trailer ?

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Alright yall I will probably get bashed a little for asking this question. Im sure it will probably be said " if you have to ask this question you shouldn't be welding on said project". So here we go... any and all help is greatly appreciated. We have a gooseneck trailer at work, and where the neck is welded to the coupler sleeve has cracked pretty much all the way around. This is the tube that is welded to the neck, and the coupler slides up and down inside of. The boss man asked if I could cut the old one out and weld a new one in since I do most of the fab work in the shop. I'll start by saying that Im NOT certified. I'll be using stick. What would yall suggest I lay down as the root pass? Also would there be a better choice than 7018 for the cap? Im not 100% committed to this project, due to the fact of what could happen if my weld broke while traveling down the road. I have been welding for around 15 years or so off and on, have worked in a couple of fab shops, and have welded various things that could be a danger to anyone old enough to die. The thing is most of the time what Im welding I can twist and turn it how I want to so there isn't much overhead or uphill welding. The long runs uphill on this coupler is what scares me. Again thanks for any help and advice.
Reply:is the weld cracked or the actual tube. I would grind out the old weld and weld it in properly. do you have the fab skills to cut the old tube out and weld the new one in? it will have to be right or the trailer wont pull right. If you are not practiced up in uphill then id say leave it alone. That is one heck of a project if you are rusty.- Christian M.C3 Welding & Fabrication - CNC Plasma Cutting-Mobile Welding-Custom welding and fabwww.c3welding.com
Reply:It would help if you post a picture. It maybe hard to explain the defect and the pictures make it much easier.
Reply:Originally Posted by BD1It would help if you post a picture. It maybe hard to explain the defect and the pictures make it much easier.
Reply:You're in Vernon Parish, where is the trailer? I may be able to find you someone who does this sort of thing for a living. I used to spend my summers in Pitkin with my grandparents.GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:Cut out the old tube, rig it up with some scrap and build your self practice goose neck to weld on.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:Originally Posted by GravelYou're in Vernon Parish, where is the trailer? I may be able to find you someone who does this sort of thing for a living. I used to spend my summers in Pitkin with my grandparents.
Reply:If you have good fitup there's no need for a root pass with anything but 7018.  I'm always amazed at the desire to use 2 different rods for this stuffI believe you'll find that 7018, when run uphill, digs a very deep trench, and penetration is very good.  Only need for 6011 would be where there's a healthy gap to fill, and you need a fast freeze rod to do it.With 7018 you'll need to aim the heat at the coupler sleeve, and let the filler wash back against the channel.  The channel will be a knife edge susceptible to easy burn thru if you put too much heat into it.  Just use a fast flicker of the wrist to tie the puddle in at the channel, don't spend any time there, just enough to make a nice even bead.Square the BOTTOM of the tube with the trailer frame.  Just use a tape, and measure from the center of the tube to each corner of the frame, both measurements should be equal.  Chances are that you won't be able to easily measure to the spring hangers, so the frame is your next safe bet.Two healthy tacks at the top of the tube, then use a hammer to true it when squaring it.  The tacks should give enough to allow you to tweak the fitup.  If two tacks are too rigid, then use one.Backstep the welds to tie into your previous bead.  Easier than trying to tie in from the top of the previous bead.  In other words, start about 6-8" from the top, and next weld will be started 6-8" below the previous weld.If there's a gap, your first pass is simply to fill it to some extent, and allow for a good pass over the filled gap.  Simply grind out the first pass, not all the way through, but enough to provide metal for your second pass to fill.If you're not confident with the quality of the weld.......grind it out, and do it over.  Never a bad thing to make a bad pass if you have enough sense to correct it.  Nobody is perfect 100% of the time.  Difference between a good welder, and a bad one, is the effort to correct mistakes.Do stringers, don't do a weave.  Lay a good first pass in, then tie in 2 adjacent(side by side) passes on top of it.  Probably overkill, but I think it's the safe way to go.  Welding rod is fairly cheap.  And you're assured of a uniform thickness of filler across the entire gap.Alternate from one side of the tube to the other when welding.  It keeps it from pulling too much.AND DON'T BE A HERO.................USE 3/32 ROD, it runs better uphill, and is easier to control"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/