MS 362 Muffler welding problem

[Saw Dr.]

The 311 and 391 use similar mufflers, but they are not stainless. Maybe you would be better off using a carbon steel muffler from one of those?

 

[sachsmo]

You are correct the fit is the key however I have bridged almost .075" with it. You have to be awfully patient to get it to do that so don't get in a hurry!

YUP!

 

[sachsmo]

Ever wonder why most muffs are furnace brazed?

 

[Homelite410]

Ever wonder why most muffs are furnace brazed?

So u got no slag on inside??

 

[sachsmo]

Other than a cheap ash crimp, was there any other practical way with the thin stuff they are made of?

 

[Homelite410]

Other than a cheap ash crimp, was there any other practical way with the thin stuff they are made of?

You have a point!! I like them mufflers that come apart!

 

[machinisttx]

Well son,

you need to split a few mufflers.

You will notice most are furnace brazed.

If'n I could afford gold wire I would!

I weld things far more critical than chainsaw mufflers. Soldering/brazing are not the same as welding, period.

 

[Homelite410]

I weld things far more critical than chainsaw mufflers. Soldering/brazing are not the same as welding, period.

Yes........ brazing is like gluing. I do not have a tig so it works great for me!!

 

[Nate66n1]

Can't really beat a nice stainless tig weld, nothin like seeing a stack of dimes along the edges lol

 

[sachsmo]

I weld things far more critical than chainsaw mufflers. Soldering/brazing are not the same as welding, period.

No one said they were the same.

You be a machinist, just put screws in them eh?

As far as I know, it's not possible to weld stainless with O/A. The burning fuel introduces too many impurities. Needs to be done with TIG, MIG, or stick...tig is easiest.

 

[firebrick43]

It is quite possible to weld stainless steel(oxy/mapp or oxy/Acetylene), aluminum(oxy/hydrogen), and even titanium(never done it but the russians did it all the time) with oxy/fuel torches. How do you think they welded before the TIG was invented following WW2? The burning of the fuels if adjusted right protects the weld pool from impurities along with the flux. If the balance of oxygen to your fuel is wrong in either way it will burn the steel (to much oxygen) or introduce carbon(to much fuel) although its ok to be just slightly reducing(to much fuel) but just ever so slightly. you adjust the flame by looking through a shaded lens(you can no see it correctly with no shade) A green #5 lens for steel and a colbalt blue lens for aluminum

For stainless there is a special flux from harris that you mix with alcohol into a paste and brush it on. That being said I much prefer tig as you don't have to get the flux off after your done. Its looks like obsidian and needs nitric acid to remove, nasty stuff.

Also, yes, brazing is not welding. However in many applications if used right it is better than welding. Some of the finest chrome moly bicycle frames where brazed but needed lugs used when doing so. Brazing has actually more tensile strength than all but the most exotic of steels. However as someone mentioned its nothing more than glue, really strong glue but a, heat resistant glue. The joint needs to be nearly perfect and is much better if it over laps instead of a butt joint. Applied right it is as strong or stronger than fusion welding. That all being said I would more than likely weld a pipe on to my muffler now, only because I have a Syncrowave tig in my shop. But 15 years ago I would of happily brazed one on with my meco midget oxy/fuel torch.

Do you know that most current cars have large joints literally glued together? Stronger than a spot weld and keeps corrosion out of the joint better to boot.

 

[rocketnorton]

good post...

 

[nmurph]

Here's a 261/262 deflector that I slit and pried up so I could enlarge the opening inside the can. Brazing (this one brass- not as neat to work with as silver, but a heck of a lot cheaper) works very well for mufflers. I have not done it on SS, but I haven't seen an SS CS muffler.

 

[sachsmo]

The real beauty of silver alloy is it's ability to stick to carbon steel as well as many other non-ferrous metals. (stainless, copper, brass, nickle, chrome etc)
Like I said previously,"If'n I could afford to use gold, I would sure give it a try".




Using silver really isn't that expensive, a couple ounces go a long way.

Sure a tig is pretty much the holy grail for welding on chainsaws, but we all don't have the luxury of owning one (nor the skill,,,,,,,,,YET)

 

[nmurph]

I have silver solder but use the brass bc of the cost difference.

 

[Homelite410]

I have silver solder but use the brass bc of the cost difference.

I pay 1.10 an oz.

 

[nmurph]

The last tube I bought (no idea of the wt.) was $50-ish. I think it had 5-6 sticks. A tube of brass rod was about $15 and had about 15 sticks. I agree that the silver is easier to use, but I don't have a problem with the brass, it just takes a little more heat.

 

[Mastermind]

I use silver braze on stainless mufflers. I'm still not great at it......but I am improving.

 

[sachsmo]

Yupper!

A Friend here once told me, "The best Teachers are also lifelong students"


Thanks 041!

 

[sachsmo]