Well I was wondering, is it possible to weld aluminum intercooler piping with flux core wire? I'm assuming yes, as long as you don't burn through the piping, and have the right heat setting. I'm asking because I've heard mixed reviews about doing this, and that I should only us aluminum wire to weld aluminum. Any thoughts, opinions, tips? thanks

 

I need to start fabbing up intercooler piping in the next month, and was wondering the best way to do things. Will the welds hold? Crack? Is it safer just to go the coupler route for all of the connections? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

What no one is going to confirm or prove me wrong?

 

Just go try to weld a piece of aluminum with steel flux-core and see how it does.

 

No. No it is not. But....attempt it anyway and post pics.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by I4sillypwr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No. No it is not. But....attempt it anyway and post pics. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kookz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just go try to weld a piece of aluminum with steel flux-core and see how it does.</TD></TR></TABLE>

x3!!! bwa ha ha ha! keep your wire speed to the max

you need gas, aluminum wire, and a spool gun..

oh and a good welder..

 

I'll see if I can prove you guys wrong, but I will practice on some spare peices of aluminum piping I have laying around. I'll post the results, and pics if I do well enough.

 

Why not use your brain and say "Hey, I have a POS welder. I'll just buy steel piping and use that since I know my welder can do that."

Aluminum charge pipes are not always better. A great example of this is when your under the hood temps are higher than your IATs. If you dont think that happens, it does. Especially when you have a gigantic FMIC blocking all the air flow into your engine bay. If our cars were getting great air flow into the engine bay, then adding a dumptube wouldn't make such a significant difference in power.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mugencrxsir1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'll see if I can prove you guys wrong, but I will practice on some spare peices of aluminum piping I have laying around. I'll post the results, and pics if I do well enough. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I can tell you the results of using your welder with steel fluxcore wire and trying to weld aluminum.

It won't work. Period. All you'll end up doing is making a mess of the aluminum. To GMAW weld aluminum you need aluminum wire, pure argon sheilding gas, and the proper feeding assembly, be it a short guy and drive rolls, a spool gun, or a push pull gun.

 

I was planning on running T304 intercooler piping for my lsvtec project, but my brother is working on his 87 mr2 turbo project. I was just looking into the options for him since he is running aluminum piping. Well I'll just tell him to use more couplings, or send him to my girlfriends father how has experience welding aluminum.

You guys have no respect for the flux cord wire, it works amazingly well, providing your working with steel. So okay I get the idea, but had to ask anyways.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nowtype &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why not use your brain and say "Hey, I have a POS welder. I'll just buy steel piping and use that since I know my welder can do that."

Aluminum charge pipes are not always better. A great example of this is when your under the hood temps are higher than your IATs. If you dont think that happens, it does. Especially when you have a gigantic FMIC blocking all the air flow into your engine bay. If our cars were getting great air flow into the engine bay, then adding a dumptube wouldn't make such a significant difference in power.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I would'nt call my welder a POS, it's serving me well for being free from my father. I believe it's either lincoln, or Century, but either way it works well with small steel less then 1/4inch. Yeah, it's not some $5000 welder, but it gets the job done, and recently my welds have been looking nice. I'll post some pics soon, that way you guys can flame me somemore.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mugencrxsir1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I would'nt call my welder a POS, it's serving me well for being free from my father. I believe it's either lincoln, or Century, but either way it works well with small steel less then 1/4inch. Yeah, it's not some $5000 welder, but it gets the job done, and recently my welds have been looking nice. I'll post some pics soon, that way you guys can flame me somemore. </TD></TR></TABLE>

We aren't flaming you at all. I'm starting to think you are trolling in here so you can go to HMT and talk about how everyone here is an asshat and that you are sweet.

In fact I think I might just go attempt to weld AL using the ole lincoln piece of poo flux core welder I haven't fired up in about a year. I think that ***** is lonely and needs a good working over.

Anyone got a good sledgehammer I can borrow?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by I4sillypwr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">We aren't flaming you at all. I'm starting to think you are trolling in here so you can go to HMT and talk about how everyone here is an asshat and that you are sweet.

In fact I think I might just go attempt to weld AL using the ole lincoln piece of poo flux core welder I haven't fired up in about a year. I think that ***** is lonely and needs a good working over.

Anyone got a good sledgehammer I can borrow?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Dame your funny, I don't even go to HMT. Well I asked a question and now it's been answered, end of story. You guys read into **** to much, its that simple. I was just pulling your chain with the flaming bit, you guys take stuff seriously With that said, thanks for your input on welding aluminum, I'll just sick to welding steel for now.

 

Actually I wasnt joking. I'm going to do it just to see what happens. I'll post pics of it too. Should be pretty funny actually.

 

your only gonna tell us how it pops and crackles and your welds aren'y welds but actually mini moon-craters and you should have bought steel in the first place. get a clue.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DESTROYER &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">your only gonna tell us how it pops and crackles and your welds aren'y welds but actually mini moon-craters and you should have bought steel in the first place. get a clue.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Damn I see your the expert noob, it was a question that's been answered. I see you have no clue and decided to say something stupid.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DESTROYER &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">your only gonna tell us how it pops and crackles and your welds aren'y welds but actually mini moon-craters and you should have bought steel in the first place. get a clue.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes I am a noob. Forgive me oh mighty one.

 

haha

 

Use aluminum wire and argon to shield and you should be fine. You will have to bump up the gas volume a bit higher than with steel. I have a spool gun welder I keep set up to Mig aluminum and it works just fine.

 

hey, don't you need to back purge Aluminum?

 

Nope.

 

then SS must be the one that needs back purging. Do you have to push the aluminum puddle when welding?

 

Typically.