January – April 2015
As I was removing the drive train I had to deal with a previous owner’s repair. For some reason, the passenger side pivot pin was welded to the K-Frame. I had to dislodge this and then repair the hole which had become elongated. I tried to weld the hole by inserting a copper pipe into the hole so not to get any slag into the tube. Not overly successful because the copper was not sturdy enough but I also welded a grade 8 washer to reinforce these holes. I don’t know why these weren’t included in the reinforcement kit but maybe I had a unique wear point.
I guess it’s time to point out that my welding had not been that great to this point. I had bought a Lincoln Mig 145 welder. I started welding with a .035 Flux core wire which I later learned to be a bad wire choice for the thinner metals. I had used this for spot welds to this point but they were real ugly. It’s been said before that the best way to weld is Clean Metal and practice, practice, practice. However what I had not noted was the importance of wire choice. I learned that the wire I was using was too big which is why I often burned through. The wire was great for 3/16 and bigger and for dirty metal like the K-frame. I later learned that the smaller .025 and .030. was further enhanced with gas, I use Co2, was far better.
And now back to the K-frame. I spent a lot of time cleaning it with degreaser, gasoline, simply green, lacquer thinner and even a propane torch. I learned to clean parts with a Phosphoric acid before painting to attack any last pieces of rust that I could not see. I also began using an Eastwood PrePaint product that I have come to rely on after using it on the K-Frame. After all that cleaning, this product still removed residue.
As recommended in various articles and Firm Feel, I re-welded spot welds and tried to refresh the welds and seams. I also installed the steering box reinforcement plates. This was a challenge given the ever oozing of oil and grease. I probably should have had the K-frame dipped.
