How to/ Tutorials
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Here is a more in depth look at some projects and general technical data, email me if you'd like me to cover something specific that I've done.
12/01/08 - Fitting t-bolt clamps can be a pain, especially if you guessed a little short on the diamter. I have tried slipping the fitting on with the silicone hose, slippling the clamp over the hose already fitted on the part, etc. What I have come up with is the easiest method I found. Take the t-bolt clamp apart, i.e. remove the nut completely, slide out the bolt, then put the bolt threadside into a hole and hit the part outside the hole with a hammer to bend the bolt to more match the radius of the hose clamp, trial and error will show you how much, it doesn't take much usually, then you can reassemble the clamp around hose fitted on the part and get the bolt into the other side of the clamp, with the bolt straight, this is virtually impossible. Then squeeze together and fit the nut, tighen and you are good to go. I hope this saves someone the frustration I was having.
8/31/08 - This is not so much a how to but some general alternator info from a conversation I had with the tech guy at Powermaster. They said for street use to be sure to stick with a 3:1 ratio to ensure your alternator is happily charging at idle. For me this means changing my alternator pulley size to acheive this with my Summit underdrive pulley. I ended up choosing an MSD pulley with a .205 OD which with the 6.140 OD of the Summit pulley puts me right at a 2.99 ratio, that means at idle I'll have enough RPM at the alternator to charge but at the top end I shouldn't be overspinning the alt either, the Powermaster tech guy said to try and stay under 18,000 at the alt. which I will be pushing at redline. I'd rather overspin at the top end occasionally than underspin all the time at idle.
The first How To I will address is my welding preparation steps(this is my personal method, there are many out there and this should not be taken as THE one way). I like to have all my welding equipment set up, i.e. gases turned on, voltage set, hood ready to go so I can get started as soon after the prep as possible to avoid contaminants building back up on the part.
The first step is always to ensure that your metal is clean, I like to use an angled die grinder with a small sanding disk to remove rust, paint and a small layer of metal to ensure a good starting point.
The next step is to clean the area with acetone to remove any oils, greases etc. (Remember to prep a larger area than necessary if possible, your heat will affect at least an inch in every direction and the smell of burning debris can be nausiating and dangerous. I also use acetone to clean my filler metal rod if I am tig welding, the rods come with a thin layer of oil from the manufacturing process that needs to be removed.
Next I use a handheld propane torch to heat the metal, make sure the acetone has evaporated and your not going to blow yourself up. You need to heat the metal just to the point when you see the moisture or condensation in the metal disapear or at least retreat from the area around the weld, I can't remember the temperature but it is around 125 or 150 I believe, that's hot to the touch but not hot enought to affect metal coloration or chemical properties.
After that I make sure my voltage is set, make sure the part is grounded and everything else is ready to go and hit the pedal and start welding.
F.Y.I. I use ER70-S2 filler rod for mild steel welding or welding mild steel to chromoly tubing. For chromoly to chromoly welds I use ER80S-D2.
I now have welded aluminum which is interesting, I have the following tips, use pure argon, as always in TIG, use pure Tungsten as well, set the welder for AC current, you will need alot more amperage than normal, I was using almost 150 amps for some 1/8 material! Choose your filler rod based on alloy you are welding, ensure your surface is absolutely clean and lastly your tungsten should be in a ball shape if possible, I ground down as flat as possible, then when you get your arc struck briefly dip your tungsten in the puddle to coat the tip with aluminum, then weld fast, I can barely keep up with the filler rod. Enjoy!
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