Hot Rod Forum banner

The "What Did You Work On Today" thread

3M views 36K replies 388 participants last post by  cerial 
#1 ·
4 hour work day for me at the shop. Used the time to do a valve body swap on a '01 Jetta 1.8t auto .... I successfully installed a transbrake on the car .... that however wasn't my intention.

Its in 2 gears at once in park, all other gears (R/N/D/2/1) are forward gears.... they all seam to be first gear.

I have it torn back down most of the way. Tuesday I'll actually get the VB back out and see whats up.... but part of me wants to take it out for a test drive the way it is just for the fun of it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: drive til its broke
#5,201 ·
Very good Brian. I wonder if your Jeweler's torch is so small that it akes too long to heat the metal. This could cause the HEA (heat effected area) to be larger because it takes longer to bring the metal up to fusing temparature. That would give the heat more time to travel. I am just thinking out loud but have to wonder.

I have a video tape made by an English gentleman who builds a model A front fender with an English wheel. He makes it in 7 pieces and welds it together with gas and no filler rod. He is a true artist with a torch. You would think that these guys that make the rest of us look so amaturish would be using a pencil flame if it was the way to go. I don't have the answer but do wonder.

John
I thought the same thing when I saw the initial pics, John. The HEA is much larger than a mig and is prone to warpage. I don't have the answer either but I would use the mig and reduce the heated area. I don't have the patience to turn welding into an art on my cars...:(
 
#5,202 ·
Very good Brian. I wonder if your Jeweler's torch is so small that it akes too long to heat the metal. This could cause the HEA (heat effected area) to be larger because it takes longer to bring the metal up to fusing temparature. That would give the heat more time to travel. I am just thinking out loud but have to wonder.

I have a video tape made by an English gentleman who builds a model A front fender with an English wheel. He makes it in 7 pieces and welds it together with gas and no filler rod. He is a true artist with a torch. You would think that these guys that make the rest of us look so amaturish would be using a pencil flame if it was the way to go. I don't have the answer but do wonder.

John
John, I am using the largest tip and it gets melting that metal pretty fast. But I will look into this a little and experiment, maybe the next smallest tip? I have that video (two video set actually) of John Glover, yes he is a MASTER to say the least. That is what got me stepping up my game was a DVD my co-worker loaned me. It's by David Gardiner and called "Bodywork restoration tutorial" and very good. This method has really opened my eyes to step up my game.

Brian
 
#5,203 ·
I thought the same thing when I saw the initial pics, John. The HEA is much larger than a mig and is prone to warpage. I don't have the answer either but I would use the mig and reduce the heated area. I don't have the patience to turn welding into an art on my cars...:(
Oh heck yeah it's larger, I was torn on using the MIG and how I had it set up I could have done it with a zillion small welds keeping it cool as I have preached for years. But in chatting with my co-worker I decided to go to gas and plannish it to get it into shape and I am learning a LOT about this work and it's interesting. Where as years ago I would have worked metal that was a way from the HAZ I know now have accepted (never really did this in the past, I "heard" what was being said but never LISTENED, you know what I mean?) all the plannishing, shrinking or stretching is done right in that HAZ, after all that is what created the distortion. My photo looks like crap with the ruler and the other one with an illusion that it looks lumpy, but honestly guys it's really damn flat, feeling it like feeling blocked plastic filler, it's feeling damn good!

Brian
 
#5,204 ·
Filled her up with coolant, turned the ignition key and it ran like it was never apart...... :thumbup:
I had to readjust the distributor just a little, then I added a couple more degrees of advance....for fun. :D

Then I got back into the car.....horror......it´s pegging 250ºF.

I drained the top of the rad, removed the thermostat and checked it, all okay.
Back together add coolant.
Still at 250ºF.
So I took out the new temp sender and replaced it with the original,
top up with coolant again.
This time it pegged at 180ºF like it should.
I realise now the sender I fished out of the toolbox is a Stewart Warner,
my guages are AutoMeter.:embarrass
Glad that worked out. The 250 reading would have scared the Pee-dabbledy-doo
out of me.:D

I thought the same thing when I saw the initial pics, John. The HEA is much larger than a mig and is prone to warpage. I don't have the answer either but I would use the mig and reduce the heated area. I don't have the patience to turn welding into an art on my cars...:(
I used gas for years but have really gotten lazy over the years. I have not used a torch in a long time. Brian is right though. The gas weld is so much more malleable. It allows you to planish the weld and pick it up so much better than the MIG. It definitely allows some really great metal work.

Oh heck yeah it's larger, I was torn on using the MIG and how I had it set up I could have done it with a zillion small welds keeping it cool as I have preached for years. But in chatting with my co-worker I decided to go to gas and plannish it to get it into shape and I am learning a LOT about this work and it's interesting. Where as years ago I would have worked metal that was a way from the HAZ I know now have accepted (never really did this in the past, I "heard" what was being said but never LISTENED, you know what I mean?) all the plannishing, shrinking or stretching is done right in that HAZ, after all that is what created the distortion. My photo looks like crap with the ruler and the other one with an illusion that it looks lumpy, but honestly guys it's really damn flat, feeling it like feeling blocked plastic filler, it's feeling damn good!

Brian
There is no way you are going to have a smaller HAZ with gas than with a mig. Can't happen!

I was thinking bigger tip not smaller though so the metal would heat quicker and let you get away from it quicker. Maybe not but that was my thought. You have me kind of interested in playing with my torch. We will see. One big advantage to the torch is there is so much less filler material to grind and what grinding is needed is soooo much easier.

Yes, it is John Glover I was thinking of. He is indeed a true artist.
 
#5,205 ·
Glad that worked out. The 250 reading would have scared the Pee-dabbledy-doo
out of me.:D



I used gas for years but have really gotten lazy over the years. I have not used a torch in a long time. Brian is right though. The gas weld is so much more malleable. It allows you to planish the weld and pick it up so much better than the MIG. It definitely allows some really great metal work.



There is no way you are going to have a smaller HAZ with gas than with a mig. Can't happen!

I was thinking bigger tip not smaller though so the metal would heat quicker and let you get away from it quicker. Maybe not but that was my thought. You have me kind of interested in playing with my torch. We will see. One big advantage to the torch is there is so much less filler material to grind and what grinding is needed is soooo much easier.

Yes, it is John Glover I was thinking of. He is indeed a true artist.
I'm sorry, I understood that when I read it but then wrote what I wrote. :drunk: It will blow thru pretty easily the largest tip really is pretty big for this. But I will look at some other ways, I don't have a real small tip like a 000 or something for my regular torch being it's that old Craftsmen, they didn't have tips that I am aware of like a Victor. The smallest one I have is a 1. Which is quite a bit bigger than the largest on the Jewelers torch.

Brian
 
#5,206 ·
I'm sorry, I understood that when I read it but then wrote what I wrote. :drunk: It will blow thru pretty easily the largest tip really is pretty big for this. But I will look at some other ways, I don't have a real small tip like a 000 or something for my regular torch being it's that old Craftsmen, they didn't have tips that I am aware of like a Victor. The smallest one I have is a 1. Which is quite a bit bigger than the largest on the Jewelers torch.

Brian
Believe it or not I learned to weld with a number 2 tip. I have tried a smaller tip but have trouble with it popping back on me and just always end up back with the number 2. I have no idea that is the best but it just always seemed to work for me. We all tend to stay with what we are comfortable with.
 
#5,207 ·
I will look into it John, thanks. I am more than willing to look at things differently than what I have done. You may be right, that is is more about fit and plannishing than tip size.

Brian
 
#5,208 ·
I will look into it John, thanks. I am more than willing to look at things differently than what I have done. You may be right, that is is more about fit and plannishing than tip size.

Brian
Agreed. Remember I am basically self tought and not the best souce for technical information.

When I started, I watched a fellow weld the quarters on a 55 Chevy conv I was building. I would wear two pairs of sun glasses so I could watch him work the puddle thought "gee, I can do this". I bought torches and a rusty 51 Chevy Convertible and started at the toe boards and worked my way back. the front floor boards were a little rough but by the time I got to the trunk I was "getting better".

As the years went by I did several projects including putting the 49 Merc on the Buick floor pan assembly and chopping it. All that before I ever had a MIG in my hand. As I said earlier it is mostly a case of being to lazy to use the torches now.

John
 
#5,209 ·
Agreed. Remember I am basically self tought and not the best souce for technical information.

When I started, I watched a fellow weld the quarters on a 55 Chevy conv I was building. I would wear two pairs of sun glasses so I could watch him work the puddle thought "gee, I can do this". I bought torches and a rusty 51 Chevy Convertible and started at the toe boards and worked my way back. the front floor boards were a little rough but by the time I got to the trunk I was "getting better".

As the years went by I did several projects including putting the 49 Merc on the Buick floor pan assembly and chopping it. All that before I ever had a MIG in my hand. As I said earlier it is mostly a case of being to lazy to use the torches now.

John
Believe me, I had this thing all set up for MIG welding and my co-worker about flipped making me promise I would gas weld it, ooookay and I am glad I did, mostly for old time sake. I will see as it comes together where else I use it but mixing the MIG and the gas so far is working pretty well.

Brian
 
#5,210 ·
Believe me, I had this thing all set up for MIG welding and my co-worker about flipped making me promise I would gas weld it, ooookay and I am glad I did, mostly for old time sake. I will see as it comes together where else I use it but mixing the MIG and the gas so far is working pretty well.

Brian
Reading about what you guys are doing, has me remenising about when I actually did bodywork 30 yrs ago. :rolleyes: Personally, I like the idea of using a torch where you can get at both sides to use a hammer and dolly as you go. It's looking good Brian. :thumbup:

BTW . How is Steve these days ?
 
#5,211 ·
Ok, Allen and Brian have just sucked me in. I lit up the torch tonight "just for all time sake". I was surprised at how quickly I felt at home. I guess it is like riding a bicycle. huh :)

I only spent about an hour in the shop but did put this mount together with oxy/acetylene. The grinding and finishing sure will be easier but it is a really slow process if you are careful not to let the piece get too hot. I have to admit I enjoyed it though.

John



 
#5,216 ·
I have never had the chance to use on but I think I would like to have one
little to no grinding (IF ) theywork like they show on the car shows on tv:D
They do work really well but TIG welding is also slow. It requires really clean material and like gas welding is easier to grind than a MIG weld. If you use a TIG for body work you will still have some grinding though.

John
 
#5,220 ·
You know Brian I don't see much deference in your heat zone and the one on the You Tube weld and did notice the warppage of the metal and the use of filler rod. I have to admit in one photo the welds look pretty flat however in another they look concave, could be the camera angel. Heat control is a mager issue I'm sure you know, back in the day I used an asbestos paste I made for that but that's out now and you still had to get in and out quick to minimize wrapping. How about some more shots from another angel. The work you're doing looks really good.

Bill
 
Top