gasless mig welder + aluminum welding wire for engine job?

[gazza2006au]

hey guys i have a outboard im fixing for resale so far its costing me a fortune none the less i think im going to continue to fix it so the problem is the exhaust port under the power head has slowly burnt away i was told by a wreckers/suzuki specialist this was common im wondering if i hire a gasless mig welder from kennards hire and a spool of aluminum welding wire from ebay can i weld the job my self? i am capable of welding not the best job tho i can grind down and over weld etc.. also how will i get the surface level?

in the pic its the middle wall and right side wall needing welding
cheers

[pedrodepacus]

gday mate sorry to dissapoint but it wont work you need the argon shielding gas for aluminium

[tunaticer]

Do you know any boilermaker apprentices?? You will need proper gear for that job, the hire migs will not come close.

[gazza2006au]

yeah my sisters hubby is a professional welder but i dont want to ask him to weld it and he only has a arc welder but does aluminum welding at work the engine would be to heavy for him to drag to work and back whats a welder going charge to weld this up and will they be able to grind the weld down to make the surface flat or will i need to get that machined flat? if machining is needed what am i looking at for that as well because theres another plate that sandwiches between the powerhead and mid section thats is 10mm thick and i think this needs welding to and is $208 new to replace alone :o

[Owen]

It will need to be TIG welded
Corroded engines are not for novices
Take to someone who does this stuff regularly
The average boilermaker has no clue on aluminium

[googarra]

Forget you ever thought of this idea.

An experienced welder will have a great deal of trouble fixing this, but it is a "can do"

[finga]

A plate of glass and some emery paper will get it reasonably flat after someone has welded it.
An engine re-conditioner would be a good person to ask to weld it.

[garman1]

definitely a tig welding job, forget hiring gear and doing it yourself, I have seen qualified welders not able to do it but some welders have the "touch" and seem to have no problem. I worked with a guy who could weld up corroded aluminium where no-one else in the shop could...................

good luck

[PB]

To do it right it will need to be built up with weld and then machined by an engine reconditioner, I would alow $150 to weld and double that to machine it. Unless your in the trade this is not a DIY job.

[gazza2006au]

thanks guys if its going to cost $450 to fix its getting sold for a song

[garman1]

don't bodge the engine just to sell it eh.........................someone's life may be in jeopardy because of a bodged engine repair. If ya don't want to spend the money to fix it properly then don't fix it. Myself, I would hate to hear on the news that the engine that got "fixed" cheaply failed and someone suffered because of it.

A clear conscious is better than making a quick buck.

[Roughasguts]

You know I have used Araldite on stuff like this before.
Araldite and aluminium filings mixed together has held two engine crank cases together for me!
Both big Hondas, and replaced broken head fins on a Yamaha RD 400.
I know it sounds rough but probably end up better than welding.

What Suzuki is that ?

Cheers

[gazza2006au]

i have it for sale as on a couple local fishing forums just trying to get what ive spent on it back if it doesnt sell in the next couple of days i will pull the powerhead off again and take it into the welder to get a price on fixing it i wouldnt sell it bodged i have stated in the adds the exhaust is leaking into the cooling system and needs welding repairs i aint a shonky guy i would rather make no money on it and have a good sale than make money on it and have the buyer return to say i sold him junk one guy called yesterday inquiring about the engine he explained it would be going on a 14foot fibreglass boat i said to him your better off with a twin cylinder twin carbie model 50hp as this motor will likely struggle to push your boat now i could have sold him the engine and said good luck but i didnt :) i even thought about fixing it up and putting it on my 4.3m alloy boat but im still tossing it up as im doing a full engine rebuild on a mercury 25hp four stroke

its a suzuki 30hp 85 model repainted to jazz it up a little

it pumps great water out of the water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrpWcQKWvak

[garman1]

i wouldnt sell it bodged i have stated in the adds the exhaust is leaking into the cooling system and needs welding repairs i aint a shonky guy i would rather make no money on it and have a good sale than make money on it and have the buyer return to say i sold him junk

That is good to see and hear, it wasn't a personal attack on you...............

Hopefully the repair won't be too costly, good luck with the sale. ;)

[Matt76]

I have a tig but seriously I wouldn't even attempt it. That ally will be so impure it's not funny. It will turn into a mess!

[cqfreshie]

Yeah it can be done OK. Time consuming, rather than dificult. The welder just needs to grind the contaminated and oxidised alloy away, then get to work with the trusty old TIG. Likely around two to two and a half hours to do.