Welding MGA Frame

I have just purchased a 1961 MGA MKII and I need to repair the rusted
frame. I have done some arc welding in the past, but never on a car,
nor one with positive ground (if that makes a difference). There is
no battery in the car right now, so I don't have to worry about that.
Do I need to remove the gas tank? any other electronic components?

That model MG uses a points type ignition so there should be no
worries about damaging anything. You will get better results with a
MIG than with an arc welder. As for the tank... it takes only about 3
minutes to remove and if you are welding near it it won't hurt to
remove it. Remember a nearly empty tank is infinately more explosive
than a full tank. If you have a rusty frame then there is a good
chance you have a rusty or thin walled fuel tank. Removal will confirm
this and provide a chance to take it to a radiator shop to have it
boiled.

On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 09:09:57 -0400, Benj >
wrote:

>I have just purchased a 1961 MGA MKII and I need to repair the rusted
>frame. I have done some arc welding in the past, but never on a car,
>nor one with positive ground (if that makes a difference). There is
>no battery in the car right now, so I don't have to worry about that.
>Do I need to remove the gas tank? any other electronic components?

Thanks for the info. That answers all of my questions, but here are a
few more questions for a little more knowledge.

If it had an electronic ignition system, what should I do?

What will boiling the tank do for me? What should I expect to pay for
this?

On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 13:57:07 GMT, Riteous Right Reverend Mahmoud Bin
Changstein > wrote:

>That model MG uses a points type ignition so there should be no
>worries about damaging anything. You will get better results with a
>MIG than with an arc welder. As for the tank... it takes only about 3
>minutes to remove and if you are welding near it it won't hurt to
>remove it. Remember a nearly empty tank is infinately more explosive
>than a full tank. If you have a rusty frame then there is a good
>chance you have a rusty or thin walled fuel tank. Removal will confirm
>this and provide a chance to take it to a radiator shop to have it
>boiled.
>
>On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 09:09:57 -0400, Benj >
>wrote:
>
>>I have just purchased a 1961 MGA MKII and I need to repair the rusted
>>frame. I have done some arc welding in the past, but never on a car,
>>nor one with positive ground (if that makes a difference). There is
>>no battery in the car right now, so I don't have to worry about that.
>>Do I need to remove the gas tank? any other electronic components?

Benj wrote:
>
> What will boiling the tank do for me?

They don't actually boil it - they dip the tank in a hot caustic solution. This
removes any rust and cleans the metal pretty thoroughly.

> What should I expect to pay for this?

I just had the inside of a motorcycle tank done for $75.

George Patterson
God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the
good fortune to run into the ones I like, and the eyesight to tell the
difference.

If your ignition is either CDI or HEI you might want to remove the
control box, coil and or distributor cap/coil combo. Grounding the
vehicle chassis to a common electrical (AC or earth) ground point
should prevent any damage to any components.


On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 12:35:35 -0400, Benj >
wrote:

>Thanks for the info. That answers all of my questions, but here are a
>few more questions for a little more knowledge.
>
>If it had an electronic ignition system, what should I do?
>
>What will boiling the tank do for me? What should I expect to pay for
>this?
>
>On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 13:57:07 GMT, Riteous Right Reverend Mahmoud Bin
>Changstein > wrote:
>
>>That model MG uses a points type ignition so there should be no
>>worries about damaging anything. You will get better results with a
>>MIG than with an arc welder. As for the tank... it takes only about 3
>>minutes to remove and if you are welding near it it won't hurt to
>>remove it. Remember a nearly empty tank is infinately more explosive
>>than a full tank. If you have a rusty frame then there is a good
>>chance you have a rusty or thin walled fuel tank. Removal will confirm
>>this and provide a chance to take it to a radiator shop to have it
>>boiled.
>>
>>On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 09:09:57 -0400, Benj >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>I have just purchased a 1961 MGA MKII and I need to repair the rusted
>>>frame. I have done some arc welding in the past, but never on a car,
>>>nor one with positive ground (if that makes a difference). There is
>>>no battery in the car right now, so I don't have to worry about that.
>>>Do I need to remove the gas tank? any other electronic components?