The absolute key to successful welding of aluminum is having it pristine clean. Which means removal of oil in the pores of the casting in this case AND removal of oxidation. Once aluminum is truly clean enough to weld, it oxydizes [think rusts] very quickly. Aluminum oxide forms an insulation barrier to TIG torch heating and is a contaminant to the weld puddle, which causes failure in the weld joint to achieve a good bond. A weld repair can be successfully done, it just requires more skill and close attention to details....
On Sun, Jan 29, 2023 at 8:26 PM Dimitri Seretakis via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > Welding cast aluminum should be interesting. > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Jan 29, 2023, at 9:53 PM, Buggered Benzmail via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > > Get a patch welded on it > > > > --FT > > Sent from iFōn > > > >> On Jan 29, 2023, at 9:08 PM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > >> > >> We must have smacked it on something. I'm not sure how, it's at the > rear of the front third of the machine and tucked up beside the frame. I > think we must have shoved a log up there just right and hit it while > backing up... > >> > >> I'm 90% sure it's aluminum, so not rust I don't think. I found some > pieces, it sure felt like aluminum. > >> > >> -Curt > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On Sunday, January 29, 2023 at 08:59:18 PM EST, Dimitri Seretakis < > dsereta...@yahoo.com> wrote: > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> So what happened to the oil pan? Rust hole or puncture or? > >> > >> Sent from my iPhone > >> > >>>> On Jan 29, 2023, at 6:10 PM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > >>> > >>> Last week we got a bunch of heavy wet snow, like 6 or 8 inches. It > snowed off an on all week. Trees down all over the place. We never lost > power at our house but we did lose one phase for awhile back on Tuesday. > >>> > >>> For the snowmobile club this means a LOT of trail clearing. The method > is we take the Pisten Bully and use it's blade to push stuff off the trail > until we get to a tree that it can't handle, then we bail out, cut the tree > and push it off with the machine. Lather, rinse, repeat every 50-100 yards. > >>> > >>> Anyway to keep this from turning into a epic at some point we popped a > radiator hose. We were down for 2 hours fixing that and hauling in coolant > by snowmobile over trails that really weren't passable. Common sense and a > self preservation instinct have no place here. > >>> Here's the working party: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hmkZpPFbG9szw2ua9 > >>> Typical, one guy working, 3 standing around. ;) > >>> > >>> We got the machine started again and noticed it had no oil pressure. > Sure enough there was no oil on the stick. We HAD to get it moved because > we were in a place we should not have been. Moved the machine about 100 > feet. It shut off and would not crank. > >>> > >>> Uh oh... > >>> > >>> Today I drove as close as I could get, then hiked 2 more miles in with > a couple other guys to access the damage. We poured some oil in which > dripped back out but it told me where the hole was. I stuck my camera under > there and got this: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PW7o7JZ1DdyT6cLu8 > >>> Warning: It's ugly... > >>> > >>> On the positive side once we realized the battery cables had somehow > gotten loose we got the machine to crank and fire. I obviously didn't let > it run long but it was such a relief to hear it fire. > >>> > >>> So the plan now is to get the pan off and either get it repaired or > get a replacement. Right now looks like repair is the option we'll take. If > somebody has an oil pan for an OM352LA (MB content!) let me know. > >>> > >>> So anyway I might get to help refurb a big MB engine or we might get > lucky and it's good enough as is. The best news out of all of this is that > the machine will probably walk itself out. That's a HUGE relief as dragging > a 20,000# machine 3 miles out gave me nightmares. > >>> > >>> Oh, side note, while this was going on I went back and grabbed the ASV > as a support vehicle hoping to push a road open. That has a HUGE hydraulic > leak. Most of how I spent today was dumping gallons of oil into that and > walking it back out. I *hope* that's just an oring failure but I haven't > looked at the parts book yet. > >>> > >>> -Curt > >>> > >>> _______________________________________ > >>> http://www.okiebenz.com > >>> > >>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > >>> > >>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >>> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________ > >> http://www.okiebenz.com > >> > >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > >> > >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >> > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
