Welding to Copper

[BamaTJ]

Don't know if it is possible to tig to copper or not? Copper tube in my tranny cooler has a steel or aluminum bung with a fitting on it that slides in. Well it came apart and that is my tranny problem from this evening. Those fawking coolers cost a billion dollars, would rather get mine welded up if it can be done

 

[InDaShop]

Yes you can braze copper.
Not sure on TIG'ing it, but dont see why it wouldn't work with the correct rod.
If it truely is copper you should be able to weld it back with a butane torch and the correct rod, all of that is in the plumbing section of Lowes or Home Depot.

 

[ToyotaJGB]

I am not sure how he did it, but Jesse James on one of those old chopper shows built a bike that had a copper tank and copper fenders and he was using a Tig welder with solid copper filler metal.

 

[blacksheep10]

a tig is a way to generate heat. concentrated, controlled, specific heat, but heat non the less. a little torch is diriter, but works for every plumbing job in every non pex house in the us. a little torch and some solder or brazing rod will do it. have an hvac or plumber do it for a 12 pack

 

[Marty]

X2 on solder and a torch, same way they plumb air lines in shops using copper.

 

[wontwork]

a tig is a way to generate heat. concentrated, controlled, specific heat, but heat non the less. a little torch is diriter, but works for every plumbing job in every non pex house in the us. a little torch and some solder or brazing rod will do it. have an hvac or plumber do it for a 12 pack

You got it. Go for the tig. It is alot cleaner and easier to control the heat. Brazing will get the job done, but tig looks the best.

 

[BamaTJ]

Does it matter that the tube is copper and the bung is aluminum (maybe steel)? Anybody local know that can do this?

 

[draggbody]

if it is 2 different kinds of material then get it "silver soldered"... we have a place called tubes n' hoses that does alot of it... its how they can take your old a/c line or hydraulic line and reuse the ends is by silver soldering them back to new fittings then recrimping them... clean it good your self, lots of brake cleaner and if they dont know what silver solder is, then i would find someone else...

 

[Marty]

Could a radiator shop do it? I know ones that have been in the business a while do alot of brazing

 

[BamaTJ]

I am going to look for a radiator repair shop here in town and see what they can do.

 

[John Galbreath Jr.]

I am going to look for a radiator repair shop here in town and see what they can do.

Not Nabors :

 

[BamaTJ]

any locals no a good spot I can take this? The threaded bung is aluminum...

 

[blacksheep10]

you know any hvac or plubing guys? they solder on a farily regular basis (the old school ones anyway.

 

[BamaTJ]

Don't know any, I am going to look for a radiator repair shop that can fix it.

Here are a few pics of what I am working with:



[attachment deleted by admin]

 

[Juan_Hong_Loe]

All of those fittings are soldered on there already. Shouldnt be a problem for Hvac or plumber. Radiator shop should be able to do it.

 

[BamaTJ]

Wow, finding a taker on this one is fun...

 

[Dan@BlueTorch]

If you can not find someone to fix it drop it by the shop and I will take a wack at it. The pics look a little easier to deal with than what I pictured on the phone.

-Dan

 

[BamaTJ]

Thanks dan, I took it down to some shop in Ensley that repairs radiators. He say it and said no problem. I will let you know.

 

[wontwork]

Your making this way 2 hard. Can handle it for you if it don't work out or can get you a few places in Jasper to take it to.

 

[BamaTJ]

Man I thought it was going be easy also, but I can't seem to find anybody that wants or knows how to deal with it. I had one shop tell me it was impossible to attach aluminum to copper. No ****, he said that. I said, well the other side is still together so I would say it is possible...