Grahams81-Leon 4wd, Big Turbo - Back in the saddle :-)

[CupraElliott]

Coming along nicely.

That pipe does look nice and thick. Thanks for the offer for the lend of the tig set, but I cant tig weld, always something I have wanted to learn though. My occupation is a welder but I am used to metal half an inch thick.

 

[euanlowe]

I have been following this build for ages now. It looks amazing! Elliot TIG welding is easy! It's the same as any other welding.... 40% settings 40% metal prep and 10% skill. Atleast that's my take on it. I'm a sheet metal worker to trade so I can do a wee bit!

 

[RobDon]

That turbo looks like it will need to be supported by a brace/bracket from underneath, perhaps something bolted to the gearbox?

 

[James.Judd.1]

I have been following this build for ages now. It looks amazing! Elliot TIG welding is easy! It's the same as any other welding.... 40% settings 40% metal prep and 10% skill. Atleast that's my take on it. I'm a sheet metal worker to trade so I can do a wee bit!

Where's the other 10% gone.. thinking about boobs?

 

[Miller 20vt]

Where's the other 10% gone.. thinking about boobs?

 

[grahams81]

That turbo looks like it will need to be supported by a brace/bracket from underneath, perhaps something bolted to the gearbox?

Yeh mate your right about the brace, the turbo weighs a ton, i mentioned using a support in my earlier posts, the M6 studding i used was just to set the position of the Turbo flange in relation to the head flange so i can design the runners off the car on my spare head.
I will cut the studding off when the pipework is done.
Gonna try and get the brace made this weekend and finish designing the pipework. Got next week off work too on "standby" so should get plenty done

Also half inched some stainless steel M8 rod ends from work and some stainless studding to maybe use on the brace.

40% settings 40% metal prep and 10% skill.

Yeh i agree with that but its more like the 50% boobs and the rest just falls into place

Cheers for the comments guys !!!

 

[euanlowe]

10% sheer luck lol. Can't wait to see it running. Hopefully the Mrs let's you away to some shows after wee yin is born lol

 

[IbizaAlex]

Coming along nicely. I love welding. Are you using a pedal and have you tried ali yet?

 

[Damoegan]

Coming along nicely. I love welding. Are you using a pedal and have you tried ali yet?

I love welding too mate. Not used a pedal, just triger on the torch. Never done any ali but would like to. Any pointers?

 

[grahams81]

10% sheer luck lol. Can't wait to see it running. Hopefully the Mrs let's you away to some shows after wee yin is born lol

Im sure the missus will let me away to shows although she does like them herself so will probably end up palming of the young-un and having the day away ourselves......well thats the theory anyway......subject to change

Coming along nicely. I love welding. Are you using a pedal and have you tried ali yet?

Cheers Mate, i feel like im getting there, still **** loads to do but i'm kind of aiming to have the car ready for paint by christmas, then reassembly and get it running early next year
I too love welding there's something very enjoyable about TIG welding, i also love it... there it is i finally confessed it i am a weldaddict !!!!!!
I'd love to have a go with the ali but i've only got a DC TIG and you need a AC one for ali to pulse the arc, they cost a fortune so i don't think i'll be doing it soon.

Not sure what i'm going to do with the intercooler pipework, might just make it outta stainless, the only thing is the heat conductivity - might be ok with a water injection system.

Can't wait to get cracking in the garage tomorrow

 

[grahams81]

I love welding too mate. Not used a pedal, just triger on the torch. Never done any ali but would like to. Any pointers?

Nah i've never used a pedal myself, i just have the trigger on the torch... i actually need to get another holder as the one that came with the welder is really wanky.

 

[CupraElliott]

Thats quite good to know that most people dont use a pedal, I thought it was pretty much necessity to get a good controlled weld.

Might sell my MIG set and get a small tig set off ebay.

 

[grahams81]

Thats quite good to know that most people dont use a pedal, I thought it was pretty much necessity to get a good controlled weld.

Might sell my MIG set and get a small tig set off ebay.

For the price of the cheap welders it would say its definitely worth it, but you need to think about the price of the Gas and regulator required.

My welder ct416 (3in1 Plamsa/TIG/ARC) was £260 of ebay.
Argon Gas was from Hobbyweld (dixons gas in Westerhope) £100 first time with a £60 deposit on the bottle. Refills are £40 and when your done take the cylinder back and get your £60 back.
My Gas regulator was £50 from Machine Mart (cos i needed one there and then and couldn't wait for a cheap one to be delivered) normally get them for 30-50 quid.

If you are a welder by trade i'm really surprised you've never used a TIG or at least had a go. Personally i think its easy peasy as you can take your time as you control adding the filling material (if any).
As for the pedal, most DIY and small setups just use a trigger switch that starts the HF circuit to start an arc, really easy compared to the old ARC based units that required you to strike an ARC.
I taught myself when i was an apprentice (engineer) on a Murex Arc welder, we bought a TIG torch / gas adaptor for it and i used to just practice and make stuff when on back shift.

There are some really good websites out there that show you basics and tips to get cracking. If you can MIG / ARC then you'll pick it up in a day or less....

 

[Damoegan]

Graham, Thomas Proctor's on Team Valley are good for argon. Much closer to home

 

[grahams81]

Graham, Thomas Proctor's on Team Valley are good for argon. Much closer to home

Cheers bud may have to have a look next time i need a refill.... Good job i don't pay for fuel the amount of travelling about i do to pick bits up.
My first purchase for the car was an AGU engine block from Essex, only cost me £20 but cost the company 600 miles worth of fuel and a greasy boot in my car

 

[Damoegan]

 

[IbizaAlex]

I had always done steel with the trigger on the torch, but with setting up a pulse to get the regular neatness. Switched to a pedal 6 months back and I would never go back. Takes more control getting used to using you foot but in the end its easier and more precice. Being able to vary the current on Ali is a must or the pool gets bigger and bigger as the Ali heats up. After doing steel for the past 4 years and only recently moving to ali I'm finding ali easier.

Is your welder setup for pulsing current? The weld created by back purging is lovely. I purge as much as I can, but the gas usage goes through the roof.

It's worth investing in a flow meter too. A regulator by itseft tends to flow too much.

 

[grahams81]

Is your welder setup for pulsing current? The weld created by back purging is lovely. I purge as much as I can, but the gas usage goes through the roof.

It's worth investing in a flow meter too. A regulator by itseft tends to flow too much.

Nah mine is just a Direct Current Inverter welder, the price of Alternating Current for Ali welders are normally upwards of £500, if they were cheaper i would have bought one as it would have been nice to fab up an inlet manifold and all the inlet pipes.
I bought a flowmeter for mine but the shitty Machine Mart Clarke Regulator has a funny size thread on it.
I'm gonna purchase a new regulator off ebay that comes with a Y piece and two flow meters so will be handy when i'm purging the manifold.

Got a good tip for purging from one of the diary pipe welders i know, he said its best to get a quite firm sponge and clamp it between 2 large discs of metal (like penny washers) just under the size of pipe you need so the sponge creates a bit of a seal, tap a hole in the middle for a push in fitting and connect it to the argon. You can then push the seal thing down the pipe until your close to where your welding so the volume is less so you save on gas
I'll get some picks up when i make one for the manifold.

 

[IbizaAlex]

Nah mine is just a Direct Current Inverter welder, the price of Alternating Current for Ali welders are normally upwards of £500, if they were cheaper i would have bought one as it would have been nice to fab up an inlet manifold and all the inlet pipes.
I bought a flowmeter for mine but the shitty Machine Mart Clarke Regulator has a funny size thread on it.
I'm gonna purchase a new regulator off ebay that comes with a Y piece and two flow meters so will be handy when i'm purging the manifold.

Got a good tip for purging from one of the diary pipe welders i know, he said its best to get a quite firm sponge and clamp it between 2 large discs of metal (like penny washers) just under the size of pipe you need so the sponge creates a bit of a seal, tap a hole in the middle for a push in fitting and connect it to the argon. You can then push the seal thing down the pipe until your close to where your welding so the volume is less so you save on gas
I'll get some picks up when i make one for the manifold.

When I mean pulsing current I mean being able to set a base current of say 20 and a high current of 80 so the welder goes between the two currents as you weld rather than just a constant 80?

I've seen purging plugs with ball bearings in them to spread the flow outwards rather than straight. I need to get some. Would the sponge not melt with the heat?

 

[grahams81]

When I mean pulsing current I mean being able to set a base current of say 20 and a high current of 80 so the welder goes between the two currents as you weld rather than just a constant 80?

I've seen purging plugs with ball bearings in them to spread the flow outwards rather than straight. I need to get some. Would the sponge not melt with the heat?

Ah got you now, i have seen some welders with a million knobs on the front..... Obviously i've still got some learning to do

And the sponge is just designed to create a partial seal, keep it a couple of inches away so it doesn't get too hot.

Cheers.