Welding my tractor

By R_E_Ren Date 07-30-2004 21:46

I have a very old (1959) Massey Ferguson tractor with a front scoop I use around the property. I recently noticed cracks where the bucket arm attaches to the bucket frame on the tractor.

The bucket frame also serves as the reservior for hydraulic fluid to operate the bucket. My neighbor, an experienced auto-shop welder (probably no certification, just lots of practice) told me welding this together would be difficult because it has been sitting in hydraulic oil for decades. He said getting good adhesion would be tough.

I think I need something more structural than just sealing the cracks with caulk to stop the oil leak. I don't know anything about temper on the frame--it is fairly heavy boxed steel (about the same gauge as a pickup truck frame or stamped suspension parts), with some factory welds around the yoke that holds the bucket arm. I was hoping to find somebody to either weld the cracks shut or weld a patch panel over the cracks (or both) to stabilize it.

How should I approach this? How tough is it? What should I ask when looking for somebody to weld this? And how much should I expect to pay?

thanks

By the hat Date 07-30-2004 23:52

Find someone who has done this kind of work before(Heavy equipt weldor is good).The oil should be drained out and the fill cap removed so you have no build up of pressure.Take a torch and heat the cracked area to burn out the oil that is soaked in.Drill a 1/8 hole at the very end of the crack to keep it from spreading.Vee out the crack and weld ,7018 is the best for this type of repair.HTH

By billvanderhoof (****)

Date 07-31-2004 03:49

Give some consideration to possible ignition of vapor during this process. It sounds like the spaces are small and hence so would be the explosions but I wouldn't want my face over the filler when it lights off. If the spaces are large definitely some purge is advisable. After you repair it build or buy a hydraulic tank of similar capacity and convert to that. The metal is probably fatigued and cracks will tend to appear. Still you can get a lot more life out of this. I would have advised the same method of repair as "the hat"
Bill

By revpol Date 08-02-2004 04:45

Done this type of repair many times. I wire brush the area real good and inspect the crack. Don't drill the ends just start about 1/2 inch past the ends of the crack and weld about an inch into the crack on each end then alternate back and forth with short welds (about 1/2 to 1 in. long) until the crack is pretty much sealed. Then clean it up with a brush and grinder. Then I pad weld with single stringers over the area in question. Let the metal always cool between each weld right from the start. Also remove the fill cap before you start. There shouldn't be any pressure in the tubing as long as the pump isn't running. Also I don't "v" it out. By doing that you may open a big can of worms. These stress type of cracks happen in even new loaders to. I've got a '51 9n with a loader that I've had to repair numeress times. Also repaired alot of newer ones. I use 7018 3/32. Just keep it cool between passes and you should be allright. revpol

By swnorris (****)

Date 08-03-2004 15:11

Hi R_E_Ren,

The types of material being welded play a large part in choosing the proper welding rod. Not knowing whether the metal is a mild, low alloy, or nickel steel, or if it has other melted components like chromium, manganese, or vanadium in it, and knowing that each uses different rods to ensure proper metal bonding, it may come down to just settling for a mild steel type of rod and hoping for the best. Once the rod is determined, as previously mentioned, the surfaces to be welded must be clean of rust, dirt, grease and grime. A wire brush will go a long way towards cleaning the area to be worked on. If it is a stress crack which is being welded, take a hand grinder and grind a 'V' the length of the crack in order for the weld to penetrate both sides of the break, as mentioned by HTH. revpol seems to have some good advice, although I don't understand what problems could arise from grinding a v groove in the crack for better penetration, if it is properly welded. After each pass chip off the slag and debris and wire brush the area before another weld is made. Cracked areas hiding under rusty metal flakes and/or layered metallic garbage should have the debris ground off so the weld will be made against the parent metal or the most basic of structure. If there are multi levels of paint on the piece then take a grinder and work out the paint so the arc will strike easier and so the weld will have better integrity. When the final weld has been cooled and the slag and debris cleaned off of it, inspect it carefully to make sure it did what you wanted it to. Look for undercutting of the parent metal as this can form a weak spot in the repair. Check to make sure there is ample bead on the repair and that any patch plates you mentioned using have good penetration on their edges. A good coat of primer and paint on the repair will protect the bare metal from the elements. Welded repairs seem to rust quicker than any other type of exposed metallic areas. Besides that, a good coat of paint will look good and make the repair look complete.