How To Weld Dirty Cast Aluminum

Hey everyone my names chris in this video ill show you a broken cast aluminum vw alternator bracket car part I have from my customer that was repaired before this and didn't hold up and I'll show you my way of trying to weld and repair this part. Customer said he couldn't find another one so I wanted to try to repair it. Hope you guys enjoy. Thank you.

[rakentrail]

I've done a lot of motorcycle cases over the years and I found boiling the parts with a little lye (drain cleaner) in the water releases a lot of oils and contaminates from the base metal. I let it cool and use a hose to the bottom to flood the crud over the top before pulling the parts out! Give it a try. You may be surprised!

[hose]

Thanks for your honesty and sharing (dont mind the trolls) I think most people appreciate what you are doing!

[michaelszczys]

Im always welding junky scrap aluminum and it usually does okay unless you get a piece like i once picked out of the scrap pile. It was a nice looking piece of cast aluminum but when i tried to use it for something and weld on it i started the arc and heating it up and oil started rolling out of it like stepping on a sponge.
Amazing how much liquid a solid looking piece of metal can hold.

[AwesomeLife-hp]

Those pieces are known to break in that location due to the owner removing the support bar for the alternator and or bracket bolt bushing inserts which increases vibration and stress to that area= another fracture.
Have a machine shop mill it 1/4 and JB weld a 1/4 steel template and your golden forever.

[johndoe]

There are definately different grades and alloys of aluminum. One of the purest and most weldable ive done was a jaguar cylinder head.

[WojnarskiWeldingFabricaion]

Thanks for watching it was months from filming and editing the video so had to remember everything 😂. Any advice for how to improve future videos appreciated thanks 👍

[miceskin]

"That's just what it is." Is the general consensus on cast aluminum it looks like. Lol

[dougtenney]

Nice work and thank you for sharing, Chris! Where's your shop? It seems like I'm hearing a S.E. Pennsylvania accent.

[mooosestang]

is the strength as good as original with something like this?

[el-gibbortv]

What type machine are you using to weld aluminum?

[dougtenney]

Chris, may I ask, how much electrode stickout do you use for jobs like this, i.e., using a std collet body? Reason I ask: I can't get decent puddle going with a standard (HF Vulcan) collet body & #5 or #6 cup on clean rolled aluminum, irrespective of my Argon flowrate. When I switch to a gas lens, BAM, no problem. YT is full of advice about stickout with gas lens but not much discussion for std collet body. I'm either using too much stickout, or my HF Vulcan collet bodies are not made right, or somehow not compatible with CK torch.

[petersmart]

Plantex Tigershark flap discs and Kangaru oil work better than anything I have tried on Aluminum! They are awsome

[reyalPRON]

a little work with audio levels post production or a stable mic position would help you alot sir :)

[jackrichards]

Man that's some filthy cast for something that was poured molten. Cleanliness is the answer to alluminium. An acid etch once you clean the joint is very helpful. The previous weld was good considering the substrate. A precursor bathe in suitable acid ( I'd have to look it up) or at the very least degreaser. Followed by a brisk brush with aluminium dedicated wire brush and a water flush. Dry with paper towels and bolt it down in position on a plate. Then cut out every stitch of previous joint.
If you're charging for the work do your best eh?

[ettorefrisenda]

If you put up a video saying how to world aluminium before you do make sure you know how to weld Aluminium you’re blaming the material you just can’t weld. you never cleaned it properly I’m shocked

[Pipiluyo]

Clean and brush with SS wire and only used on Aluminum