aluminum bell house repair?

[Dakotaacres]

I have an original aluminum bell house with a crack in it. Can it be repaired?

 

[493 Mike]

Sure. All it takes is time and money. You will have to decide how badly you need it.
Mike

 

[F4R/T]

Yeppers just make sure the work is from a reputable welder, and it’s properly prepared.

 

[RJRENTON]

It would be nice to know the alloy of the bell housing to select the filler metal to use. GTAW with helium or argon should work best. As suggested, select a welder versed in aluminum repairs....

- What shielding gas should I use when arc welding aluminum? Some people tell me that I should use argon, and others say that helium is the best. I use the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process. Can I use the same gas for each process?

A - There are two shielding gases commonly used for arc welding aluminum, and these are argon and helium. These gases are used as pure argon, pure helium and various mixtures of both argon and helium.

Excellent welds are often produced using pure argon as a shielding gas. Pure argon is the most popular shielding gas and is often used for both gas metal arc and gas tungsten arc welding of aluminum. Mixtures of argon and helium are probably the next common, and pure helium is generally only used for some specialized GTAW applications.

When considering a shielding gas for welding aluminum, we need to consider the differences between argon and argon helium mixtures. In order to understand the effect of these gases on the welding operation, we can examine the properties of each gas in fig 1.
We can see immediately that the ionization potential and the thermal conductivity of the helium shielding gas is much higher than that of argon. These characteristics have the effect of producing greater heat when welding with additions of helium in the shielding gas.

Shielding Gas for Gas Metal Arc Welding
For GMAW the additions of helium range from around 25% helium up to 75% helium in argon. By adjusting the composition of the shielding gas, we can influence the distribution of heat to the weld. This, in turn, can influence the shape of the weld metal cross section and the speed of welding. The increase in welding speed can be substantial, and as labor costs make up a considerable amount of our overall welding costs, this can relate to a potential for significant savings. The weld metal cross section can also be of some consequence in certain applications. Typical cross sections for argon and helium are shown in fig 2.
Conclusion:
In answer to your questions, there are a number of choices available for gases and gas mixtures that can be used to weld aluminum. The choice is usually based on the specific application. Generally speaking, the high helium content gases are used for GMAW welding on thicker materials and GTAW welding with DCEN. Pure argon can be used for both GMAW (MIG) and GTAW (TIG) welding and is the most popular of the shielding gases used for aluminum. The helium content gases are usually more expensive. Helium has a lower density than argon and higher flow rates are used when welding with helium. It is possible to increase welding speeds in some circumstances by using helium and/or helium/argon mixtures. Therefore, the extra cost of the helium mixtures may be offset by your improved productivity. You should try the different gas types and choose the one that best suites your specific application. Personally, my preference is GTAW (TIG).....
BOB RENTON

 

[Fran Blacker]

Be sure to drill a hole where crack ends so it doesn't run.

 

[sam dupont]

Odds are, the alloy is a mix of materials on hand the day of manufacture rather than a specific one like 356.
There are rods that lend themselves to repairs of unknown alloys, but you can make your own rod. Cut off some of the bell housing itself. With that, you can make your own rod that is 100% compatible with the bell housing. Put a piece of angle iron in a vise with the point down. Melt the aluminum and it will flow out in the bottom of the angle, making the rod. That rod can be used with a Heliarc rig to weld the crack.

 

[Dakotaacres]

Be sure to drill a hole where crack ends so it doesn't run.

I guess I knew that but would have never remember to do it, thanks.

 

[Dakotaacres]

It would be nice to know the alloy of the bell housing to select the filler metal to use. GTAW with helium or argon should work best. As suggested, select a welder versed in aluminum repairs....

- What shielding gas should I use when arc welding aluminum? Some people tell me that I should use argon, and others say that helium is the best. I use the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process. Can I use the same gas for each process?

A - There are two shielding gases commonly used for arc welding aluminum, and these are argon and helium. These gases are used as pure argon, pure helium and various mixtures of both argon and helium.

Excellent welds are often produced using pure argon as a shielding gas. Pure argon is the most popular shielding gas and is often used for both gas metal arc and gas tungsten arc welding of aluminum. Mixtures of argon and helium are probably the next common, and pure helium is generally only used for some specialized GTAW applications.

When considering a shielding gas for welding aluminum, we need to consider the differences between argon and argon helium mixtures. In order to understand the effect of these gases on the welding operation, we can examine the properties of each gas in fig 1.
We can see immediately that the ionization potential and the thermal conductivity of the helium shielding gas is much higher than that of argon. These characteristics have the effect of producing greater heat when welding with additions of helium in the shielding gas.

Shielding Gas for Gas Metal Arc Welding
For GMAW the additions of helium range from around 25% helium up to 75% helium in argon. By adjusting the composition of the shielding gas, we can influence the distribution of heat to the weld. This, in turn, can influence the shape of the weld metal cross section and the speed of welding. The increase in welding speed can be substantial, and as labor costs make up a considerable amount of our overall welding costs, this can relate to a potential for significant savings. The weld metal cross section can also be of some consequence in certain applications. Typical cross sections for argon and helium are shown in fig 2.
Conclusion:
In answer to your questions, there are a number of choices available for gases and gas mixtures that can be used to weld aluminum. The choice is usually based on the specific application. Generally speaking, the high helium content gases are used for GMAW welding on thicker materials and GTAW welding with DCEN. Pure argon can be used for both GMAW (MIG) and GTAW (TIG) welding and is the most popular of the shielding gases used for aluminum. The helium content gases are usually more expensive. Helium has a lower density than argon and higher flow rates are used when welding with helium. It is possible to increase welding speeds in some circumstances by using helium and/or helium/argon mixtures. Therefore, the extra cost of the helium mixtures may be offset by your improved productivity. You should try the different gas types and choose the one that best suites your specific application. Personally, my preference is GTAW (TIG).....
BOB RENTON

Thank you. good information I can use with other projects.