Peter M

I have had 3 bulkheads, 2 chassis, loads of brackets, door frames, and repair work done, all by ghound, the finish is perfect with no warping after galv.

You also have add in the factor if switching from normal coolant, you need to flush with a "cleaner " before filling with waterless coolant. You cant just bung it in !

I have used them in my 110 for the past year and a half, i do some "heavy-ish" towing (cows and round bales) around the farm and the shocks are still ok. I used them with HD springs.

I cant unfortunately x ray stuff at work, but there is a simple test that can find cracks in alloy , stainless and carbon steels, as long as they are open to the surface. The test is simple one (even i can do it ) and the consumables (3 aersols) are on ebay for about £20 i hope i am not teaching you all how to suck eggs but here goes Dye penetrant testing. I, Clean item with the aersol cleaner and rags, remove all residues etc, do not use wire brushes, blast or mechanical aids as these can close cracks. 2, Apply dye to wet surface, i normally spray a little into an egg cup or lid and paint it on. 3, TEA have a cuppa and wait 15mins for the dye to work into the crack. 4, Remove excess dye with a clean dry rag. 5, Get another clean dry rag and apply a light spray of cleaner onto rag , wait 15 seconds and again clean surface of item under test. 6, Apply a light coat of the white developer powder over the surface, just enough to mask the sheen of the metal, 7, Tea, have another cuppa and wait for 15 mins till the dye is sucked of what might be a crack or whatever. 8, if you can see something that now looks like a line or crack, you found one!, a series of dots in a row is also another sign, and you should know if its just excess on a corner you haven't cleaned off. i have used this myself to good effect on a engine block, but it can be used on welds, cylinder heads, gears etc etc i dont know how to post a pic but if someone would like to post it for me send me a pm and i'll send you the pic of the result

Please don't think i am a welder, far from it, i am a welding/NDE inspector and have this info on hand should i need it. Only happy to share it with you all.

A brief description lifted from my notes at work. For non-ferrous metals and their alloys (such as Al, Ni and Cu) an inert shielding gas must be used. This is usually either pure argon or an argon rich gas with a helium addition. The use of a fully inert gas is the reason why the process is also called MIG welding (metal inert gas) and for precise use of terminology this name should only be used when referring to the welding of non-ferrous metals The addition of some helium to argon gives a more uniform heat concentration within the arc plasma and this affects the shape of the weld bead profile Argon-helium mixtures effectively give a hotter arc and so they are beneficial for welding thicker base materials those with higher thermal conductivity eg copper or aluminium. For welding of steels – all grades, including stainless steels – there needs to be a controlled addition of oxygen or carbon dioxide in order to generate a stable arc and give good droplet wetting. Because these additions react with the molten metal they are referred to as active gases and hence the name MAG welding (metal active gas) is the technical term that is use when referring to the welding of steels. The percentage of carbon dioxide (CO2) or oxygen depends on the type of steel being welded and the mode of metal transfer being used – as indicated below: - 100%CO2For low carbon steel to give deeper penetration and faster welding this gas promotes globular droplet transfer and gives high levels of spatter and welding fume Argon + 15 to 25%CO2Widely used for carbon and some low alloy steels (and FCAW of stainless steels) Argon + 1 to 5%O2 Widely used for stainless steels and some low alloy steels Gas mixtures - helium in place of argon gives a hotter arc, more fluid weld pool and better weld profile. These quaternary mixtures permit higher welding speeds, but may not be suitable for thin sections. 1.1.1Stainless steelsAustenitic stainless steels are typically welded with argon-CO2/O2 mixtures for spray transfer, or argon-helium-CO2 mixtures for all modes of transfer. The oxidising potential of the mixtures are kept to a minimum (2-2.5% maximum CO2 content) in order to stabilise the arc, but with the minimum effect on corrosion performance. Because austenitic steels have a high thermal conductivity, the addition of helium helps to avoid lack of fusion defects and overcome the high heat dissipation into the material. Helium additions are up to 85%, compared with ~25% for mixtures used for carbon and low alloy steels. CO2 -containing mixtures are sometimes avoided to eliminate potential carbon pick-up. Active shielding gas mixtures for MAG welding of stainless steels For martensitic and duplex stainless steels, specialist advice should be sought. Some Ar-He mixtures containing up to 2.5%N2 are available for welding duplex stainless steels. Light alloys, eg aluminium and magnesium, and copper and nickel and their alloysInert gases are used for light alloys and alloys that are sensitive to oxidation. Welding grade inert gases should be purchased rather than commercial purity to ensure good weld quality. Argon: Argon can be used for aluminium because there is sufficient surface oxide available to stabilise the arc. For materials that are sensitive to oxygen, such as titanium and nickel alloys, arc stability may be difficult to achieve with inert gases in some applications. The density of argon is approximately 1.4 times that of air. Therefore, in the downhand position, the relatively heavy argon is very effective at displacing air. A disadvantage is that when working in confined spaces, there is a risk of argon building up to dangerous levels and asphyxiating the welder. Argon-helium mixtures: Argon is most commonly used for MIG welding of light alloys, but some advantage can be gained by the use of helium and argon/helium mixtures. Helium possesses a higher thermal conductivity than argon. The hotter weld pool produces improved penetration and/or an increase in welding speed. High helium contents give a deep broad penetration profile, but produce high spatter levels. With less than 80% argon, a true spray transfer is not possible. With globular-type transfer, the welder should use a 'buried' arc to minimise spatter. Arc stability can be problematic in helium and argon-helium mixtures, since helium raises the arc voltage, and therefore there is a larger change in arc voltage with respect to arc length. Helium mixtures require higher flow rates than argon shielding in order to provide the same gas protection. There is a reduced risk of lack of fusion defects when using argon-helium mixtures, particularly on thick section aluminium. Ar-He gas mixtures will offset the high heat dissipation in material over about 3mm thickness. A summary table of shielding gases and mixtures used for different base materials is given in Table 2. SUMMARY Metal Shielding gas Reaction behaviour Characteristics Carbon steel Argon- CO2 Slightly oxidising Increasing CO2 content gives hotter arc, improved arc stability, deeper penetration, transition from 'finger'-type to bowl-shaped penetration profile, more fluid weld pool giving flatter weld bead with good wetting, increased spatter levels, better toughness than CO2. Min 80% argon for axial spray transfer. General-purpose mixture: argon-10-15% CO2. Argon- O2 Slightly oxidising Stiffer arc than Ar- CO2 mixtures, minimises undercutting, suited to spray transfer mode, lower penetration than Ar-CO2 mixtures, 'finger'-type weld bead penetration at high current levels. General-purpose mixture: Argon-3% CO2. Argon-helium- CO2 Slightly oxidising Substitution of helium for argon gives hotter arc, higher arc voltage, more fluid weld pool, flatter bead profile, more bowl-shaped and deeper penetration profile and higher welding speeds, compared with Ar- CO2 mixtures. High cost. CO2 Oxidising Arc voltages 2-3V higher than Ar-CO2 mixtures, best penetration, higher welding speeds, dip transfer or buried arc technique only, narrow working range, high spatter levels, low cost. Stainless steels He-Ar- CO2 Slightly oxidising Good arc stability with minimum effect on corrosion resistance (carbon pickup), higher helium contents designed for dip transfer, lower helium contents designed for pulse and spray transfer. General-purpose gas: Ar-40-60%He-2%CO2. Argon- O2 Slightly oxidising Spray transfer only, minimises undercutting on heavier sections, good bead profile. Aluminium, copper, nickel, titanium alloys Argon Inert Good arc stability, low spatter, and general-purpose gas. Titanium alloys require inert gas backing and trailing shields to prevent air contamination. Argon-helium Inert Higher heat input offsets high heat dissipation on thick sections, lower risk of lack of fusion defects, higher spatter, higher cost than Argon. Table 2 Shielding gas mixtures for MIG/MAG welding - summary