02GF74
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 02:39 PM |
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Clarke MIG wire feed problem
I've got a Clarke MIG Welder, don;t recall model but something like 150 E (look, I've only had it for 22 years!)
and it looks like there is some problem with the wire feed resulting in the wire welding it self to the copper nozzle.
When I press the trigger, sometimes the feed does not feed, other times it does. I wiggled the speed control knob and that seemed to help but is
still not 100% reliable. Also the weid thin is if I press one side of the switch in a certain way it seems to be more reliable but in all all cases I
hear the thump, guessing that may be some big relay or motor strying to start up and stall?
So anyone had this sort of problem? before I remove the cover for a look see.
Is iether the switch, motor relay or motor or something else?
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 02:43 PM |
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its the black plastic wire feed liner that the wire is pushed through. It will be all gummed up with crud. I changed mine last year, dead easy and if
you look you'll see loads on the web for sale. Took about 30mins to get the welder back to normal all for a few quid. The new machines got a
stainless metal one as standard 
don't force the machine till you've sorted it as you'll knacker the feed motor
how too linky for a SIP machine but their all the same
[Edited on 16/2/09 by Mr Whippy]
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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Howlor
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 03:02 PM |
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New shroud also helps as it loses it's plating, if it's done a lot of work then it's worth fitting a new torch liner and the wire
feed roller.
Steve
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Davey D
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 03:04 PM |
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As said above, the liner will be full of scale after all those years if its still using the original liner 
If you remove the liner, and there are no kinks in it you can always try blowing it out with an airline,then re-fit it and see if that sorts it.
also maybe worth checking the roller clamp pressure to see if the wire is slipping on there too?
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02GF74
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 03:07 PM |
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hmmm, i think it is electrical not mechanical problem.
surely if the wire was having trouble being fed then the motor would still run, with either the wire bunching up at the liner (yep, I 've had
that) or motor rollers slipping, but motor still running.
so if I remove the wire, the problem would go away if it is indeed the liner?
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 03:11 PM |
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if its the liner, then having no wire installed or releasing the tensioner should get the motor turning
though if motor doesn't turn then most likey the motors ghosted and you'll need a new one. You can put a meter across the motors supply
wires to see it it getting fed power. There's also a relay that switches the motor on and off, that might be faulty too.
[Edited on 16/2/09 by Mr Whippy]
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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stevebubs
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 03:16 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
hmmm, i think it is electrical not mechanical problem.
surely if the wire was having trouble being fed then the motor would still run, with either the wire bunching up at the liner (yep, I 've had
that) or motor rollers slipping, but motor still running.
so if I remove the wire, the problem would go away if it is indeed the liner?
Nope - slightest blockage can kick in the cut-out..
As mentioned in the previous post - try releasing the tensioner so the feed is working but not moving the wire...
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 05:14 PM |
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I have never heard of one of these Clark wire feed motors being stopped by an obstruction, they just keep grinding away relentlessly - either the wire
skids on the rollers or the wire bunches up and birdnests.
If the motor is stopping it has to be either
1, the motor
2, the wire speed controller
3, the microswitch in the torch handle
4, the wiring in between
My money is on number 3
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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zilspeed
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 05:39 PM |
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I have a 165E of a similar vintage.
If I don't use it for a few weeks, the speed control goes all huffy and unpredicatable.
Working it back and forward a few million times soon cleans it up.
It's a fairly standard component that I need to replace and the board is simple and hand soldered - no SMT technology here.
I would imagine that your machine is very similar to mine - the defect is exactly the same.
In my case, the liner - stainless steel - was absolutely fine.
[Edited on 16/2/09 by zilspeed]
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02GF74
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| posted on 17/2/09 at 08:30 AM |
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I think the last 2 posters are confirming what I am thinking.
Thinking back, I think I undid the clamp and pressed the torch switch and the problem still occured thus ruling out the liner problem.
I also held down the switch and wiggled the wire speed knob about and that seemed to help.
Wierd thing is that the problem seems to be dependent on how I press the switch, kinda hard to explain, but if I push on one side it it better than
pressing on the other.
guess next step to to peak inside the torch.
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Peteff
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| posted on 17/2/09 at 04:20 PM |
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The one we took to pieces at my mate's didn't have a micro switch, it was just a piece of springy metal to make the contact and once it
was bent it stopped working. He fitted a Euro torch conversion from welduk and it's transformed it into a different machine. It cost him about
£50 all in, he bought a torch on ebay for not much money but they seem to be around £40 now and the conversion is £36. If the wire speed control
potentiometer is gubbed it may be that causing your problem and should be easy enough to swap, it's on it's own little circuit board.
I'd try squirting some contact cleaner in it before anything else.
[Edited on 17/2/09 by Peteff]
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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02GF74
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| posted on 17/2/09 at 04:27 PM |
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springy striup of metal eh? no expenses spared I see.
I wonder what sort of current is being switched?
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Peteff
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| posted on 17/2/09 at 04:28 PM |
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The voltage is not very high in there, it's the amps that do the welding 
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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02GF74
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| posted on 17/2/09 at 04:31 PM |
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^^^ yeah, and the amps aren't gonna be that high surely as there has to be a relay.
my wondering is if there is a microswitch I can get from maplins to fit inside the space for a couple of quid.
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zilspeed
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| posted on 17/2/09 at 06:44 PM |
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It's just a bit of spring steel.
It can't go wrong.
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