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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / breaking in a machine??? Sugestions
- - By hillbilly delux (***) Date 07-25-2011 00:50
Alright by one way or another I have two new SAE 300's redfaces. One with four hundred hours on it and it was loadbanked like I normally have all my machines done. But this new SAE 300 I got is not load banked and straight from the factory. It has about 2.5 hrs on it and the closest place to get it load banked is two hours away. I dont have the time to just take it to a place to get it load banked so I thought I would break it in myself. I am looking for suggestions??? Was thinking of running about a hundred pounds of 3/16ths jet rod on it in high idle??? Maybe??? Any info or advice would be much appreciated.
Parent - By rick harnish (***) Date 07-25-2011 01:52
Yes sir, load it hard until it quits wetstacking. It will be fine. Dont do a bunch of idleing.
Parent - By welder_Bob (**) Date 07-25-2011 02:58
This is what the guy at the welding supply store told me to do when I picked up my new machine a few years back.

Get 50lbs of 3/16 7018 or any lo-hi rod that is cheep.  Let your welder warm up a bit but don’t go more that 4 – 5 minutes at low idle.  Then turn it all the way up and burn 1 let it catch its breath for 1/2 a minute and do it again.  I use about 2/3 of the box and kept the rest and burn one or two at the end of the day over the next few weeks until they are all gone.

It worked for me.
Parent - - By weldwade (***) Date 07-25-2011 03:39
The key is to not let it idle any more than you have to. Get some 3/16 or 7/32 lh rod and work the machine hard for at least an hour. Keep an eye on the temp and oil pressure. I have done this many times and it has never failed to not work for me. I also like to change the oil and filter after the first 10 hours or less depending on the situation. I always cut the filters open to take a peek inside so I can see what's going on inside the engine. Not such a big deal on a machine with three year warranty but I do it anyway, gives me peace of mind. I change the oil again at 50 hours and if all looks well then I follow the manufacturers interval after that. For the first month I try and not let a new machine idle if possible.
When we first started the mine up that I am at now we broke in 12 Air Vantage machines with 1/4 lh Rod for one hour each then turned them loose. None of them had wet stacking issues at all even though the welders let them idle for long periods just after that so it works IMO.
Parent - - By hillbilly delux (***) Date 07-25-2011 21:22
So in your guys opinion just cranker all the way up and go to town? Should I let the new machine have a break in between rods or just giver hell with one after another?
Parent - - By hillbilly delux (***) Date 07-25-2011 21:23
Do you think 50lbs of rod otta do it or should I run more?
Parent - - By weldwade (***) Date 07-25-2011 21:32
50lbs should be fine. You can let it rest if it needs it if not work it hard for at least an hour. Have someone watch coolent temp and oil press for you. I would not let it get over 240 on the water temp. When you load bank a machine it is at a constant load with no rest!
Parent - By Chris2626 (***) Date 07-25-2011 22:05
after i rebuilt my machine, Kaye told me to do the same was to max it out and burn some rods for a bit to seat the rings and then I shut it down after I burned a few. I then changed the oil in it, not sure if I needed to do this but heck figure oil was cheap compared to a new motor
Parent - - By weldwade (***) Date 07-26-2011 19:01
Stan I can also offer to break it in for you...
You can use my Blue machine for a week and let me see how I like yours??? Here is what I have http://www.millerwelds.com/products/enginedriven/big_blue_500/
LOL
Parent - - By hillbilly delux (***) Date 07-26-2011 21:13
I've used a blue 500 before and it welded pretty nice back in my single hand days. We also arc gouged  off that machine with rods I cant remember  how big something like the size of wrist. Glad those days are over.

If your ever area in the area stop on by. Your more than welcome to throw down some welds with it.

I told my wife that I was gonna teach her how to weld and I bought her a box of rod today.
LMAO Little does she know what I am really gonna have her do:grin:
Parent - By weldwade (***) Date 07-26-2011 23:19
I wanna see how they weld but none around here to rent. I have always liked the SAE machines because they don't have taps. I have never used one that did anyway. We had Big40's, SA200's and a couple different SAE's at the last mine I was at so I latched onto the SAE250. What a sweet machine for LH! So since the new SAE350 came out I have wanted to try it out. Thanks for the offer to give it a try, probably never going to be close enough to do that but we will wait to see what the new year brings... I am feeling an unwelcome change in my little world...
I agree with ya tho on letting mamma break her in for you. Tell her you have to keep a close eye on the muffler bearing because of the possibility of wetstacking! Maybe she will buy it.
Parent - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 07-26-2011 03:11
Follow Welwade's advice, but mind the duty cycle of the generator end, You only want to break it in, not burn it up.
Parent - - By Johnny Walker (***) Date 07-26-2011 04:19
Ust weld with it or send it to me I'll send it back in 10 years it'll be broke in
Parent - - By rick harnish (***) Date 07-26-2011 04:49
Yep,.what they said. Work it, like it wants, carry on.
Parent - - By rick harnish (***) Date 07-26-2011 04:58
Stan. you aint gonna hurt that Perkins. Hammer down until it dont wetstack.
Parent - - By Johnny Walker (***) Date 07-26-2011 10:07
Don't be scared it's only a welding machine
Parent - By hillbilly delux (***) Date 07-26-2011 21:02
I hear ya Johnny lol. I had for a short while sometime back a 07 200d that the ole boy I bought it from didn't break it in properly and I had a lot of problems with that machine. I went and bought some 3/16ths jet rod today so tomarrow I'm gonna giver hell and see how much black smoke I can get out of the exhaust pipe
- - By Nitrowelding (**) Date 07-27-2011 01:25
For what it's worth, a good friend of mine builds race engines for motorcycles that turn stupid rpm's, a piece of advice he gave me was never to change your oil too soon, it helps to seat the rings to have some abrasiveness in the oil, It dont hurt to change the filter but let the oil ride until the engine manafactures suggested interval. Just my 2 cents
Parent - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 07-27-2011 03:09
"some abrasiveness "

As a last resort in an engine that won't stop wet stacking, You remove the air cleaner and sprinkle Bon Ami into the intake air. That makes for a little more than "some" abrasives in the oil, and You change it and the filter a few times to get rid of it after the rings seat.
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / breaking in a machine??? Sugestions

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