VS #4 V6 T Build Log

Immortality said:

I see now. I would have used that as the return as that is the location of the hottest coolant in the engine.

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A return behind the thermostat would have really terrible flow though?
I picked that spot for water feed because a) there's already a hole there that I had to do something with. b) water pressure.

If you go straight to the radiator you'll need to go to the far side/top hose.

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Agreed, but it's a rubbish spot because of how busy that area is. I'll have another look.

It's a shame the factory heater hose fittings are on the opposite side of the engine as using those would have been the easiest option.

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Yeah absolutely, it's the larger of the two heater hoses isn't it, that comes straight out of the water pump and has the coldest and most pressure behind it of any spot in the entire coolant system. I am keeping the heater though so that'd add some complexity.

Fortunately my Turbo is only oil cooled so I don't have to consider this problem.

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Have you got a build thread?

Nope, just a big pile of parts in my garage.

Figured I should probably post some updates.

I'm learning Aluminum Tig.
So far I've done the sump drain, turbo compressor housing v band and a couple bits of intercooler pipe. So go easy on me... Not exactly an Instagram lobster back I know... If I could afford it, I'd do my learning on scrap. But I've got a result that will work perfectly fine... Just isn't super sexy.
Pretty obvious which was the first weld compared to the most recent.

Holding off on some intercooler stuff because the engine isn't in the right spot at the moment with the gearbox off. I need a clutch and a mirror balance from the old flex to my T5s flywheel... Or I save up to get the T56 in... (Custom clutch, flywheel, slave cyl etc)

Wiring harness is still a work in progress.
Made a new heater tap pipe along with a bunch of little bits and pieces.

I tried to learn alloy welding many years back and damned if I could master it, even though I could oxy weld...

So the way I see it, you have succeeded joining parts together so a win in my books

Keep up the good work...

Looking at those pics that TIG welding is not bad. I've paid to have alloy welded and the tidiness was not much better than the runs you have done.

Cheers guys, much appreciated.

After the first hour I walked out of the shed swearing and ranting. Didn't give it another shot until recently.
Aluminium is a... Poorly behaved metal compared to steel.
Oxyacetylene welding definitely gives you some of the skills, but again Aluminum is just...... difficult.

I'm thinking about converting the throttle body to v-band and extending the thermostat housing. So there's plenty more swearing on the cards. Nothing like old worn in cast aluminium.
Even the sump, that I sent to a machine shop to get professionally cleaned, absolutely stunk of oil as I applied heat and started welding it.

I have to say though, being able to press one button on the machine and go from mild steel to aluminium is pretty amazing.

Draimond said:

I have to say though, being able to press one button on the machine and go from mild steel to aluminium is pretty amazing.

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Looking good. I have never welded Aluminium before. What welder are you using Tig or Mig?

I have a UniMig at home that can do Mig, Stick and DC Tig which I have been told is unsuitable for any Aluminium welding. I am trying to get my boss at work to get an AC Tig welder as we have tonnes of reject aluminium plate/rhs/angle/tube etc to play with. Benefits when working for a metals manufacturer/supplier.

woteva said:

Looking good. I have never welded Aluminium before. What welder are you using Tig or Mig?

I have a UniMig at home that can do Mig, Stick and DC Tig which I have been told is unsuitable for any Aluminium welding. I am trying to get my boss at work to get an AC Tig welder as we have tonnes of reject aluminium plate/rhs/angle/tube etc to play with. Benefits when working for a metals manufacturer/supplier.

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I was working for a steel wholesaler up until I left at xmas, much of my car is built out of their scrap bin.

I've probably got the same UniMig you do. But that machines been retired for the most part, as much as flux core is super handy, especially for those hard to reach spots like up the guts of merge collectors.

I'm using my dad's UniMig now. It's Tig only (probably does sick too).
DC, AC and AC pulse. No foot pedal. Pretty average torch. Big 3mm ish electrode, red tip. Straight argon from Bunnings.

I'll take some photos of the machine tomorrow.

I'm hesitant to share my machine settings as they're likely all wrong. Haha, but the 2 big ugly welds were with low AC frequency and 2mm filter rod.
The nicer ones are done with close to max frequency, 230Hzs from memory, and 1mm filler rod.

Post gas is important too, the electrode oxidizes and pukes crap into the weld if it's not shielded while it cools. Then the metal resists flow and doesn't puddle and the swearing starts. I'm a tight arse so 3 sec is all it gets. (I've seen 6 or so recommended).
Just means that the electrode tip splits / fractures every once in a while and needs re-sharpening (unless that's related to something else, remembering I've got a couple hours experience at this point).

It all takes time, learning settings, how it reacts, everything else in between.

Spent a few years in a specialised manufacturing environment with some very very skilled fabrication guys for things like welding.
Some had welds that looked alright and worked fine, others were guys that have been on "Weldporn" if that says of their quality and how pretty they would make things.

You could tell when the guys stopped for a few weeks the super pretty welds would taper off a little, so consistency does help.

They all had different settings, ideas and ways to make it work.
Some bounced off each other.
Then a mate learnt alot of a whole bunch of them and has slowly been learning the art of making things look pretty. (Although on bikes which he does more on that's having tight beads on Cromoly tubing, but has dabbled in Alu too).

Best way to get better is practice more, read up and try different settings. Takes time.

I dabbled with tig a bit many years ago at work. I never liked the button on the hand piece, I always found when I pressed the button you tended to push the tip to close (or into) the weld puddle.

Most of the pro's I've seen welding tig use a foot pedal.

The other thing I learnt was you need to be able to rest your wrist or arm on something to help keep that tip steady over the work piece.

A new AC/DC tig is on my list to Santa!