Braineack

iTrader: (62)

the stock cast manifold and whatever aluminum the runners happen to be.

1990miata1.6

iTrader: (2)

but he only has a 10" screen

y8s

iTrader: (8)

hey *****-av, I think he meant your plenum and fabbed runners.

hf-mx5t

we also welded some runners to the stock inlet manifold flange on my first inlet .. and welded billet oil return parts, to the stock oilpan.. no problems, as long as the welder has some skill..

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Ok, ok. I'll stop being a worrywart.

Thanks, all.

TravisR

iTrader: (9)

Aluminum cast alloys are all three digit. You won't see a cast 6061 7075 or 2024 part. You'll see a 333 or 290 something like that. The cast aluminum are all made very specially to reduce porosity, and keep homogeneity of the mix. Otherwise you end up with a jello shot of metals. Aluminum on top, then you have copper, ooo look some titanium and maybe some molybdenum!

You could buy all three recommended grades 4043,4145, and 5356 covers nearly every cast material to standard alloy. 4043 covers the widest and 4145 next. 5356 works with higher strength alloys such as the 6000 series alloys. Which one to use??? Chip a piece off and send it to a metallurgist pay a couple hundred for the analysis, or punt.

SKMetalworks

iTrader: (7)

If your welding cast theres only 1 filler metal to use. 4043, Reason? Has silicone in it to add weldability. The cast Aluminum is very porous and poses difficult problems to an inexperienced welder. If anyone has tried welding anodized aluminum they will know what i am talking about. To be specific what are you adding to the intake manifold. The grade of aluminum you will use is not that important. 5 or 6 series will do fine for whatever you plan on doing.

Questions to consider

1. Is there going to be constant stress on this attachment or is it free from anything tied down (fatigue stress/ductility). If there is you would want a more ductile grade 2024

2. Is there any liquid flowing through it (corrosive)? If there is you might consider 3003 or 5052

For your application i would use 6061 with 4043 filler rod (tig welding) If your welder is only welding on said attachement should be less than 70$

If you lived in the seattle area id do it for you for free

demetri

iTrader: (2)

i'm basically an ally-noob too but managed this with my tig fairly easily if somewhat sloppy. the most common prob is getting through the oxide layer because aluminum oxide melts at a gagillion degrees higher which makes the material underneath it liquid before the top oxide. you can flap disc it off, clean it off with acetone, or my fav; a clean stainless steel wire brush. some of the pros can weld without prepping the metal.

i still have to be careful even tho i did that, i tried to weld a cracked thermostat housing and it was a major PITA to weld. I did it tho!

elesjuan

iTrader: (11)

****.

I was wondering when one of these threads would pop up. I bought a millermatic 180 with a spool gun for the express purpose of welding aluminum. Its been so long since I welded on a regular basis but I figured it'd be like riding a bike -- Except I've never tried aluminum and I'm pretty nervous about it.....

Have yet to run down another cylinder for 100% argon, or even wire up the spool gun.. Hell, I haven't even taken it out of the storage box. This is why I have no trubos...

Project84

iTrader: (2)

The spool gun takes all of 10 minutes to add to your machine.

Start back w/ welding steel to steel, get it flowing pretty well and practice your bead-overlapping.

THEN wire in your spool gun and prepare to punch yourself in the head countless times in anger while practicing until you are able to weld aluminum worth a crap.

....or maybe I just have anger issues.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

just go down to the local airgas type store and buy a small full cylinder. it wont break the bank and will last for a long time.

elesjuan

iTrader: (11)

I got some C25 in an "M" sized cylinder and ended up being $225.00 out the door. Would like to get the same thing for Argon, but I'm being kinda cheap here lately.

Had a line on one from Craigslist for $50.00 empty, called Airgas and asked if I could exchange it for a full cylinder and what the cost would be. IIRC woulda been $52 for Argon exchanged. Then the ******* never would answer my calls about the craigslist cylinder...

My other biggest problem is I can't find enough scrap steel and aluminum to get practice on. Planning on building my own downpipe so I started sawing off 1" long pieces of aluminized steel exhaust pipe I had tons of scrap of and butt-welding it back together. After about 15 slices I finally got back in the groove and figured out my settings pretty well. Just have to get more practice on welding in a straight line..

demetri

iTrader: (2)

u can use argon for pretty much everything so i gave up on co2 mixes. as for aluminized steel; that coating is always liable to make your life difficult and confusing. spool guns are great for production work but can be difficult when ur trying to figure out how aluminum puddles etc. remember that aluminum also needs MUCH more heat than steel to weld so for the same thicknesses you need to crank up your machine.

dont give up!!!!!!!

fluke

I use argon in my TIG, I run through a big tank pretty quickly. Check locally if there is a place to rent the tank, I rent mine w/ a $50 deposit and a $40 fill, usually every 4 months or so. I'd run through one of those small bottles in no time.

Project84

iTrader: (2)

May want to ask your local gas supplier if they have out of date bottles you can buy for cheap, have it sent out for a re-test (pressure test) that'll cost you $40-50 and when it passes they'll stamp it and it's good for like another 7 years... at that point the bottle is yours.

I think the setting for 16 gauge aluminum an .030 wire on my Millermatic 140 spool gun is 10V/40 speed. So yeah, lots of heat w/ aluminum...

iWeasel410

I've welded 6061 runners to the cast intake manifold flange with 4043 filler rod with no issues.