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

[Hondacivic247]

Looks like the full wave bridge rectifier is pretty cheap so maybe I'll pick up a new one if I still have issues and I'll poke at mine tonight with the multimeter

[Aeronca41]

The orange things are not diodes. They are disc capacitors.

[Hondacivic247]

Yeah I edited my post before after I found out that's what they were, I'm having a issue decoding them tho.

Has a 2 in a circle then z5u then .01p, 1kv

[ryanjones2150]

It's a secret code from the illuminati....means your welder is chooched.

[Hondacivic247]

Lol it seems that way but I'm not giving up yet I'll make a few calls to places in the Web and have someone figure it out

[Hondacivic247]

I think I figured it out finally the day I took the diodes out and tested them when I had to put the 5 wires back onto the one bolt on the rectifier bridge the tail on the one diode was touching the body of the diode and caused it to melt to to the body.

I just pulled the diode out and am going to test it and if it works will be putting it back together and to see if it works and hopefully solve my issue

[Hondacivic247]

The diode checked out fine I fixed the wiring at the bolt and gave it a try the contactor still sparked and it ended up tripping the breaker.

[Hondacivic247]

If this welder isn't working by next Thursday I found a good deal on a Lincoln power mig 255xt he wants 1200 got him down to 1100 which is a fair deal for the welder being that it's less then 10 years old and it's the higher end power mig 250 with the extra features, it doesn't have a spool gun which is fine as I'm not planning on doing any aluminum anytime soon. There was also a Hobart iron man 230 for $1000 within driving distance that I sent the guy a message about but haven't herd back and for hundred more I would prefer the 255xt that has more options

So hopefully soon I'll have some sort of mig working.

[Hondacivic247]

Put the new contactor in and still nothing but arcing. So it's up on ebay as a part out and craigslist. I have the chance to get a mm250 or the power mig 255xt which I'm leaning towards because it can spray transfer there both a grand and the PM255 is half the drive

[H80N]

Put the new contactor in and still nothing but arcing. So it's up on ebay as a part out and craigslist. I have the chance to get a mm250 or the power mig 255xt which I'm leaning towards because it can spray transfer there both a grand and the PM255 is half the drive

FWIW.... the MillerMatic 250 can support spray arc just fine...
all you need is the proper shield gas thats formulated for spray... like 90/10..
(so can the MM200)

Hopefully somebody on Ebay can get something useful from your AIRCO 160

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Airco-dip-st...oAAOSwOVpXWtQZ

[ryanjones2150]

The descriptions says the contactor is arcing and may be the problem....but didn't you say that...you...changed the contactor....?<br />
<br />
$1,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
<br />
Eeeeeeee gads.

[Hondacivic247]

It clearly says in the description parts or not working. The new contactor I put in didn't have the correct limit switch on the side. I got a guy who is coming down from a few states away to pick it up for spare parts for his airco dip stick . I told him $300 which is fair as I paid 300 for the machine along with 320 for the new whip.

I did go and pick up my lincoln 255xt yesterday it was a 4 1/2 hr round trip to this farm in the middle of no where. The guy had bought it from Airgas and they inspected it and found lose wires and while they had it he has bought the 256 model.

He had the wrong contact tips in the gun and wondered why it was hard to weld with. They were a half inch to short so the stick out was a inch and quarter lol. I gave him $1100 and brought it home and cleaned it up along with dusting the case out.

[Hondacivic247]

[Hondacivic247]

This is a stupid question but I've only owned 1 other mig on the airco it only had 1 drive roller that was grooved the top roller was flat hardened steel.

My new power mig has 2 grooved rollers. One side said 0.045 the other 0.035, the side that has a smaller groove lists 0.045 and the larger groove list 0.035. Isn't 0.035 wire smaller then 0.045 ?

[Aeronca41]

Yes. I believe you will find that if you install the roller with the .035 label facing you, you will find the .035 groove is aligned with the end of the gun liner.