Ol' Rusty - FB/EK Sedan

[funkyscooter]

When you put an HR rear axle into an EK, the rear brake hose is almost, but not quite, long enough. So your clamp/bracket/pipe arrangement is to allow the normal length brake hose to be used.

I did a similar Heath Robinson setup when I did an HR disc conversion in the ex-family EK, sometime when Methuselah was a kid. I used a spare rear axle T-fitting, the RHR brake pipe, and a steel bracket which ran down to one of the rear axle mounting bolts.

But we have moved on, and so I would suggest going to somewhere like Burt Bros in Fairfield, explaining the problem, and asking them to custom-make a hose 50 mm longer than the original.

Rob

Thanks Rob - had to google Heath Robinson! Neater, and simpler, to go with the custom hose. IF I redo all my brake lines (most likely will), I'll move the T back onto the HR mount and get a custom hose made.

[funkyscooter]

Hi Scott, hinge brace repair seems to be a classic spot for rust and you're onto it. I had 3 of 4 to do. Suggest using paintable seam sealing right around the bracket/pillar join to keep it dry once your finished priming. Maybe wire feed is a bit too fast for the volts on the welder?
Careful with those spot weld drills- don't ask how I know
Keep it up your going well.

Hey Brett,
That wire feed is a tricky one. Its a super fine line between too much and not enough (burn back?). The welder's recommended speed for 6mm wire is 5 (on a scale of 1-10 ) on the lowest power setting (1). I've been running between 7.5 and 8.5. Added a DIY spot/stitch timer since this repair and it gives me a lttle bit more control over blow through. Had a few on this repair as som of my gaps were a bit big and my trigger finger a little heavy.
Been looking at getting a variac to dial down the power a bit more. Can't find anything conclusive to say it helps though. If I get one and it doesn't help, I'll stick the variac on the bench drill.
Yeah - could stop mucking around and get a better welder, but want to persevere with this for now.
Scott

[EK283]

Mig welding sheet metal has taken me a few years to master, its just about seat time and adjustment of the machine.

The wire speed should allow you to melt the wire as well as the metal simultaneously. Your gas pressure also contributes to outcome.

I set mine up so it welds with a sizzling bacon sound, you'll know when you hear it and the spots are all just a matter of timing.

Practice practice and practice again and it will happen.

Greg

[funkyscooter]

Can you ever have too much gas? Only ask cos my spot timer has a .3 sec delay to allow gas to flow when I pull the trigger, with the arc then following. Thought that was a good idea at the time!
Practice, practice, practice- on all the bits that will never see the light of day
Scott


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[Brett027]

Not sure, but I doubt you can have too much gas in terms of adversely affecting weld quality - just wastage. 10litres per min is good for most no breeze situations. My understanding is that the gas just prevents oxidation reaction - that is, gas drives air away from the weld. This is why MIG gun is angled towards unwelded material. You need the gas to get there just prior to weld start or you will get a honeycomb effect at start because of O2. So that part sounds good. My Unimig has a knob to adjust pre-weld gas time.
I am not sure that the timer is going to help you except perhaps for when you are doing spot welds. My WIA has a spot weld timer and I found it actually stopped me from making a tidy spot weld unless I had it on max setting anyway. For runs of welds the timer would make things very difficult. What you are looking for is a constant wire feed and then a suitable wire feed speed to match the volts. Have you checked that wire feed without the timer is a steady speed? Intermittent wire feed is a common cause of trouble with MIGs and very frustrating if its happening.

If you can't get the volts down, maybe an option would be to go for 0.9mm wire instead of 0.6mm. Many panel beaters use 9mm because they can get faster welds by laying down more material quicker. Where are you located?

[funkyscooter]

So the gas sounds right. I'm running 12lt per min. In a shed, but have to remember to point the fan away when I'm welding. That's tripped me up I think.
Wire speed is consistent - always try and keep it straight as possible. Again when things aren't going to plan its the first thing I check.
The spot/stitch timer is overkill perhaps for now. Easy enough to bypass.
Not sure about the 9mm wire. How would that help with blow through on my lowest setting? My (limited) understanding was the thinner the material, the smaller the wire.
Just updated my profile - In Sydney.

[Brett027]

0.9mm would help if you can't get voltage low, because it takes more power to melt it. Therefore 9mm wire will be less likely to blow through at the same settings as 0.6mm. It will fill a bit quicker as well, so less time spent in one place. 0.9mm won't help for welds that are not penetrating on the same settings as 0.6mm though- only something to try if you can't stop blowing through because of not being able to reduce your voltage on this welder. 0.8mm also.

[funkyscooter]

Great explanation, thanks Brett. Sounds like a great option to try if I can't improve on the 6mm. Probably go 8mm first and see what's what.

[funkyscooter]

Hot day so more updates.
So next job which I started a couple weeks back. Passenger A Pillar

Lower A Pillar.JPG (915.19 KiB) Viewed 567 times

Had a bit of repair work done at some point. Hit it with the wire brush to reveal a bit more. Part of the patch just came off in my hand.

LAP 2.JPG (748.57 KiB) Viewed 567 times

The picture also shows that this repair was before the car was painted red. You can see on the sill its bog, blue, red.
Cut and dremel out the rust. Going to try and fill in the lip with weld to avoid making a replacement section

LAP 3.JPG (757.9 KiB) Viewed 567 times

Much welding and grinding later I have this. Possibly should have not been so lazy and cut more metal out. Was worried my skills with metal fabrication would be worse than those with the welder!

LAP 4.JPG (879.96 KiB) Viewed 567 times

In the end I have this. Not awesome, still a bit of work to do.

LAP 5.JPG (625 KiB) Viewed 567 times

[funkyscooter]

Next - work my way down the sill. First to the B Pillar. Hoping to not find any surprises like the other side. Paint stripper, wrapped in plastic to try and stop it evaporating.

Sill1.JPG (708.29 KiB) Viewed 612 times

Scrape and repeat 3 times to get all the bog out. Would have used a disk in the grinder but trying to keep the dust to a minimum. Final go over with a wire wheel and the dremel in the tight spots reveals this.

Sill2.JPG (670.36 KiB) Viewed 612 times

Sill has been joined - you can see it on the RHS and running along the top. Attacked it with my sharpened screw driver revealing a couple spots of rust under the sill and a couple small holes along the top. Filled as much as I could with weld. Grind welds and flap disk got me this. I've got at least half a sill.

Sill3.JPG (665.08 KiB) Viewed 612 times

[funkyscooter]

Did a bit more welding on that A Pillar. Thought I did ok. Then I looked at the photo. Still got a couple small holes at the top. Be out the again tomorrow. Should have made a patch!


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[Brett027]

You're going well Scott. I'm interested in that circular hole cut in the top of the sill. Metal seems to be thicker than normal or is it an illusion?

[funkyscooter]

It’s one of the 4 holes in the top of the sill. 2 each side of the B pillar Illusion maybe? Although I’ve never looked at another sill so really not sure.


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[Blacky]

It’s one of the 4 holes in the top of the sill. 2 each side of the B pillar

Most likely used for rustproofing the sills back in the day.

[In the Shed]

Good onya for having a go Brett
At least you have some experience in knowing what future issues can be welded up versus cut it out and drop a patch in. All part of the learning.

Regards
Stephen