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I acquired a low mileage 21k, standard 1989 motor that needed a broken alternator mount repaired.
Due to the complexity of the break I decided to remove the cradle from the engine block remove/clean the oil pan gasket and re-install the oil pan for the initial alignment of the broken piece while making some initial tacks to hold the piece in place before finishing the welding all around.
The pictures show the before and after welding parts of the project.
All weld areas were pre-cleaned with stainless steel wire wheels on a Dremel the welding was done with Argon and 4030 filler rods.
The welding table is a slab of 1/2" thick aluminum that provided a perfect heat sink.
Thanks for sharing this- clearly you are a very talented chap but then we know this.
This is an excellent example of why one should not to run a 928 low on the streets and also why you need a set of bash plates. The damage is more extensive that even I could visualize such might be.
I was going to ask you about the welding process used but then I saw you have more or less covered the MIG technique. What precautions did you take to ensure the finished joint was not heat warped [if you do not mind sharing such detail]. Getting the broken piece back to where it was spacially must be quite a challenge given it lies on the sealing face of the girdle.
Fred, that's a TIG torch he's using. I use one to burn holes in stuff and generally make a mess.
Marty,
I tend to use the term "MIG" in autopilot if you will pardon the pun- I should perhaps use the more correct term of "GMAW". Did not analyse the pictures that appear to show a separate gun & stick characteristic of TIG welding.
The MIG process was originally developed for welding aluminium by the Germans during WW2 if I remember correctly. TIG is generally used in industry to weld the more exotic CRA materials such as Incoloy 625 and probably everything welded by NASA.
Either way welding is something that interests me and is fundamental to my professional business but generally have no direct involvement with such until things go wrong given we have specialist welding engineers who take care of the day to day details.
When I retire I hope to take a course in TIG welding.
True welding snobs will call this GTA, for gas tungsten arc. I took courses from RPI's noted Doc Savage, I've supervised a few aerospace welding engineers, often visited the Edison Welding Institute, and knew Bud Baeslack well, head of OSU's welding department. I'd be a welding snob myself, but I've never welded! I greatly admire those who can do the sort of job Herman has done here.
That's the oil pump housing? I imagine the big test was whether it still fit... yes?
For the amusement of welding aficionados, a weld you won't see often, from my box of memorabilia:
It's an inertia weld between a titanium alloy and gamma titanium aluminide, an experimental alloy which, 20 years later, is on the verge of success in GE's latest jet engine (unless they've chickened out). Banned in Formula 1 except for valves. One side was spun up in a chuck with a flywheel, then rammed into the other piece.
I'm not really qualified to have valid concerns but before reassembly I would want to make sure the girdle (particularly the oil pump area) still aligns with the block- the girdle's a big 25 lb chunk of aluminum, but that's a lot of welding- perhaps the next step is mate the halves and have a machine shop measure the alignment of the mains (?). I'm sure Herman's got all this accounted for.
Guys if part of your engine brake off due to an accident or other it becomes very disheartening and the main reason for sharing is to demonstrate that if done right it doesn't have to be that way.
I have had an AC brackets break of before and after welding it has been on the car for 8 years + by now
so this post is to encourage those that have a similar situation.
When one of my dismantler connections called me and I learned about this engine, 21k miles and from a 5 speed (so not been subject to possible trust bearing issues) I was intrigued to make it one of my projects and felt that it would make a good temporary exchange engine for when the time comes and I decided to take out and refresh my original GTS engine.
Yes, some of you know I have a new GTS engine sitting on the shelf but I have decided against using as a temporary replacement. I think this low mileage 89 will be just mine for that purpose (Thanks FredR I know you did the same thing).
I'll be documenting the various stages of putting it back together here and answer some of the questions
at that time.
I'll attach another picture from the engine when it was fist shipped to my friend Mike H aka(the stallion)
Great save, Herman! And I think a good plan for using it in your GTS temporarily. That NOS GTS motor you have is just too perfect to use (interesting CATCH-22... )
01-07-2016, 08:56 PM
Engine, Cradle welding on an S4
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