Hello! Well I got a hole 7 days on a lincoln MIG 125 model I think? I havent welded in a little while. But I cleaned all the gunk and any left over surface rust but all the goop on the underbody and near the tranny started to burn and fry and eventually made a little bon fire under my car, pretty scary business. But I kept getting a really good line going then I kept losing it! Maybe because the under steal wasnt clean enough? Also when I get to the passenger side I'll be really close to my fuel line, that's going to be a little creepy. Damn, I knew I had a question to ask but im out of it! Shoot me some pointers. smile.gif smile.gif

Oh yeah! The heat settings, i was using it on E.4 and wire feed pretty high, if anyone uses this little 110 model.

I'll tell you what, I TOTALLY clean a number of inches away from the weld area on BOTH sides. I mean CLEAN, just you would the middle of the hood for painting, CLEAN.

When you weld the metal turns molten right? A properly penatrated weld is going to go to the other side of the metal. Well the molten metal is pulling those impurities up from the other side.

It sounds like you are welding a little hot too. If all you are welding is the floor sheet metal than about 2/3 the heat your little welder has should do it, tops. If you look at your welding guide it says about 1/4 of your 125 amps. But I personally weld with a very similar welder nearly every day and I use it about 6 heat (on a 1-10) and 65 wire speed (on a 1-100) for sheet metal that has a backing of the same 18-20 guage metal. If I were butt welding them, then the heat would be more like 4-5 and 40-50. If you are welding into 1/16" floor braces then to bring it up wide open may be needed.

Cool, I gave it a really good cleaning and toyed with my settings alot, tighten down my wire feed spool a little bit, it was a little too lose. Still a tad slopped but it's definately getting there. I'll probably finish my driver side tonite, but tomorrow move down to the passenger side, should I lay something over the fuel line, it's going to have welds going right over it.

Ok so heres what happened, well actually let's say a FRIEND was welding in my floors ;) and he forgot to unplug the battery to the car, around the starter it looks a little fried. Everything has to be unplugged before hitting it with welds? Did I destroy my starter or battery?

Unless he hooked the ground clamp in such a way that the current flowed thru something, somehow, it isn't going to do a darn thing.

SOME computer componants in late model cars can be damaged. But with a good old Chevelle, don't worry.

The thing you do need to watch is not to connect the ground clamp to something like a door when welding to the body, the current will flow thru the hinge! Not good.

Look and think about where you are hooking the clamp, it should be as close as possible to the weld area and on the SAME piece that is being welded.

phew ok. well all my starter components and engine as well are new, and it hasnt left my garage so for it to have char and gunk on the connection to the starter, it's strange, im worried! But the ground was hooked right to my panel i was welding. I was kidding about "a friend" it was all me I admit it! graemlins/clonk.gif

Now I finally remember what I originally wanted to know about new floor pans. They GM stamped so the drain plugs arent cut out, I am tempted to not cut them out because I am just going to seal them right back up. And the chances of me going back under my carpets and interior are slim! Is there any special use for them?

as i understand it the drain plugs in the body were put there by the factory to drain off extra cleaner that was used to wash the body on the assembly line. and as for your welder settings. I also have a small lincoln mig welder and usally run it at like a B-3 setting with mixed argon co2 gas.

Wow, set on B-3 I didnt think that would run it hot enough. Ive been going around Early E to E-4 or so. anything below it seems to not melt the base metal and anything over im blowing holes, it's getting better all the time though. I'll try your setting tomorrow

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