Dumb Question

[zguy36]

johnc,

 

If you don't want to pass around rumors, at least tell your customer to take a look at any forum, for any car, anywhere on the net, and he can find the same answer for himself. There is a reason that these turbo are so cheap, and that is because they are junk. You are putting yourself up for a bad rap if you build these parts for him and strap on a pos turbo. These aren't actual garret parts, but knock off junk that isn't built properly. The turbos may look nice, but they aren't internally balanced to current industry standards and the turbo WILL be worn out/ruined in a fraction of the time a real turbo will last.

[johnc]

My customer is a member of this board and has built a number of turbocharged cars. He is well versed in the technology, much more then I am.

 

You are putting yourself up for a bad rap if you build these parts for him and strap on a pos turbo.

 

My reputation stands on its own and its not based on parts. I am neither defending or promoting a part, I'm mearly being honest in stating that I DON'T KNOW if the part is any good.

 

Again, read my previous posts in this thread. Unless myself or another racer that I respect has DIRECT experience with something, I don't offer an opinion. That's called "Honesty."

 

I don't understand how a simple question about properly welding on a turbo gets turned around into a discussion about my and my business' reputation. Drop it.

[zguy36]

Just trying to look out for you. It doesn't matter how you weld to the turbine housing anyway, your weld job will last much longer than the turbo no matter how you do it. Otherwise, it seems as your question has been sufficiently answered. If you want a more definate answer, call a company that has "direct experience" with welding cast iron and you can get the answer you seek.

 

My personal experience welding cast iron was using high nickel rod, and I welded the combustion chamber of a head that in attempts to modify the combustion chamber, a water jacket was ground into. The head welded up fine and was run in the car for two years until it was wrecked. It didn't leak combustion pressure or water. For your application, the welds will be annealed the first time the exhaust gets hot (if your customer runs it hard) and the stresses in the welds should be relieved.

[Tony D]

well I just posted pics of the flange in my photo album only to see that you already welded on the part you had. Oh well.

 

I'll see if I can post a pic here so all can see what I was referring to.

 

Mike.

 

here maybe---

 

Thanks for those photos, that was close what I had in mind, but a "bolt to the turbo" configured flange where that was welded to your turbine housing.

 

At least I'm not totally insane, and my "dimensional projection skills" are still intact!

LOL

[Tony D]

Unless myseff or a RACER I know and trust has experience with something DIRECTLY (no Internet rumors) I will not offer opinions or recommendations to my customers. I prefer to say, "I don't know" instead of BSing or spreading rumors.

 

This sounds familiar, Bravo!

I wish more would heed it.

[Drax240z]

I would. Welding is very localized heat input' date=' far different from the heat of exhaust gas flowing through the entire housing which will serve to it up uniformly.

 

Asad[/quote']

 

I still wouldn't hesitate to do it, though I am basing this entirely on my gut feeling about the heating taking place. I don't have any numbers to back it up, do you? (or anybody else) Preheating a cast piece to a sufficient temperature for welding, TIG welding it (which is fairly localized, I agree) and then slow cooling wouldn't scare me at all even with a very expensive housing.

 

As for comments about how John should treat his customers, drop them! Its up to him, and if it were my money I'd much rather he takes the approach he did.

[Twoeightnine]

Hey John

Check out this site unless you already have.

It contains "click to see" vids instructing how to braze, weld, solder, combination metals when TIG/MIG is not appropriate.

I like it!!

http://www.muggyweld.com/video.html

 

And thanks for all the solid advise in the past, I appreciate it.

[Supra510]

I have welded mild steel to a turbine housing multiple times with a MIG using regular mild steel wire and never had any issues. I welded a wastegate flange directly to a housing, a schedule 40 mild steel pipe that led to a wastegate, and a slip fit v-band flange to my latest turbo and never experienced any type of cracking. This includes thousands of street miles and multiple track days without any issues.

 

I've also welded mild steel flanges to supposedly cast iron Toyota Supra and 280zxt manifolds and never had an issue. The only issue I ever ran into was when the original fabricator tried to weld mild steel to the 280zxt manifold with a TIG (unk rod) and it cracked 3 times. I then used the MIG and it worked.

 

The flange you need (ed) is a v-band flange that slip fits into the housing on one side (other side is the v-band portion) then you weld it. I can't find a pic, but it is machined and one part fits into that groove around the turbine wheel, the other part butts against the flat portion, then butt weld the them together.

 

http://www.cheapturbo.com has them, though not on thier website. I think they are around 30.00 and are nice, thick machined pieces. They recommended using a special rod to weld, I just MIG'd it and have had no issues over 2 track days and 5000 + miles. I think Mike is who I dealt with, he's very helpful.

[Supra510]

Found a pic--This is what you need.

 

Link

 

http://linux.forcedperformance.net/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FP&Product_Code=FLT4O3weld&Category_Code=UNIV-GSFL

[johnc]

Thanks guys. Its welded and came out fine. I took a bunch of pictures of the whole process with the intent of creating a page on my web site showing the poor man's way of welding cast steel and iron.