Welding mild steel to cast
 

I'm finally boosting my Z after being what my name states, "stillnoturbo". My problem is I'm using a ZX turbo manifold so it has a t3 flange on it but I'm using a T4 and they t3-t4 adapters but it would push it too far and hit the shocktower. I've welded flanges onto stock D series manifolds but it was using smaller ihi turbos so weight wasnt too much of an issue. I mean I'm not gonna use my lil HF fluxcore welder to weld on the flange thats holding on my brand new T4 and watch my turbo in my rearview mirror laying on the road. I was talking to a older guy at work who used to weld for like 20 years and told me to braze it or some kind of nickel rod or something and stick weld it. The stock t3 flange is gonna be used for a place to mount my wastegate to.
The install and pics will come once I install a new headgasket and some arp headstuds I have coming. I still have to buy some mandrels bends to make my downpipe and chargepiping for the front mount. It's been damn near 3 years since I've built a turbo kit for myself to use on my own car. Installed my walbro since my old pump was going out and it started up and the leaking headgasket reveiled itself. God it felt good to hear it rumble to life thoough while gargling on some coolant.

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

i'd tig weld it using 309L filler. not sure if this is proper methodology, but it has worked for me in the past.

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

Why would you use an expensive turbo then half ass a manifold? Just weld it together.

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

Don't be afraid to flux it! You remember what my downpipe looks like right?

I know this is a turbo, but I still think you can flux it. I hear people say all the time to heat up the cast piece first, it probably helps but I didn't do it. Just turn your heat allll the way up (My shitty welder only has a low or a high setting, lol) and weld onto the cast and sorta drag it onto the steel to prevent burning through it. Post pics whatever way you go though!

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

I have welded Cast to steel and its been fine.

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

Nickel is the key. 309L has some in there that is why it works pretty well. More nickel the better, but too much can have problems also. Grind the cast so it is very clean before welding.

Randy

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

Cast Iron really should be done with capillary adhesion for a sound 'weld'. Torch brazed with a brass alloy or welded with a nickel alloy filler metal. If you are going to build lots of heat I would use Ni-rod, a high nickel alloy stick electrode.

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

clean the cast up real good. make sure the mating surfaces are near perfect w/o gaps. should be fine.

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

If you're reeeeeeeeeal lucky, it might turn out like this

http://img25.echo.cx/img25/5954/dp18kw.jpg

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

HERPES! :D

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

I don't think I've caught it from that yet

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

Well I'll bite the bullet and give it a try. I gotta pull off the intake manifold and header anyways since I have a new headgasket and intake/exhaust manifold gasket and some ARP head studs. So this will let me get the chance to mock things up with it's taken apart waiting for the stuff to come. I'll post some pics later this weekend.
John you should call it the "hotrex".How am I half assing the manifold? I'd say that people who boost a L series in a Z use the 280ZX manifold cause it works just fine and can get good numbers out of it. It's not like a honda where everybody and their mothers make flanges and ---- for it. I can't think of a company that makes tubular L series turbo manifold and there would be one. Holy hell I couldn't or wouldnt want to imagine the price.

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

Is it cast STEEL or cast IRON? You'll need two different rods.

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

What do you think? ::)

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

You could weld any ferrous metal with a low to high Ni alloy electrode with you wanted to. mild steel is best welded with ER70-S6, E7018, ER70-S2, E70-T1
I still suggest using a nickel alloy or brass alloy to be on the safe side.

"When welding cast iron, the major problem is to avoid cracking the cast iron, or leaving it with locked-in stresses that might cause cracking in service. When welding cast steel, you normally need not worry about cracking, but you must be concerned about distortion, since steel will stretch – become permanently elongated – before it will break. Distortion can often destroy the utility of a casting just as completely as cracking."

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

Wanna quote your source?

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

ESAB Handbook - WELDING OTHER FERROUS METALS

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

I gotta try that.

How did you prep the cast before you tigged it? What kinda amperage are we talking about here?

I tried it once but the cast just popped all over the tungsten. However, I didn't grind it down or anything.

Re: Welding mild steel to cast
 

You have to grind it untill all the pits from the rust are gone. I have only had luck on cast steel. I used 60-90A. I noticed the higher amperage I ran I had it 'pop' on me. I just used a slower rate of travel.