well for starters you need a 4 core radiator and its gotta be custom built, make sure that you move the nozzle on the top to one side or the other cause if you leave it in the middle your gonna hit it with the fan. when you start to cut it down take 4 inches off the bottom of the radiator cover, cut the mesh and unless you can salvage the 1/2 by 1/2 angle iron, youll need to weld in a new one. The lifting brace in the middle is simple, grind it off whack 4 inches out and weld it back. in the front the best place i found to cut it out was from the center of the armiture hole, 4 inches up and then weld that back together, remark your circle and cut that back out for the armiture. youll have to drill some holes out for the bolts to go back but thats no big deal. your also gonna have to custom build a fan shroud to fit around the new radiator, plus youll be able to keep your bolt holes for the radiator cover, as well as your hooks for the hood. On my shroud i just went 3/4 of the way up and stopped there because my fan is as tall as the top of the tank on the radiator, which in theory isnt pushing air through the core anyway. youll also need a 160 degree thermostat, an adjustable pully and a full size four blade fan. the adjustable pulley works better because you can turn the fan about 500 rpm's faster with it and move more air and water at the same time. you dont really need a shroud to keep it cool, but you cant run both doors if you dont. when you drop the gas tank youll need to set the tank inside the mounting brackets and then put your hood on to make sure the exhaust, lifting eye, and gas tank nozzles line up, then center the tank accordingly between the head of the motor and the rheostats on the front panel, mark your holes and then drill them and bolt your tank back down. if you have an older model machine like from the 60's to about 75 you can just flip that gas tank around so it doesnt sit on the head, trim your gas tank opening on your hood a little and you should be fine. mines an 86 so i didnt have that problem. If you dont build your shroud all the way to the top it will trap air in the top of the radiator cover,,,but its no problem,,open up your radiator lid cover and that heat will just pour out, my machine cooled off 15 degrees when i opened that cover. with both doors and the way its set up now,,,burnin 3/16 all day long in texas heat my machine might run 180 at the most. to answer your question its a bit*h, ive got about 35 hours in it. GOOD LUCK
where did u get the exhaust pipe seal or what did u use if u done mind me askn
you can get em from Chris' Welder repair in Odessa Tx 432 552 8150. Man i see that your from Boyd, i finally had time after a year to get my bed painted and i got online and saw that ol Bob King does some pretty good paint work, and hes the one that painted mine
hey do u know anyone out there that might have a good used radiator cover, grill and cap? for a '68 sa200 much thnx
Thanks for the information, it sounds like a real project but I think I’ll do it anyway if I change engines. I’ve just purchased a 59 SA 200 F-162 blackface that welds real nice and the engine does not make any funny noises or smoke. I’ve been real busy and haven’t had a chance to do compression or cylinder leak tests yet and the guy that I bought it from had just changed the oil so I need to get some time on the new oil before I send it out for chemical analysis. Bottom line if the engine is starting to go instead of rebuilding the Continental it I’m going to replace it with a Yanmar. In doing the Yanmar swap I’ll need a new radiator, rework the hood, fuel tank and the exhaust anyway so it sounds like it won’t be that much more work to chop it. Besides I think chopped Lincolns look way too cool and I’m an old guy, a shade older than my "new" welder.
that yanmars really proving itself, id like to have a fowler but with only 5 selectors. i really just want the yanmar, whats that gonna run you
The Yanmar engine will cost about five grand with shipping and tax. The cost of the engine swap is an unknown at this point, the Lincoln end of this deal is all proprietary and only their stuff will fit. Once you get out of the swapping original equipment program a lot of parts will have to be made. Besides being a Pipe Welder I have a machining business so I can make all of the adapters required to mate the Yanmar to the Lincoln generator so mostly it will be my labor to make the parts after burning the midnight oil figuring out what has to be made and how to make it.
I really look at the cost of the Yanmar engine swap like this: rebuilding the F162 - $2500; new magneto - $450; new replacement carburetor - $250; new starter - $250; new water pump - $200; new radiator - $300; electronic idler upgrade - $450; new plugs and wires - $100. All of that stuff runs about $4500 so I’m just about there when you consider a first rate rebuilt of the Continental to the purchase price of the Yanmar. To be fair I haven’t figured out how to make the Yanmar work with the R57 Idler which works well on my machine at this time but I would replace if I rebuilt the Continental.
I know a great many welders just overhaul their Continental and reinstall it with all of the old systems and parts. This is not my idea of a putting together a reliable machine and represents false economy. If your machine quits you on the job not only do you have to get it fixed or get another machine but most of the time you are a long from home. To further compound the situation if either one of those options takes too long you will most likely need to find another job.
I have talked to several folks on the phone about their Yanmar conversions and to a person they all really like them. More specifically they like fuel economy of the Yanmar over the Continental. They say things like ‘my Yanmar burns in a week what my Continental did in a day and that’s mainlining’.
It’s going to be a ton of work but I’m just about ready to pull the trigger and do the swap this winter. After I get it all done I’ll probably sell all of my Continental stuff to help offset the cost.
There is a guy in East TX who has been doing 'yanmar swaps' for awhile . Buds' welder - (281)642-4185 . His swap will cost you $11000 but you need to know that he goes thru the WHOLE machine .And you get a chop ... 29.75" tall !!! You get a new machine with a diesel for 11 grand ... with a three year unlimited warranty . Just like Lincoln . I'm saving up to do mine . I met a guy who had one done by Bud and that Machine was off the hook !!!!!!! Smooth running , quiet , low , and BADA$$ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMO , its well worth it .
$11,000 sounds about right to me for a complete rebuild of the whole machine. I live in the far northwest corner of the contiguous United States, about as far from the action as you can get so thanks for the Bud's Welder tip. It appears so far that a chop is part of the conversion because of the height of the fan on the Yanmar as it relates to the stock radiator. I do not have the Yanmar engine so I can’t be sure of the lay out.
By pypLynr 
Date 09-06-2009 19:59
Edited 09-06-2009 20:06
Well ,you could still give him a call and pick his brain . I'm sure he would be more than helpful since you live up in gods' coountry . LOL I also love the yanmar ... it is set up the same as a cummins , with a heat strip in the intake = easy cold weather starts ! The fuel comsumption is so minute that it ain't funny ! LOL
i wish i knew how to post pics i got some nice pictures of a machine bud did
on the bottom of your post , look and find the 'attach' icon . click it . It will take you to a page where you can 'browse' your pics in your computer . Click the 'browse' icon , look thru your pics and select one you want to post . Once you made your selection , click the 'upload' icon . Done . Just go back to the 'forum' icon at the top and navigate to where ever you posted . Atleast that is how I do it . LOL
ok i figured it out yea, buds shop is just right down the road kind back in the woods and also larry at weldmart his shop aint but a few miles away
clean lookin' work.the machine is basically new right? it takes right up against 11 grand to buy a 300D, today.is he really out of line?
Thanks for posting those pictures. That is one very nice, clean and business like machine. If that is what $11,000 gets you: a complete overhaul of the generator; Yanmar conversion; chop; rewire; paint job and a three year guarantee it sure seems fair to me. Basically you have a new machine that welds better than the current production new machines.
I understand Pipeliner04’s position completely, if his generator and associated electrical is all good, the sheet metal and paint are very nice and all he wants is the Yanmar conversion, $11K is steep. Now from a mechanics perspective most of the labor for an overhaul in just doing the conversion, you have to tear the whole thing apart including the generator just to do the conversion. It would be the prudent thing to replace the bearings, brushes, worn wires and so on while you are in there. The parts reflect little added expense when compared to the cost of the labor.
The quality and workmanship bar is set very high by the companies that do the Yanmar conversions. I’m sure that it will be a serious undertaking for me to meet those expatiations when I do the conversion on my own machine. When it is considered that this will not only be my first complete rebuild of a SA 200 but a Yanmar conversion to boot some may think me foolish to take such a risk with a means to make a living. At this point I’m still going to do it myself so any additional pictures of similar conversions will be of great assistance.
Shoot me some of those pics , if you can . @ armentrout4@hotmail.com . Thanks.
that guys name is bud penton,,,thats the exact guy that i called,,,11,000 G's is pretty stout,,understood that it is a great deal for what you get,,,but also mine wasnt broke so therefore there was no need to fix it
Good point made , buddy ... if it ain't broke - don't fix it !
Why the 160 degree thermostat?
the 180 i had in there wasnt cuttin it, but theres also no telling how long its been in there.
hey do u know anyone out there that might have a good used radiator cover, grill and cap? for a '68 sa200 much thnx
the only person i know that would have one is chris
you for sure have a clean rig. where bout in texas are you from? im not a bog fan of chopped machines, but you pulled this one off. nice rig man
im actually from Big Spring Tx over by Midland and Odessa area. Ive been working in lubbock for over a year now for Two Rivers Pipeline in lubbock doing a bunch of station and rehab work for Centurion, thanks for the comment
I love the rig and the iron crosses.
