QL cradle mod. question
 

Could you drill holes and bolt the steel across the mounts?

I don't have a welder or very easy access to one.
Thx.

You could get all the pieces together, take it to a professional welder, have it welded, and maybe pay $10.00.

If that's not an option, I'm sure you could pack it up and send it to another member. I suggest JeffinPA.

OK I was just checking. I'll keep looking around here. I have my steel ready and rails cleaned up.
Thx.

this is a good excuse to buy your first welder. If money is an issue, the $99 harbor freight wire fed welder will work OK. Find a few pieces of scrap metal to practice on. Watch a few you tube videos, and you can teach yourself to weld pretty quickly. Another choice is to find a used stick welder, though technique with a stick welder is a little more important.

If you want a decent welder for low cost, the Hobart Handler 140 MIG welder is a good place to start. get a tank of gas and you will be surprised how easy it is to lay a decent weld.

Learning how to weld is a lifetime skill that will pay off many times down the road.

Tim,
I would say to bring your cradle down here for a free weld job, but 65 miles might be a little far for you to drive.

As far as welders, I would suggest a 220V welder and using solid wire with gas if you buy one. The 110 welders are handy, but the weld capacity and the duty cycle is fairly low. Much nicer welds are obtainable with a Miller or Lincoln. I have a Hobart and my main complaint is that there are only 4 heat ranges, where a miller is infinitely variable and I'm sure a Lincoln would be too. Also, I don't care much for the auto set type welders. With the welders where you make the settings, you're in control instead of the welder.

What if you put a dime size spot of epoxy on the cross piece and clamped it to the engine cradle while it was bolted to the oil pan. Let it setup, unbolt it and gingerly take it to someone to weld. Then you don't have to lug your engine/oil pan to someone else. I've read people have good luck going to the local muffler shop during lunch and hand the guy $10. Just make sure to clean everything to bare metal where it will be welded, and don't use so much epoxy that it oozes out and contaminates the weld zone.

Caveat: welding can distort the metal, not having it bolted to the pan can allow the pieces to move ever so slightly during welding (actually during cooling). You may need to "tweak" the cradle assembly to get it back on the pan.

Bill

I ended up making a couple of the bolt holes in the cradle about 1/64" or 1/32" larger to make up for the distortion. I haven't noticed any negative effects from this so far. I even had the cradle bolted to the pan it was going on when I welded it. It has a lot to do with the direction of your first weld on each side and I screwed up when I did mine. The first welds need to be made in a direction that won't pull the parts out of alignment.

I would say it is imperative the the rails be bolted tightly to the pan or a jig so the bolt holes line up when the welding is finished.
Take the rails bolted to the oil pan to a welder and have it done.
Most muffler or welding shops would prolly do it for you on the cheep.
Heck, little jobs like that take more time to talk about, then to do.

Thanks all-

gdheck - Thanks - yeah too bad you're not a little closer, appreciate the offer tho.

I do have an extra oil pan because I had a small crack in an aluminum one. A cast iron pan should be here in a few days. But I can use the bad pan for a jig as I do these cradles.

cracked pan:
http://i1375.photobucket.com/albums/...psjrhbhlyx.jpg