Kawi2strokes.com Forum

FYI Demus, since installing the HD compliance fittings, I changed my carb float level to the lowest end of the carb spec as the carb is at the borderline of the max tilt recommended by the manufacturer. It helped with low end jetting..... looking good, good luck.....

IT IS GOING FOR CRAP!!

I’ve only been welding a couple years and TIG about a year, I might have 150 hr total helmet time on the TIG.
I am using rod .035, 27 amps , it’s a bit cold, but if I go hotter i am not good enough with the petal or with any of it realy to not get burn through when I get to any place that isn’t fit perfect.
I have pulse but I just can’t seem to figure out how to use it properly, it adds another dimension of complexity. The amps need to be higher and it all depends on pulse rate on time and background % it over my head.
I’ve had 3 great welders that I know and they give me advice but it’s a learning curve for sure.
2 of them NEVER use pulse and the other guy loves it... all three told me to not fuse it because it’s not as crack resistant BUT none of them build exhausts.

Hang in there, I know how frustrating it can be. Stop on the exhausts and get some scrap sheet and test the pulse weld setup out, I'm serious, once you try it you will be embarrassed that you used filler rod for that long on small butt welds. It really is that much harder to weld small welds with rod, and yes, you are on the low end of the setup, .040" rod is easier to use than .035", bump the amps up to at least 45. But do test the pulse on some scrap. Also, if your eyesight isn't like it used to be, get better glasses. Another thing, I like to use a #10 green lens, but for that small a #9 is mandatory I think. Don't try to flow too much Argon, higher flows just circulate around and draw air back in the arc and cause dark welds. Should just be able to feel the Argon flow when you hold the torch to your cheek.
As far as pulse welds being prone to cracking, we only use that method on race car headers, turbo headers, which are .028" Inconel. If ever a weld was tested to it's max strength, that is the test, and those welds never fail.

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1974 Kawasaki H2B 750, 1981 Yamaha XV750 Cafe, 1986 Kawasaki KDX200, 2003 Honda XR100, 2004 SDG140. 2006 Ninja 500R Turbo intercooled fuel injected.

I have a lot of practice piece and have tried numerous time with the pulse …any guidelines would be MUCH appreciated
Everyone has a different opinion on the pulse when you read stuff, the guy I know who uses it told me to start with 20 pulses a second, 60% on peak 30% on background.
And its soooo much different trying to position the welds than what I was practicing on so I keep messing up my torch angle and arch length.
I think superb welders should be paid as much as surgeons and I am mostly serious , the human body heals itself , metal doesn't !!

I will persist!!

Please dont look to close!! (there cold right??)

Untitled by Joe Herriges, on Flickr
Untitled by Joe Herriges, on Flickr

Current might not be too far off, but usually if a weld is too light in current, the filler rod sits on the top and won't penetrate through. Your friend is way off on the pulses, set it at maybe 2 per second or less, and try background current at 40% or 30%. The end result should look like you did add filler rod, and you don't dip 20 times a second LOL. Really though, it's based on how fast you move the torch, so the background current shouldn't be on too long, hoping for main current pulses to overlap nicely, like dipped rod puddles.

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1974 Kawasaki H2B 750, 1981 Yamaha XV750 Cafe, 1986 Kawasaki KDX200, 2003 Honda XR100, 2004 SDG140. 2006 Ninja 500R Turbo intercooled fuel injected.

Ya that’s what I mean about pulse ... his welding is flawless, other guys say 1 to 2 a sec others say 30 and more.
I’ll try 2 per sec and the amps to 35 at 40 it gets to hit I can’t do it, I tried at that amp nothing but burn through but maybe pulse will help that.

I got lots of practice pieces.

The only other tip I can give you, but it's not really useful I guess, is don't piddle around, what I mean by that is, if you try to weld too slowly, and too low of a current setting will do that, the heat spreads forward. Pretty soon the whole pipe is hot and is closer to melt through. If you have more experience, you tend to weld much faster, so the weld front is cooler, and then you can use more current. It's sort of like the problem with gas welding, its very inefficient and the heat spreads out a long way, so to prevent melt through you have to use a lower flame setting or angle the torch more, which only ends up making the problem worse. One other thing, keep the tungsten sharp, that will make the molten puddle more concentrated and easier to control. Dip it one time, go resharpen it right away.

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1974 Kawasaki H2B 750, 1981 Yamaha XV750 Cafe, 1986 Kawasaki KDX200, 2003 Honda XR100, 2004 SDG140. 2006 Ninja 500R Turbo intercooled fuel injected.

That’s what I keep thinking from my limited experience moving faster and being a bit hotter makes a much better weld. I’m having so much trouble with going “around”
Thanks for the tips!

Fusion welding is the only way to go, if the fit is right with zero gap, and you have the current set so you get full penetration. I've heard old pro welders say you have to use filler, but that is not correct.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Thanks good info I was going to ask you how it was going with the set up, and how it was running.
I have a old GS with GSXR carbs on it which are at thte wrong angle the other way, they need to be tipped up more, it is so sensitive to float height as little as 1/2mm in float height can make a difference in the low end, but that is a completely different animal with that 4 stroke with CV carbs.


On the welding Im so unhappy with what I did yesterday. I have never struggled so freaking hard trying to learn something.
And it goes for fit up as well, trying to get everything held together so it does not move when you tack it, then once you tack it if you have applied to much heat the other side has a gap then you have to try to hold the cones together tightly somehow to get it tacked on that side….. JUST
And once you even have the slightest gap fusion welding is OUT from what I can tell.
The whole process is getting under my skin!!
And I want to get it right, I think I hate the thought of defeat more than the thought of ugly welds!