Bought a new to me Airco Dip/Stick 160 multiprocess welder

[Hondacivic247]

The new capacitors arrived today tmrw I'll put them in

[Hondacivic247]

Ordered the new contactor with the limit switch or whatever it's called. I noticed they did piggy back 2 wires on the limit switch to 1 of the 3 prongs. Should have it by the end of the week. Hopefully I'll be up and running.

[Hondacivic247]

The hvac guy came over and took a look at the wiring diagram and he said the way they have this wired is crazy, he's never seen anything like it. We both think the contactor is the issue he doesn't think it's the caps and told me to do the contactor and limit switch and if that doesn't work then replace the caps

[Hondacivic247]

Can anyoneasily who can read this wiring diagram tell me what way the capacitors should be as in polarity to the bus bar that connects to the rectifer bridge as seen in the picture. I really think I have them in correct but I don't understand if the diagram explains this

[Hondacivic247]

[Meltedmetal]

Standard convention is the straight bar is the positive. I don't know if the diagram follows that convention but it should.

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/reference/chpt-9/capacitor-types/

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-read-a-schematic/schematic-symbols-part-1

---Meltedmetal

[Aeronca41]

Correct. Note that the + side of the diode bridge to the left is wired to the straight side of the caps.

[Hondacivic247]

I followed the wire from my selector switch I labeled as many wires as I could so I'm not having to count to 21 as there's a total of 21 posts on the selector switch.

Theyou have a small transformer which runs to the to a bolt in the rectifer bridge which the diodes tails connect on along with a bank of 3 capacitors on the positive terminal which has a jumper wire over to the other Bank of 2 capacitors on the positive terminal. On the opposite side of the rectifier bridge they have one wireason that runs to the contactor which is hooked up to the tails of the diodes all on one bolt. Then I believe they have one wire connected on the bridge to the top coil on the main transformer, it gets confessing with the other 2 wires coming off the one side of the rectifier bridge as they go to the selector bUT they have them jumping 2 terminalstage together one some to different places in the machine.

The negative wire runs from the bank of 3 caps to the bank of 2 caps then up to the selector switch #4 terminal.

[Hondacivic247]

[Hondacivic247]

I did notice that the big piece of iron that goes around the large upper and lower copper windings gets warm when the machine is just running idle if anyone has any clues to that. I made sure all the wires on the selector switch were tight and in the correct spot which I knew they would be as I never messed with them and the machine worked fine until I had pulled the caps and tested the diodes. I noticed when I put the machine into dc positive or negative for stick welding it would arc at the selector switch along with the contactor

[Hondacivic247]

Can anyone tell me what the heck this thing does that has the orange caps? Or whatever they are I've looked around online and haven't been able to figure it out.

[Hondacivic247]

[Hondacivic247]

[Hondacivic247]

I seen something kinda like it called a full wave bridge rectifer ?

I think it is because I believe I have AC going into it and it puts dc out for the wire feed motor I'll have to track down where the wires are going to and from. I looked at my pictures looks like one wire goes to the limit switch on the side of the contactor and another wire runs to the rheostat they use for the wire speed and one orange or brown wire runs to the spot stich panel.

[Hondacivic247]

Figured out that the orange things are ceramic capacitors, thought I read they were some sort of diodes but deffintly not a diode. Now I just have to figure out what the specs are it's a Z5U OPL. Or OPI, 1kv