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Aluminum shroud repair

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M

MarkP

Senior Member
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All,

Finally getting back to restoring my BN7, don't ask.
grin.gif


The shrouds are 16 S.W.G. B.S. 1470 NS3
https://www.users.bigpond.com/acmefluid/jensenweld.html

NS3 crosses to the international designation 3103. Problem, where do you get 3103? Would there be issues using 3003 or 5052?

For reference - Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys - Designations
https://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=310

TIA,

Mark
 
markp, ive been through this one and found my best results using an original busted up piece of shroud to fill the problem area, i got it off ebay. randy forbes can help here, hes my welding hero!
 
I understand that using a regular wire coat hangar for a welding rod works really well.
 
Are you inquiring about filler rod, or sheet material to make some larger repairs?

For filler rod, talk to your local supplier for more of a catch-all type filler. Softer is better, as you'd rather it bend than fracture.

When my own shrouds were welded up in Louisiana, the guy I used just went to his cart and pulled out more of what he used on truck bumpers and trailers the day before (likely 6061, though I keep 5356 on hand myself nowadays). Fifteen plus (15+) years later, his work is holding up at least as good as any of the factory welds are. I suppose I should clarify that; there are no visible break-down of any of the welds. My rear shroud was sectioned from two (2) different shrouds too.
 
Can somebody help with the lip of the front shroud repair?
First I need a good picture of what is correct. (mine is a mixture of a pop rivited alum. piece and bondo.
I know this was and is a poor design to begin with.
Second has anybody come up with a solution or the best way to "fix" the problem that looks close to original.


Thank you in advance,
Tod
 
Anthony - thanks for the ebay tip. Hadn't thought of that route.

Patrick - ack! Coat hanger?

Randy - I was asking about sheet Al. I'm thinking 3003 even though the alloy included Cu. Probably go with 1100 for filler wire. I'll be gas welding for both crack repair and spot panel replacement/repair. I'd like to practice on non-Healey sheet Al before I repair my shrouds. Working with same alloy's and filler wire would be preferable. I think I'm going to get that Meco Midget torch from TM Technologies.

I've cleaned off all the bondo the PDO had applied. What is it with bondo? Geesh. Now need to spend lots of time repairing previous accident damage although overall the shrouds and quarters are in pretty good shape. I'll post some pics later.
 
MarkP

Kinda new here, long time lurker. Restoring a '58 BN4. I just had a section of frt shroud grafted on. Hired it out to someone I trusted. I can't help on rod selection, but what it looks like was done on mine, was a 1.5" strip .088" thick Al. was cleco'd or riveted to the back side of the seam, then the weld bead penetrated through to this strip, and the rivet or cleco holes were plugged as well. I will post or email pics if I can remember how to do it. The weld bead looks like it was done with a mig as it is a fairly wide bead.

Barry
 
Here is the process I have used a number of times with great success. I know a lot here will not agree with me but it works for my needs. I have made major accident repair patches out of scrap shrouds and also small repait patches for flanges etc out of old aluminum. I then use my Lincoln mig with 100% argon and a fresh gun liner to keep things clean. I get some 24 gauge steel duct work from Home Depot and bend it and clamp it behind the work area to allow the weld to harden. The wire I use is an all purpose aluminum alloy that Home Depot sells as well as the welding supply houses. The hardest part is getting the wire to run through the gun, but as long as you keep the cable from machine to gun as straight as possible it works OK. You have to run the wire at the top speed and the top temp so you get quite a mound of metal to grind off. This is not the best method but I am able to do it myself and can make adjustments to the piece as the work progresses, versus farming it out to someone and hoping for the best.

THe next project is the repair of a 100-6/mk1 front shroud that had a BJ8 windshield area grafted on by rivets. I need to cut across the entire width of the shroud and weld on a replacement section from another junk shroud.

If you have the equipment and feel adventurous, give it a try.
 
MarkP said:
Anthony - thanks for the ebay tip. Hadn't thought of that route.

Patrick - ack! Coat hanger?

Randy - I was asking about sheet Al. I'm thinking 3003 even though the alloy included Cu. Probably go with 1100 for filler wire. I'll be gas welding for both crack repair and spot panel replacement/repair. I'd like to practice on non-Healey sheet Al before I repair my shrouds. Working with same alloy's and filler wire would be preferable. I think I'm going to get that Meco Midget torch from TM Technologies.

I've cleaned off all the bondo the PDO had applied. What is it with bondo? Geesh. Now need to spend lots of time repairing previous accident damage although overall the shrouds and quarters are in pretty good shape. I'll post some pics later.
Click to expand...

Mark,
Yeah, I know a coat hangar sounds ridiculous.
I understand from a number of North Texas Austin Healey Club members that we had a member in out club, Eddie Miller, that used to weld up the shrouds with standard coat hangars. I do not know the details, but if you knew Eddie Miller, you would know he was a very capable car guy. Maybe some NTAHC members will chime in on this email and supply the info. How good was Eddie...he could make a fender and you would not need a body filler for it when it was done. He really knew how to work metal and yes, he was an engineer of sorts.
Patrick
 
Patrick67BJ8 said:
I understand from a number of North Texas Austin Healey Club members that we had a member in out club, Eddie Miller, that used to weld up the shrouds with standard coat hangars.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a story. :laugh:
 
We used coat hangers on the steel door and front fender where the radio antanna went on my XK140. One inch plus holes. Old tinkerer did it and you could never see the work after 14 years. They were older coat hangers that were thick and hard compared to the cheap ones today. Again not aluminum.
 
anthony7777,
I think you mean sheet steel rather than sheet metal. Sheet metal comes in many different types of metals. When I make repair pieces for aircraft I use aluminum sheet metal.

TodE & MarkP,
For welding aluminum a thin strip of the parent metal is always a good filler rod. This means if you have a piece of cut up front shroud you can cut a thin strip about 1/8"-3/16" wide it would work. Using a piece of an old shroud for a repair piece is also a good idea.

3003 would be a good aluminum alloy to use as it has a lot of silicon (not silicone, that's for other things) and this means the molten metal will flow more easily.

Patrick67BJ8,
Sorry, but what people are trying to tell you is that coat hangars (even old ones) are made of some sort of STEEL. Healey shrouds are made from ALUMINUM. There is no way you are going to weld an Aluminum shroud with a Steel filler rod. The TIG and MIG machines are good but not to that good.


bundyrum.
 
BUNDYRUM
Any thoughts on the compatibility of the 3003 with the 55 yr old ali in the shrouds as regards welding repairs?
 
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