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Old 02-03-2023, 10:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ykobayashi View Post
Thanks guys.

Parts changers are good. . I would have loved to head over to Pelican and get a new regulator. Nothing wrong with that. Those days are long gone. I think rebuilding old parts is the new normal. More fixes on our cars are starting to look more like art restoration than conventional auto repair.

911, yeah the failure in my case was the same. The frame got twisted over and the gears started slipping and chewing on each other. The molded section is pretty flimsy but I guess it has lasted pretty long. Apparently this is a huge problem on C124 cars where the window is heavier. (ETA - hey just checked out your thread with the sheet metal plate you fabbed for your regulator. That is what is needed. That pot metal is too flimsy. It will bend again on my car. Too bad I have mine all buttoned up now. )

I had another bent up regulator and I actually cracked it while trying to straighten it out in my vise. Not sure how to weld or braze pot metal. This may be a valuable skill going forward. On my steering lock repair I accidentally turned one of the latch parts into a puddle of metal with my MAP torch. Not sure how to deal with die cast metal but a lot of the car seems to be made of it. It beats the heck out of plastic for durability but my cars are turning into metal dust at this age.

Silicon bronze is an interesting material. I got into using it after torch brazing some lock linkage parts with yellow brass. It may or may not be appropriate for this application because it is softer than steel. But if it lasts a few more years what can I say...the car is pushing 40 years old now. There is this desire to repair with the durability inherent in our cars. But today I’ll settled for this.
The claim is that alumiloy/alumiweld rods and a butane or propane torch will weld the pot metal or aluminum, but I never had success with those.

Looks like another company is Ultrafuse Aluminum Repair Easy Melt Low Temperature

Here is another that claims flux cored. Alumifix Flux-Cored Rods

Maybe the issue I have is no flux. The Harbor Fright rods have no flux with them.

This is the harbor freight products.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nWdmE93wP8

Pot metal and zinc die cast repair. Never seen one with flux.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwLuV00Psu0
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Last edited by Diesel911; 02-03-2023 at 10:41 PM.
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Old 02-07-2023, 07:53 PM
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You do have to really clean the pot metal with a stainless steel brush. Just before attempting to use the specialty rods.

Personally I suspected you would have to do it frequently to get good at it. If I remember and it has been a long time. It solidifies harder than what you are using it on.
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Old 02-08-2023, 09:28 AM
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I have some of those Harbor Freight Aluminum brazing rods around from a prior repair to a radiator on another car. I may try those.

I can see that stuff not sticking if the surface isn’t cleaned or if I don’t use enough heat. What worries me about it is using it on anything that takes some cyclic loading. When I put two things together it is quite strong but if I keep fatiguing on it like a window regulator it may not hold up.

Well, I may give it a try. I have a junk regulator on the shelf that not only has teeth worn to nubs. It has a cracked aluminum boss right next to the motor mount where it bends. I managed to straighten it out but the crack got even worse. I degreased it and drilled out the tips of the crack. It’s A good throw away piece to practice on.

I kind of hate that Harbor Freight Alumiweld rod because it puts out this irritating smoke. I was choking for an hour after fixing that radiator.

The regulator casting is made from a die cast aluminum. It is a pretty high quality casting. It may be unfair to call it “pot metal”. I’m tempted to see what my TIG torch will do to it. Well, that is today’s project. I’ll get back later.
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