"SteveB" wrote in message
...
Another SA 200 welding machine came up yesterday. I am going to go look
at it today. If I can buy these locally, I can fix them up, and make some
decent cash. The guy said it runs and welds, but won't return to idle.

Isn't there a cotter pin in the governor linkage that allows you to run at a
high idle or return to low idle after welding depending on the position of
the pin?
Steve


Sounds relatively minor to me. I think he'd take less than $500, too, and
it's on a trailer.

Just how much knowledge is needed to do this? I have singlehandedly taken
a 327 Chevy motor out, changed freeze plugs, had the heads done, and put
it back in by myself. I can fix most anything, except carburetors and
automatic transmissions. I could learn them, but haven't so far.

I understand how engines work, and have the puzzle solving ability to take
stuff apart, figure out how it works, and how to fix it. Right now, I
have no reservations about digging into the one I just bought and either
getting it running or seeing why it won't. Gas engines are relatively
simple. They run or they don't. If they don't, there's a short list of
things it can be. Gas. Spark. Compression. Major component part
failure. And a couple of other things.

Just how complicated is this SA 200, and all its controls? They must be
pretty dependable and easy to work on to be such workhorses. The engine
is a simple flathead four banger. Radiator. Points operated spark
system. Battery with starter and voltage regulator. The other items on
the welding side I haven't fooled with a lot in my life, but think I could
figure out.

As with anything else, buying electrical testers and hooking them up is
usually a RTFM thing, and the troubleshooting chart shortens with
experience.

Just how hard is this? I know after a time there would be tests to do
when considering buying one of these machines, and would develop a
checklist. I was just wanting to bounce it off you guys and see if I'm
heading down a peaceful creek or towards the waterfalls.

Steve

Another SA 200 welding machine came up yesterday. I am going to go look at
it today. If I can buy these locally, I can fix them up, and make some
decent cash. The guy said it runs and welds, but won't return to idle.
Sounds relatively minor to me. I think he'd take less than $500, too, and
it's on a trailer.

Just how much knowledge is needed to do this? I have singlehandedly taken a
327 Chevy motor out, changed freeze plugs, had the heads done, and put it
back in by myself. I can fix most anything, except carburetors and
automatic transmissions. I could learn them, but haven't so far.

I understand how engines work, and have the puzzle solving ability to take
stuff apart, figure out how it works, and how to fix it. Right now, I have
no reservations about digging into the one I just bought and either getting
it running or seeing why it won't. Gas engines are relatively simple. They
run or they don't. If they don't, there's a short list of things it can be.
Gas. Spark. Compression. Major component part failure. And a couple of
other things.

Just how complicated is this SA 200, and all its controls? They must be
pretty dependable and easy to work on to be such workhorses. The engine is
a simple flathead four banger. Radiator. Points operated spark system.
Battery with starter and voltage regulator. The other items on the welding
side I haven't fooled with a lot in my life, but think I could figure out.

As with anything else, buying electrical testers and hooking them up is
usually a RTFM thing, and the troubleshooting chart shortens with
experience.

Just how hard is this? I know after a time there would be tests to do when
considering buying one of these machines, and would develop a checklist. I
was just wanting to bounce it off you guys and see if I'm heading down a
peaceful creek or towards the waterfalls.

Steve

On Sat, 15 Mar 2008, "Up North" wrote:
"SteveB" wrote...

Another SA 200 welding machine came up yesterday. I am going to go look
at it today. If I can buy these locally, I can fix them up, and make some
decent cash. The guy said it runs and welds, but won't return to idle.

Isn't there a cotter pin in the governor linkage that allows you to run at a
high idle or return to low idle after welding depending on the position of
the pin?

Could be something simple and stupid like that - Operator Error from
someone who simply couldn't RTFM...

With that kind of rig, it's most likely a solenoid that pulls the
governor linkage down to idle, or conversely pulls in to go up to
governed welding speed - but if it goes bad, you pin it into RUN
position as a temporary fix. Might be an open coil, or the control
board is bad. Either way, shouldn't be hard to troubleshoot.

My PE-95G generator has a manual flip-up idle lock arm on the
carburetor throttle shaft for the flyweight governor - physically pull
the throttle linkage against the governor spring and drop the lock arm
over, and it's locked in curb idle. So you can start it off easy when
it's stone cold, or check for oil fuel or water leaks and such after
maintenance. Adjust the idle speed with the normal idle adjustments
in the carburetor.

Wait for it to warm up to where the choke isn't needed, pull the
spring tension off, flip up the idle lock to release, it grunts hard
and snaps right up to 3600 RPM.

-- Bruce --

On Mar 15, 1:58 pm, "SteveB" wrote:
Another SA 200 welding machine came up yesterday. I am going to go look at
it today. If I can buy these locally, I can fix them up, and make some
decent cash. The guy said it runs and welds, but won't return to idle.
Sounds relatively minor to me. I think he'd take less than $500, too, and
it's on a trailer.

Just how much knowledge is needed to do this? I have singlehandedly taken a
327 Chevy motor out, changed freeze plugs, had the heads done, and put it
back in by myself. I can fix most anything, except carburetors and
automatic transmissions. I could learn them, but haven't so far.

I understand how engines work, and have the puzzle solving ability to take
stuff apart, figure out how it works, and how to fix it. Right now, I have
no reservations about digging into the one I just bought and either getting
it running or seeing why it won't. Gas engines are relatively simple. They
run or they don't. If they don't, there's a short list of things it can be.
Gas. Spark. Compression. Major component part failure. And a couple of
other things.

Just how complicated is this SA 200, and all its controls? They must be
pretty dependable and easy to work on to be such workhorses. The engine is
a simple flathead four banger. Radiator. Points operated spark system.
Battery with starter and voltage regulator. The other items on the welding
side I haven't fooled with a lot in my life, but think I could figure out.

As with anything else, buying electrical testers and hooking them up is
usually a RTFM thing, and the troubleshooting chart shortens with
experience.

Just how hard is this? I know after a time there would be tests to do when
considering buying one of these machines, and would develop a checklist. I
was just wanting to bounce it off you guys and see if I'm heading down a
peaceful creek or towards the waterfalls.

Steve

the SA-200 is the Lincoln the pipeline guys go nuts over right? the
one with a generator instead of an alternator? and a true DC machine?

I can think of several places where being an SA-200 maintenance guy
with an SA-200 Rental unit/Loaner would be worth the weight of the
transformer in gold. You could charge a big premium if youre able to
offer essentially 0 downtime by bringing in a replacement welder. That
way they are NOT down a machine while you fix it and i'm sure thet
premium could easily be a $300 rental per day since they are still
making a lot of money off that welder not being out of service.

Idle People and missed deadlines and quotas are way more expensive
than paying a guy to fix the welder and bring in a loaner

Just a thought

Brent
Ottawa Caanda

"Brent" wrote in message
...
On Mar 15, 1:58 pm, "SteveB" wrote:
Another SA 200 welding machine came up yesterday. I am going to go look
at
it today. If I can buy these locally, I can fix them up, and make some
decent cash. The guy said it runs and welds, but won't return to idle.
Sounds relatively minor to me. I think he'd take less than $500, too,
and
it's on a trailer.

Just how much knowledge is needed to do this? I have singlehandedly
taken a
327 Chevy motor out, changed freeze plugs, had the heads done, and put it
back in by myself. I can fix most anything, except carburetors and
automatic transmissions. I could learn them, but haven't so far.

I understand how engines work, and have the puzzle solving ability to
take
stuff apart, figure out how it works, and how to fix it. Right now, I
have
no reservations about digging into the one I just bought and either
getting
it running or seeing why it won't. Gas engines are relatively simple.
They
run or they don't. If they don't, there's a short list of things it can
be.
Gas. Spark. Compression. Major component part failure. And a couple
of
other things.

Just how complicated is this SA 200, and all its controls? They must be
pretty dependable and easy to work on to be such workhorses. The engine
is
a simple flathead four banger. Radiator. Points operated spark system.
Battery with starter and voltage regulator. The other items on the
welding
side I haven't fooled with a lot in my life, but think I could figure
out.

As with anything else, buying electrical testers and hooking them up is
usually a RTFM thing, and the troubleshooting chart shortens with
experience.

Just how hard is this? I know after a time there would be tests to do
when
considering buying one of these machines, and would develop a checklist.
I
was just wanting to bounce it off you guys and see if I'm heading down a
peaceful creek or towards the waterfalls.

Steve

the SA-200 is the Lincoln the pipeline guys go nuts over right? the
one with a generator instead of an alternator? and a true DC machine?

I can think of several places where being an SA-200 maintenance guy
with an SA-200 Rental unit/Loaner would be worth the weight of the
transformer in gold. You could charge a big premium if youre able to
offer essentially 0 downtime by bringing in a replacement welder. That
way they are NOT down a machine while you fix it and i'm sure thet
premium could easily be a $300 rental per day since they are still
making a lot of money off that welder not being out of service.

Idle People and missed deadlines and quotas are way more expensive
than paying a guy to fix the welder and bring in a loaner

Just a thought

Brent
Ottawa Caanda

Many here have given me ideas I didn't think of. Yours is one of them.
First thing is to get it running, and running right. I know that a welder
is only a boat anchor if it won't run and be reliable. So, I'll get the
right stuff from Continental and Lincoln and fix 'er up right.

That said, there are downsides to renting. I hate loaning stuff. I own two
vacation rentals where people occasionally amaze me with their carelessness,
stupidity, and indifference. Trouble is, you don't have control over who is
going to be using it, and if they are experienced. Yes, you can get a
$2,000 deposit, and if it's totaled, you get the $2,000. Then you have no
welder, and are off to find and rehab another, and have all the downtime in
between. Or, you spend a lot of time just keeping it running and fixing
stuff that others messed up, or tried to "adjust" because they didn't know
how to use it. The rental idea is still in my mind, but it may consist of
personal monitoring and scrutiny including watching during the work.

If everything goes right, it's a beautiful thing. Problem is, everything
doesn't always go right.

Steve