Garages that don't weld

[premmington]

All true ,, still a shame though , there will be a pay back for it all , friend of mine is a chemical engineer , and she reckons one day we will be mining rubbish tips to recover the plastic that was thrown away as waste...

Mining landfill will come - not in our lifetime - but it will come I am sure!

 

[reb78]

For the older stuff I try and get the bits to rebuild myself when its not beyond my skills. Trying to get a rebuild kit for an AC Delco fuel pump for an 1800 slant 4 at the moment but I am struggling to find the bits...

 

[Stueeee]

Flywheel ring gear springs to mind! Yes they can be heated with an induction heater but not the portable type. I recently had to fit one on a classic Mini so they do still need doing occasionally .

Do have Oxy Acetylene as well as Propane etc. here for welding/heating but have always used a very low tech solution for heating ring gears before dropping them onto the flywheel. The fuel is some old sump oil with a few drops of gunwash thinners added to get it going.

In days of yore I did loads of welding on all models of rusty MOT failures, in those days of Oxy Acetylene being the only equipment available, it was really easy to have a fire, especially if there wasn't someone watching on top while I was working underneath. All in all a bloody hard way to earn some easy money IMO.

 

[premmington]

Do have Oxy Acetylene as well as Propane etc. here for welding/heating but have always used a very low tech solution for heating ring gears before dropping them onto the flywheel. The fuel is some old sump oil with a few drops of gunwash thinners added to get it going.

In days of yore I did loads of welding on all models of rusty MOT failures, in those days of Oxy Acetylene being the only equipment available, it was really easy to have a fire, especially if there wasn't someone watching on top while I was working underneath. All in all a bloody hard way to earn some easy money IMO.

I am old enough to recall gas welding on cars for MOT work.

Everything distorted so much - it was so slow - you got so dirty doing it. Plus you needed two hands.

MIG welding is so much quicker and easier.

 

[James1979]

Was it true that it had to be gas welded for mot, no other process allowed?

Or was that an old wives tale at the time?

 

[northwest]

Was it true that it had to be gas welded for mot, no other process allowed?

Or was that an old wives tale at the time?

I think the alternatives, at the time, were either gas welding or soldering.

 

[addjunkie]

I think the alternatives, at the time, were either gas welding or soldering.

Gas welding, from memory brazing wasnt allowed for structural stuff. Then you could also blast holes with an old buzz box stick set.

 

[northwest]

I had completely forgotten about brazing. That wasn't allowed at all, you are quite correct.
Well, time to go and do something positive. (as in - Positively definitely put my back out!)

 

[addjunkie]

Well, time to go and do something positive. (as in - Positively definitely put my back out!)

If you are of an age to remember gas welding cars etc, its time you had an apprentice for stuff that may put your back out!

 

[earthman]

Talking of MOT's, how much does a garage have to pay the government body for each one they perform?

MOT prices around my way range from around £30 to £50, I have been paying the higher price myself, more to do with the location/convenience/chaps who run it.

I just wondered how on earth the lowest charging places make it work financial?
Maybe the government run body only takes £10 off them for each MOT they issue??

 

[northwest]

If you are of an age to remember gas welding cars etc, its time you had an apprentice for stuff that may put your back out!

Sadly, I can only afford one Minion and he will be otherwise engaged today so time to go wrestle with the Morgan folder again, though maybe my pal has finished using the big pressbrake and I can use that.

 

[Stueeee]

Was it true that it had to be gas welded for mot, no other process allowed?

Or was that an old wives tale at the time?

Chassis structure had to be welded, but the processes were only gas or stick until MIG welders appeared. The first one I saw was at a garage my mate worked at, this would have been in the early '80s. It was a BOC machine -Autolynx IIRC. Huge great big thing, and even back then it had cost the boss a couple of grand. I bought my Migatronic 180 in the late '80s, that cost just over a grand back then. But, touch wood, it's still earning its keep in my workshop.

 

[Cobbler]

Early 70s, inner & outer Mini sills were often pop riveted. It seemed to be acceptable at the time! Sure it wasn’t really, but a lot were done like it.

 

[Greg05]

Talking of MOT's, how much does a garage have to pay the government body for each one they perform?

MOT prices around my way range from around £30 to £50, I have been paying the higher price myself, more to do with the location/convenience/chaps who run it.

I just wondered how on earth the lowest charging places make it work financial?
Maybe the government run body only takes £10 off them for each MOT they issue??

about 6 years back it's used to be 27.50 to vosa per each mot.... hence I stay away from any sub 45 quid mot place, they have to make money somehow!

 

[jerrytug]

Chassis structure had to be welded, but the processes were only gas or stick until MIG welders appeared. The first one I saw was at a garage my mate worked at, this would have been in the early '80s. It was a BOC machine -Autolynx IIRC. Huge great big thing, and even back then it had cost the boss a couple of grand. I bought my Migatronic 180 in the late '80s, that cost just over a grand back then. But, touch wood, it's still earning its keep in my workshop.

I had an old original Autolynx 100, a gigantic machine specially designed for car repairs, and capable of very fine work.
Beautifully made, to last for ever.. the wire feed motor was the size of a starter motor!

 

[premmington]

about 6 years back it's used to be 27.50 to vosa per each mot.... hence I stay away from any sub 45 quid mot place, they have to make money somehow!

It is £2.05 per slot - minimum purchase is 25 slots now online.


£27.50? To Vosa - never in the 35years I have been doing it


But I would agree with avoid cheap MOT testing stations like the plague...

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The actual cost of conduction a 45min MOT test - taking into account the 60 Sq Meters of space you need - the equipment/costs - works out with labour costs at about £26 in East Anglia. (This would be nearer £35 in the South of England due to increased workshop overheads).

 

[earthman]

about 6 years back it's used to be 27.50 to vosa per each mot.... hence I stay away from any sub 45 quid mot place, they have to make money somehow!

It is £2.05 per slot - minimum purchase is 25 slots now online.


£27.50? To Vosa - never in the 35years I have been doing it


But I would agree with avoid cheap MOT testing stations like the plague...

----------------------------

The actual cost of conduction a 45min MOT test - taking into account the 60 Sq Meters of space you need - the equipment/costs - works out with labour costs at about £26 in East Anglia. (This would be nearer £35 in the South of England due to increased workshop overheads).

Conflicting information here then So Premmington, you saying that you have to pay £2.05 for each MOT you do but got to pay in batches of 25 basically??

 

[premmington]

Conflicting information here then So Premmington, you saying that you have to pay £2.05 for each MOT you do but got to pay in batches of 25 basically??

No... You buy slots as and when you need them in any amount from 25 to 125,000 - most single lane garages buy 250 a month then when they have banked more than an average months use - they miss a month.

The £2.00 price went up in 2010 to £2.05 (This also is VAT free - as are the amounts we charge customers for testing is VAT exempt).

The max rate we can charge also went up in March 2010 from £54 to £54.85 (Class 4) £58.60 (Class 7)

This slot fee is the same for Motorbikes (Class 1) - Class 4 and Class 7 vehicles.

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The slot fee has never been £27.50 or anything like that.

Pre "slots" we used books (Certs) - we had to pay a deposit on books.

If the system is down - we use emergency packs which are free - but later on you have to use a "slot" to enter the details online.

 

[PhillipM]

Definately nothing like 27.50 a slot - I pay less than that for my MOT!

 

[premmington]

The following may shock you - even thou I own a garage.

I trully believe on the inception of MOT testing in 1960 - it should not have been farmed out to the trade - it should have been done at Government testing centres. They are even shipping out lorry plating now to the private sector.

As for the MOT fee - my thoughts are they should lower it a bit - but fix what is charged for a testing.