At 05:50 PM 5/31/2009 -0700, you wrote:
>Steve,
>
>I'm not much of a welder--and don't play one on TV--but I have some
>experience with MIG (getting ready to buy first TIG). Plus, it sounds
>like my Austin-Healey 3000 has a similar axle housing.
>
>This sure sounds like a job for a TIG. MIG would work, but you'd probably
>pile up a large(r) bead, and maybe not get as much penetration. OA gas
>would work too, but probably cause more collateral damage.
That was my first thought, thanks for the confirmation.
>If your axle is like my Healey's, it doesn't appear as if the back plate
>bears much load/stress--makes me wonder why it cracked?--
Lotus 7's are famous for this, you start with an axle designed for 40? bhp,
then you use it with 90 bhp, and then
120 bhp and they crack. The standard fix is to weld a quarter inch
stiffener from the suspension pickups
across the pumpkin. My car was original, but badly treated, that I was
able to make into a correct but
unoriginal example. The cracking has been seen many times before, so when
I discovered it, I knew what happened.
>so welding from the outside alone should work (I'd drain the diff first).
I wasn't going to drain it, thanks for the wisdom!
> I don't think stop-drilling is necessary if you make sure to carry the
> bead past the ends of the crack.
No matter what, this might be a failure point in the future. I may have to
reinforce the axle.
>I don't know how thick the metal is here, but you might consider beveling
>out the crack so you get better penetration (that's the key to this type
>of repair) and, of course, clean the surface thoroughly.
I think I'd be a much better welder if I practiced better metal
hygiene. More good advice.
>Bob
>
>
>Steve Shipley wrote:
>>I'm trying to dig my Lotus 7 out of the garage (oops shop!) and get it
>>running.
>>There was a moment of sadness when looking at the rear axle housing.
>>It's originally out of a Triumph Standard 10 I believe.
>>Anyway it looks like any other rear axle but the back part of the axle
>>where the gears reside is covered by a formed steel cover that
>>is welded to the axle casting. This cover has about a two inch crack,
>>on the upper part so the lube is still contained.
>>I have a choice of welders; gas, mig, and tig. Unfortunately I am stuck
>>with one weldor, me.
>>So I'm thinkin'....about welding up the crack...and just how to do it.
>> From the outside, from the inside, from bothsides....
>>should I drill at the ends of the crack or will the welding alone
>>stop the progression? I'm pretty sure there are a variety of ways
>>to fix this, I'm interested in your thoughts on how you would approach this.
>>Steve Shipley
>>Seattle, WA
>
>
>
>--
>*******************************************************************
>Bob Spidell San Jose, CA bspidell@comcast.net
>
>*******************************************************************
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