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PostPosted: January 27, 2017, 11:56 am 
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I could use your help if you can weld aluminum.. I live in a small town, and it can be hard to find reliable help for the little one-off stuff, so I thought I'd ask you guys..

In short, I need to take a stock GM fitting (in red circle), and weld it into a new aluminum Vintage Air hose fitting.. I'll do the cutting/fitting, but I need someone with skills and equipment I don't have to do the actual aluminum welding..

Interested in a small side job? I'll make it worth your while.. Starbucks? Adult beverages? Dinner with the Misses? Plain old cash?

Please let me know.. these bits are small and easy to send USPS (which of course I'll pay).. No monster hurry, but I'd like to get it tackled within the next few weeks, then I can have all of my AC hoses crimped...

-thanks :)


--ccrunner


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PostPosted: January 27, 2017, 3:27 pm 
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A couple of thoughts:

1. You cannot clean that part enough. It must be spotless for welding aluminum.
2. It's going to get pretty hot. Hot enough to warp threads and possibly mess up whatever is inside that fitting.

You may want to weld a bung that the GM fitting can then be screwed into.

I can weld aluminum, and I would be willing to give it a go for you, but only if you can get another one if I screw it up. :shock:

Ken


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PostPosted: January 27, 2017, 4:12 pm 
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I am surprised that Vintage Air doesn't have a fitting like you need. They seem to have all bases covered for installations. I see a lot of R-134 ports on hose fittings on their website. Pretty cheap too at Summit. Maybe I'm missing what you are trying to do,

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PostPosted: January 27, 2017, 5:54 pm 
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rx7locost wrote:
I am surprised that Vintage Air doesn't have a fitting like you need. They seem to have all bases covered for installations. I see a lot of R-134 ports on hose fittings on their website. Pretty cheap too at Summit. Maybe I'm missing what you are trying to do,


I agree Chuck that the VA availability on odd bits is deep, but in this one particular case I'm trying to use a fitting that seems proprietary to GM, or at least so specialized that the aftermarket hasn't catered to it.. I'm running an experiment of sorts, trying to run a GM variable speed pump that must have a signal from the inline pressure sensor- the ECM must get this signal... Vintage Air says don't run the GM pump, switch over to a Sanden that does not need a pressure sensor (in other words, run the AC as a true 'stand alone')..

No easy task stuffing the Sanden in with my packaging challenges in my tiny engine compartment.. internet research tells me my stock GM pump may (or may not!) work, so I'm going to give it a go and hope the internet pros are right (you know, the ones that are saying what I want to hear :wink: )

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thanks for the feedback Ken.. it's a glorified Shrader valve.. and I know the patient may not survive the transplant (they're not hard to come by)... I'll send you a PM...


--ccrunner

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1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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PostPosted: January 27, 2017, 7:24 pm 
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I don't currently have a TIG but from having done aluminum before I don't think it's going to be possible. Aluminum transfers heat a lot quicker than steel and the arc control isn't as good. I think the entire fitting will melt.

Any chance of finding a fitting in steel and welding a bung to the new line? If you drill and tap the bung after welding it would alleviate a lot of the heat concerns.

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PostPosted: January 28, 2017, 2:08 am 
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In the picture it almost looks like the gm fitting is always threaded into a bung in the line. If that's the case, I wonder what the threads are?
Kristian

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PostPosted: January 28, 2017, 7:46 am 
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Look up Jody on his you tube channel - Weldingtipsandtricks He is a master welder familiar with this sort of thing. He has about 400 youtube welding videos - they are really well done. According to his videos, he charges $1 per tack and $1 per inch of weld so it isn't expensive. Seems like a really nice guy too.

Id be happy to try it- but... i am just an amateur, so no guarantees (free though)


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PostPosted: January 28, 2017, 10:44 am 
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turbo_bird wrote:
In the picture it almost looks like the gm fitting is always threaded into a bung in the line. If that's the case, I wonder what the threads are?
Kristian


I agree with Turbo_bird, looks like the Schrader valve port screws into the manifold. If not, remove the valve before you cut the bung off. Set it aside for later.

Send the bund and bits off for welding. When it comes back there's a reasonable chance the Schrader will screw back in and seal. There's also a reasonable chance that no matter how much someone cleans the parts that A. the weld will be porous and B the Schrader port will be so deformed the Teflon seal on the valve won't ever seal again.

Option C is make your own custom port. You don't have to have the Schrader valve. it's just there so the system can be evacuated and charged before the sensor goes on further down the line.
All you need is an aluminum nipple with threads and o-ring seal to match the pressure sensor.

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PostPosted: February 1, 2017, 3:42 pm 
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As it turns out, Sean in CT has agreed to take this on :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Sent it off to him in bits, and if it works, it will end up being shaped like this...


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1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com


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