I really think that if it is ONLY bad seams you are far far better off getting it fixed, whether you do it or a shop does it. you can solder over crud if you put on flux, heat and use a wire brush (the things that look like a tooth brush) to work the flux into the crud and lift it off. then add some solder and tin, when an area finally gets nicely tinned, move on to the next area
I'm in no doubt that this is all good advice. Apart from the part about making a flange from the L-shaped piece of copper, it's pretty much what I did. But in this case the size of the gap and degree of filthyness are both pretty severe.
I had another look at the radiator tonight. I am very doubtful that I can fix it myself. I'm going to search a bit harder and see if I can locate a place which does radiator repairs. It might be worth getting fixed. Who knows, maybe the old radiators are better than the new ones? This one is a good 40 years old.
I have some plumber's solder. Not sure of the exact composition, but it has the "mushy" state as it's intended for making wiped joints in lead pipes. It might be suitable for this. I'm not optimistic that I can repair the radiator myself, though. The joint is quite highly stressed, so it needs to be done right.
I'd be very interested to hear how the project progresses. My machine has suffered a number of cracks where the frame rails are joined. I wouldn't describe them as severe, but they were noticeable enough for someone to weld in the past. For the most part, they were reinforced competently and the cracks haven't returned. But there are one or two joints which need welding. I don't think I'll do this myself, but I'd be interested to hear your experiences.
Overall I don't think the chassis has performed badly. I think it's seen about 20,000 hours of use, and it still works fine. I did a quick search for pictures of your Ford machine. I think it's a bit more compact than mine. Here's a picture of my machine:
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I'm also looking for a six-bladed Fordson engine fan (mine has lost two blades). Apparently the six-bladed fan was only fitted to Fordson engines used in diggers and in hot countries, so they're fairly rare. If anyone has one they want to sell, or knows of a source, please let me know.
The worst part so far is getting all of the broken welds and reinforcements removed. Some bolts that were supposed to hold the rails to the castings were stripped, oversized, restripped, and had their heads welded to the rails. Of 16 blts into the castings, 2 were the original 1/2" size. Some were 5/8", some were 3/4" and even the 3/4" ones were stripped. There is a lot of intact reinforcing that is impractical to remove. I would buy new frame rails if available but they aren't. Luckily I have a nearby welder friend who has an air arc system. It uses a copper coated carbon arc to melt the metal and an air jet to blow it off. Because of all of the damage and repairs poorly done, along with all the reinforcement making the rails very stiff, it is difficult to get everything realigned properly. I have made threaded bushings to reduce the oversize and stripped casting holes in the front crossmember and bell housing, using epoxy and what is left of the hole threads to help hold them in. In some places I had to plug the stripped, oversize and crooked holes and re-drill and tap. It is a real challenge and going pretty slow, but I will get it done.
That's the same as mine, except that the frame rails carry the front axle on my machine. The engine just overhangs from the bell housing.
You're right about many failures being preventable by good maintenance. I have seen factories where breakdowns cost them big money, and yet they still don't carry out maintenance until a machine breaks.
I am intending to get those cracks repaired, but I don't know anyone local who is an excellent welder at present. Repairing the cracks is a little harder than it looks as they go further on the inside of the boom than the outside. I think the ram needs to be removed and the cracks opened out to a V-shape using a die grinder. The patch plate around the opening could also be ground off and replaced.
The machine gets fairly infrequent use at present, so I'm hoping that the cracks will be alright for a little longer.
I discovered that the radiator is somewhat rare. Not a standard Fordson Super Major radiator. But I've found someone who has the right radiator with a damaged core, but good top and bottom tanks, so I'm buying it cheap. Hopefully I can get the top tank switched.
An Arc-Air torch does the "V" grooving a lot more effectively than a grinder in that application. Had a real "artiste" with the arc-air at the construction equipment shop I worked in many years a go. He'd groove out a crack, then fill it back in with the welder in less time than the other welder could find and put a new grinding wheel on his hand-grinder.
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