Draper MW142AT gas problem

[Harrier]

Hi all. First post here, I have been looking about here for a while. Great fourm

I am new to mig welding and attempting my first car resto project.

I have a draper 145amp mig welder and just got it set up on gas and it ain't working very well.

When I hit the trigger no gas comes out of the torch. I presumed the torch must be clogged up with splatter so dismantled it and checked. All connections in the welder seem fine at first glance.

When I had the torch dismantled I hit the trigger and the white rubber in the pic bellow popped out and gass finally came. For all I can see the white rubber around the cable stops the gas from getting to the torch! Am a bit lost here. Any help is much appreciatd

 

[500e]

Do you mean the tie wrap is squashing clear tube ?

 

[voipio]

As the previous poster suggested, check that the tie wrap holding the control wire connector is not closing up the clear gas tube. The white rubber component looks as if it's designed to hold the spiral wire guide in position so it doesn't move in or out. The gas should be able to find a route between the wire and the guide but if the guide is tightly-wrapped there may be too little space between the spirals to let gas pass. If the last few turns of the guide are stretched slightly, this should allow gas to come through.

 

[mike 109444]

Think you might have a blockage in the pipe from the area where the clear pipe goes onto the tourch or in the pipe leading up to the tourch or if it has the gas valve in the tourch handle then it could be there. The gas should be going in the direction of the green arrows but due to blockage is goin the red arrow route and blowing the white seal/plug out! If you can caerfully take apart the tourch (beware of any springs for the trigger) you may find the weld trigger operates the power and presses a plunger on the gas block. If you can pull off the pipe goin into the block then turn on gas at bottle, check to see if any gas is coming out. if it does you have a problem with gas block. If no gas comes out of pipe then you hav a blockage in the pipe from where it enters the tourch at welder end through to gas block. May req new tourch! or a dirty trick would be to run new lengthe of pipe along the outside of tourch upto the gas valve then feed into the handle and onto gas block (well I did say it was a dirty trick) use tie wrapes to secure (not to tight!!)

 

[Harrier]

Thanks for the help guys. After dismantling the torch and putting it back together it decided to work for half a day! Finally I got mig welding with gas and what a difference! Unfortunately it only lasted half a day and stopped again. Went about taking the torch apart again to look for a blockage and I snapped the brass threads off just above the steel nut in the picture above!! On a Sunday! Not going well my intro to mig welding.

The brass fitting is clamped on and the other end of the torch cab,e is built into the welder! So I am going to have to buy a new torch now I presume. I can't get the torch in my local supplier, not easy get one when it's not the plug in type fitting. Any suggestions?

 

[the snooper]

what size gas bottle if dispossible they last 10 mins solid welding approx

 

[Harrier]

I got a big bottle hooked up and full of gas

 

[the snooper]

thats ruled out then, does the welder have a gas solenoid or valve attached to the trigger on the torch

 

[Harrier]

Valve is in the machine not the torch and it works every time

 

[mike 109444]

Iy you are counting the tourch as scrap then it might be worth cutting where the green dotted line is (streighter than my line!) as the brass thread will prob go further into the crimped part as per the black lines. Then if you trim up the brass end and cut the crimped back to the red line to make good. Not sure how this might work with the rest of the gun/nozzle? You could take it to a hose (hydraulic fitters) place to get it recrimped.

 

[Harrier]

That's a good idea! I hadn't considered getting it re crimped! Will try my local hydraulic man! It's worth a shot before forking 120 out for a new torch

 

[mike 109444]

Pity Reaper320 didnot continue with his orignal ideal
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=38111&highlight=euro
Might have been an answer for yours

 

[the snooper]

have you tested the gas flow is reliable from the solenoid and its not a solenoid valve problem

 

[Harrier]

Yea it's not a solenoid problem. Solenoid works fine

 

[Wozzaaah]

If you can't repair that torch, as you've got a gas solenoid rather than a valve in the torch why not just stick a euro torch on it and be done with it?
£60 all in, job done.

 

[Harrier]

Yea, I would like to stick a euro torch on!

Is it difficult to do?? is there a guide on the site for converting to euro?
At 60 quid its cheaper than getting the existing replacement.

 

[Harrier]

Iy you are counting the tourch as scrap then it might be worth cutting where the green dotted line is (streighter than my line!) as the brass thread will prob go further into the crimped part as per the black lines. Then if you trim up the brass end and cut the crimped back to the red line to make good. Not sure how this might work with the rest of the gun/nozzle? You could take it to a hose (hydraulic fitters) place to get it recrimped.

I did this today!! And have to say the welder has never worked so well!! Excellent gas flow now and I got lots done today!! Good on ya Mike!!

 

[mike 109444]

Sounds like you also found your blockage as well. Result.
Now in your spare time search round the forum as there was a chap that did the euro convert and posted with pics and details. I did say I would point other to it but ******ed if I can remember who and when (within past 6mths if I recall). Will take a lookee lookee and see if I can find...

 

[mike 109444]

Found it http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=32755&highlight=euro+tourch
entered "euro tourch" in search and it was the 4th one down
Worth a read