Specifically, the oil tank on my logsplitter. Years of use and engine vibration have caused the tank to crack where the engine mounting plate is welded to the oil tank. The oil tank also serves as the axle. Like this. (Not my splitter, but very similar)
Draining the tank and welding on top of the crack has done nothing. (Not surprised) If I remember correctly, I need basically to grind into the crack and then fill the crack with weld. I am also using an old 110v Hobart Handler welder to make matters worse...
mke
Reader
2/8/19 8:44 a.m.
That's a mig welder correct? Those are a challenge to seal anything with but grind a v if you can, preheating will help or starting the bead outside the crack so you have a smooth running weld when you get to the crack will help. Then pressure test with LOW PRESSURE air and soapy water, I just rap a rag around the air nozzle, its quick and you can't get more than a couple psi like that....you will almost certainly have pin holes so grind them open, preheat and weld.....repeat until its sealed or until you give up and get a tig welder :)
Good luck!
Weld it best you can then (assuming you are a halfway decent weldor) - preheat with a torch and clean bare metal for sure.
Then when you are all said and done get some CA glue or similar (loctite sells a product just for this but I forget the name of it) cap off all the fittings and put a shop vac on the main fitting, then apply the sealant to the weld area and let it wick into the weld.
That will make even a mediocre weld fluid tight.
I have actually had better luck soldering or brazing stuff like that but that needs an oxy-acetylene torch for anything of thickness.
In reply to 93gsxturbo :
JB Weld has a 2 part epoxy that's gas and oil proof, and runnier than the standard JB Weld. I've used it to coat over welds that needed to be liquid tight. Supposedly it's good to like 3000 psi.
volvoclearinghouse said:
In reply to 93gsxturbo :
JB Weld has a 2 part epoxy that's gas and oil proof, and runnier than the standard JB Weld. I've used it to coat over welds that needed to be liquid tight. Supposedly it's good to like 3000 psi.
My FIL tried this. More than once. The Briggs engine has too much vibration and just cracks the JB .
brazing should work. It's done at a lower temp so you should be able to avoid melting holes in the tank, and it seals up nicely
Mig it, it will be fine BUT you need to clean the tank well and get a second bottle of Argon CO2 and bleed it into the tank before welding and during welding. this will keep the inside from forming crusty E36 M3.
I have welded up cracks in oil pans before.
Used lots of carb cleaner with a bent straw to very thoroughly remove all traces of oil from the weld area.
Forgot to use a blow gun to clear out all the vapors.
After three seconds of welding, the vapors had a spark assisted self-evacuation event. The oil pan also gained about a quarter of a quart more capacity and the rubber valve cover gaskets blew out, as did the breathers. On the plus side, no more vapors to worry about. And, the dumplingification of the pan opened up the crack to where it was more easily visible, so I was able to be sure that I welded the whole thing.
I started with this E36 M3ty repair so gorilla sneezed on then ground it down.....
Ground that crap out and V'ed the crack
Back feed with Argon and MIG welded it up. Chromoly oil tank on a motorcycle. Weld may not be the prettiest and is not my best work but it is oil tight for 5 years of racing.
