Fabricating an aluminium header tank from scratch

[elavir]

Originally Posted by Stretch

Richard, o/a is always my first choice on body panels due to the fact that it is much less prone to cracking and is much more malleable. As you say, if you don't use any filler rod you can end up with an invisible weld once planished. For that reason, I never add filler rod to butt welds on body panels. There really is no need.
However, for tanks and the like, tig is the perfect choice. It is infinitely more controllable and gives you that 'stacked dime look' that everyone desires these days. Although I must add, you are far more likely to get pin holes with tig...

Matt(Stretch), what do you mean by getting pin holes in a tig weld? That a tig weld can be porous?

[Stretch]

Elavir... With Tig you have to be clinically clean. Any small deposits of dirt - particularly anything carbon based - can be 'picked up' in the weld flow causing a pinhole. Ali castings are a bugger for dishing up 'buried' dirt. The golden rule is if you see any black forming in the puddle, stop welding and remove the contamination with a stainless wire brush. Snip about a 1/4 of an inch off your filler rod also, as it's likely to be contaminated.

[elavir]

Matt and Richard, thanks for all the advice.

[AllyBill]

I always keep one of these to hand just to be sure on anything that contains fluids or pressure or both.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pr...asp?RecID=1207

Will

[Oldnek]

Lovely bit of kit, those welds are pretty nice.
Just a question, Its it used for cooling the fuel or other. ( Header Tank and Ice Shelf)

[Stretch]

Hi John. It's used for ice and water to circulate through a chargecooler on a turbocharged flat four engine. This gets the boosted intake temps to sub-ambient, which gains considerable bhp.
Cheers, Matt

[skintkarter]

Ahh, I can see where you honed those Tig skills Matt! Very nice job on everything. Not much Dub left!

[Oldnek]

That's definitely a serious bit of kit............Not the everyday run of the mill Dak Dak.
Awesome bit of engineering work Matt, great job.

[SATAUS]

Congratulations Mark on MSOTM.

[skintkarter]

Well done Matt! Well deserved.