welding a CVT variator
 

"chipped off and didn't bend" sounds like the cast aluminum (756, an
"old" alloy, similar to A356-T61) bogie wheels on Cushman Tracksters.
The tensile strength of alumimum alloys varies widely and I'd guess that
your application requires a fairly specialized CASTIING alloy if it is
alumimum. Maybe ask your welding supplier for advice. Even bring the
part to them and ask for help.
We have had good luck welding repair parts onto those bogie wheels
(in the past, now we cast new ones) with a mig welder set up for it.
Sorry, but I don't remember the wire number.
If you do succeed in welding it up, you may defeat the heat treatment
the part may have originally gotten.
For some reason, heat treatment of aluminum just doesn't stick in my
brain. I have to relearn it from scratch every time it is an issue.
Give my good old iron-alloys any day for that.

Pete Stanaitis
-------------------------------

wrote:

I have a variator from the CVT of a scooter and a part of it got
chipped off. I tried AC TIG welding it but i can't seem to make a
decent weld puddle.

I tried welding on a sample piece of aluminum sheet and my weld seems
to be fine on that one.

I don't know what's wrong but I was thinking maybe the variator isn't
aluminum since the piece just chipped off and didn't bend. But then a
very small portion of the aluminum rod did fuse to the variator.

Can aluminum be brittle like iron?


I tried sticking a magnet onto it but it's not magnetic.