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Weld or braze?
- Thread starter alloy
- Start date
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- Sep 20, 2019
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- 1,392
I could be wrong, but don't air conditioner repairmen use silver solder in their work? Perhaps you could find someone local who would do it.
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- Jul 5, 2014
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I hadn't thought of that, good point.
But JFL4066 offered and I'd rather pay a fellow hobby machinist to do it.
When I couldn't find anyone to do this I broke down and bought another ps pump that had a return line on it. It works but the return line comes out right above the a-arm and looks like crap. Yes it's a lot of work to change the pump just because of how it looks, but my engine compartment is the best looking part of the car.
But JFL4066 offered and I'd rather pay a fellow hobby machinist to do it.
When I couldn't find anyone to do this I broke down and bought another ps pump that had a return line on it. It works but the return line comes out right above the a-arm and looks like crap. Yes it's a lot of work to change the pump just because of how it looks, but my engine compartment is the best looking part of the car.
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- Apr 23, 2018
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- 6,832
The fittings on the spam can you blasted are furnace brazed. They dope the parts with filler and fuse them in a furnace. It controls thermal expansion so well with slow heating and cooling that the parts don't warp. You would have that problem with a torch. Maybe. It might do well to partially submerge the part as if doing a radiator repair. TIG would make a fine weld, but that is a lot of heat input. The low pressure side would probably be fine with silver solder (hard solder). I don't think the joint is the problem, it's the heat that I'd be concerned with.
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- Oct 7, 2020
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How about using Silicon Bronze with a TIG? You wouldn't have to get it as hot. You could do a little at a time and let it cool in between.
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- Jul 5, 2014
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I want to say thanks to John for brazing up my housing. Really nice job. Looks great. 
Now I have to tear the front of the engine off to put it on.
The fun never quits. But I tell my wife this keeps me out of bars and from chasing wild women.
She said the wild women would be cheaper.
Now I have to tear the front of the engine off to put it on.
The fun never quits. But I tell my wife this keeps me out of bars and from chasing wild women.
She said the wild women would be cheaper.
Thanks Dan. No rest for the weary! BTW what's a bar? LOL. 
FYI for everyone reading this thread... Silver soldering would not work in this case. There was very little metal contact area between the fitting and metal cover. A ring about 0.020" wide to be precise. Silver soldering, like all soldering requires a fair amount of mutual contact area for strength. I went for TIG Silicon Bronze. Very good for tight localized heat. I was also going to braze the inside only for appearance reasons but could not get my stubby TIG torch in there and lay a complete bead. Ended up brazing it with a continuous bead around the OD of the fitting. This will also give it added strength from the vibrations on a motor vehicle. Don't want the oil line/fitting coming off!
FYI for everyone reading this thread... Silver soldering would not work in this case. There was very little metal contact area between the fitting and metal cover. A ring about 0.020" wide to be precise. Silver soldering, like all soldering requires a fair amount of mutual contact area for strength. I went for TIG Silicon Bronze. Very good for tight localized heat. I was also going to braze the inside only for appearance reasons but could not get my stubby TIG torch in there and lay a complete bead. Ended up brazing it with a continuous bead around the OD of the fitting. This will also give it added strength from the vibrations on a motor vehicle. Don't want the oil line/fitting coming off!
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- Nov 24, 2014
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- 3,575
I recommended silver solder based on my assumptions of the fitting/hole configuration. I assumed the hole in the reservoir was approximately the same diameter as the hole through the fitting. That would leave substantial faying surface area for a good silver solder joint. Apparently my assumptions were false. I should have asked @alloy to show the back side of the fitting and related dimensions.Thanks Dan. No rest for the weary! BTW what's a bar? LOL.
FYI for everyone reading this thread... Silver soldering would not work in this case. There was very little metal contact area between the fitting and metal cover. A ring about 0.020" wide to be precise. Silver soldering, like all soldering requires a fair amount of mutual contact area for strength. I went for TIG Silicon Bronze. Very good for tight localized heat. I was also going to braze the inside only for appearance reasons but could not get my stubby TIG torch in there and lay a complete bead. Ended up brazing it with a continuous bead around the OD of the fitting. This will also give it added strength from the vibrations on a motor vehicle. Don't want the oil line/fitting coming off!
Your solution is top notch.
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- Jul 5, 2014
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- 2,849
Don't remember anymore, been 20 years now since I've been in one.Thanks Dan. No rest for the weary! BTW what's a bar? LOL.
Good news on my welding class. Apparently the original instructor is MIA so the women instructor has committed to the class. I just paid for summer and fall classes. But the thing I don't like is the 1 month between the end and start of the next class.
What are they teaching? Sitck, MIG, TIG? Or a little of everything?
Some of the best welders I have ever worked with were the ladies.
Outstanding hand and eye coordination.
Use the off time to practice.
Some of the best welders I have ever worked with were the ladies.
Outstanding hand and eye coordination.
Use the off time to practice.