle, victor gauge and water cooled torch as well.