Tom M'Guinn

I found this stuff, HTS-2000:

http://www.aluminumrepair.com/video_new.asp

It actually works pretty well. Did this with a MAPP gas torch tonight.

95ONE

Looks like some fancy brazing. Crazy part is that they are only a few blocks away from my shop.

m73m95

Aluminum melts at 1230 deg F. The dude in the video said his **** melts at 500 deg below aluminum.... so 730deg.

Not that there's alot under the hood that gets that hot, but I don't know if I would fix an exhaust port with it.

Other than that, it seems like a good option for broken parts.

Van

Luckily that's an intercooler pipe!

I've used this stuff, too and have been happy with the results.

Lemming

I've never seen this before but I like it

CurtP

It is brazing. As long as it works, I guess it really doesn't matter.

V2Rocket

if i needed to make a custom aluminum intake manifold do you guys think this stuff would hold under pressure (say, 1.7 bar MAP) or should i stick with TIG?

Van

yes - I think this stuff would hold up just fine for a custom intake manifold.

Tom M'Guinn

No question it can hold the boost pressure. It cools into metal that is harder than alumimun. Don't know how crack resistant it might be after years of vibration, but suspect it would last forever. Having said that, if you have the equipment and skills to TIG weld instead, that's a better option for something like an intake. You have to get the metal very hot to use this stuff, and you are best working on level surfaces because the melted material is runny and hard to control otherwise.

V2Rocket

i brazed a new larger, harder pin onto my shift lever (both steel obviously) with a MAPP torch so i imagine my tool is more than capable of heating the aluminum. aluminum melts at ~1200 and i think the torch is good to like 1500 so i suppose i should be ok...?

Van

Yes - a MAPP torch is the way to go with this stuff. I've made a few aluminum brackets with it, and it's worked very well. (It's actually easy to get the aluminum parts too hot and melt those, too.)

Are you good with sweating copper plumbing? Similar technique.

gt37vgt

does it take to difficult magnesium alloys just as well ??

V2Rocket

ok cool. im just concerned about it potentially cracking under pressure (imagine something like a home made SFR manifold but smaller lol, custom tank attached to cut off stock runners)

gt37vgt

er I think you mean vacuum..... far more force and much worse possible outcome

Van

It's real metal... it'll hold vacuum and pressure just fine. (For what it's worth, 1 bar of vacuum will exert the same amount of force as 1 bar of pressure... just in the opposite direction.)

I think what Tom is talking about is stress cracks due to vibration over the years.