Old Miller Big 40 Advice

[serfur1]

I'm looking at buying a 1976 Miller Big 40 with a red seal continental 4 cylindar engine. Unfortunately I haven't looked at it as it is about an hour from the house. A few questions -
The starter is dead, are starters readily available??
About how much $$??
Are other parts readily available??
The guy is asking $500, good deal??

It is on a trailer and that is included along with 100' leads. The machine is DC only, which is really all the stick that I do.

[kamhillbilly]

I have big 40 with same engine ,I think it is around 1984 or so paid $500 Canadian at sealed bid auction.It had afew parts missing and no cables.My starter seems to stick sometimes other than that and a dead spot on ring gear its been great.:drinkup:

[serfur1]

Is your Big 40 DC only and if it is, does it also double as an AC generator? If so, what is the output?

[Snidley]

The output for the generator will be around 3500 watts. You can probably download a owners/operation manuel from the Miller site.

Starter motors should still be available. After all alot of them are made by only a handfull of companies and your local supply/parts store should be a least fix you up with a generic or an updated starter. They just need to know the model number of the starter.

[kamhillbilly]

I phoned miller they sent me manual for the welder but it has no info on the gas engine,gave them serial # they told me the year and sent manual.

[kamhillbilly]

I have just learned that wisconson engine owns the rights to continental engines.

[serfur1]

Thanks Guys, with a few hours of internet search time, I have found out a bunch about the continental. I did find a manual on Miller's website and some other good info on some farm tractor sites. The starter for the F162/163 is L4334.

Does anyone know about the 7500 watt generator optional accessory. Is it just a junction box, some wire and instructions on how to hook up to the generator in a different way?

[kamhillbilly]

Did you find any manuals ,or parts books on the F162/163 .I was also woudering about the 7500 watt generator optional accessory.

[serfur1]

Look for a manual on the lincoln SA-200. Same engine, basically same welder. check these sites

http://content.lincolnelectric.com/pdfs/products/navigator/OBSO_IMS/IM142B.pdf

this one is the biggest help
http://content.lincolnelectric.com//pdfs/products/navigator/parts/P23.pdf

go here and type in sa-200 in the search block.
http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalog/lecooperatorsmanualsearch.asp

[Roy Hodges]

The"AUXILLARY elecrical output" of an SA200 lincoln is 5 amps D C ! It is rated at 200 amps output@60 %duty cycle (250 AMPS max) I own one,a 1954 hand crank model, that my dad bought new . the Miller big 40 may have same engine , but generator is totally different . The big 40 is rated at 300 amps @100 % duty cycle (400 max). I've always been told by the dealers that ONLY Lincoln was a true DC design. .. I have a Miller brochure that says big 40 comes with 3kva of 120 volt( 60cycle A C power .) That's around 15 amps of REAL power

[serfur1]

thanks for the clarification on the lincoln, before a few days ago, i know zero about either one. the miller converts the ac to dc by way of a few capacitors and a bridge diode.

hmmmm, if that's the case, then the miller should be able to be rigged for AC as well.

[kamhillbilly]

Thanks .....

[structweld1]

If you need parts for the engine you can also go to a tractor repair place. I bought my carb. kit and ignition kits from a tractor place. That engine was used in alot of tractors also. I think molines is one. I have a sa200 and I have the original manuals for it and it says that you can use up to 15 amps of aux. dc power. But the kicker is that that power is drawn through the same little circut board that controls the idler, so if you over load it you will damage that idle control.

[RobertDoubrava]

I ain't trying to hijack the thread here, but I heard that Hobart welders are also pure DC, no ac to dc converting but I might be wrong. The book to my Lincoln SAE300 says it can put out up to 1000 watts of 125V DC power at high idle since it has an oversize exciter. Just remember you can only run single-speed ac/dc tools like angle grinders and stuff, I was warned before I even ran power tools off of it. Anybody know if you can run lights off of DC current? I ain't sure and I don't wanna find out the wrong way!

[rvannatta]

I'm looking at buying a 1976 Miller Big 40 with a red seal continental 4 cylindar engine. Unfortunately I haven't looked at it as it is about an hour from the house. A few questions -
The starter is dead, are starters readily available??
About how much $$??
Are other parts readily available??
The guy is asking $500, good deal??

It is on a trailer and that is included along with 100' leads. The machine is DC only, which is really all the stick that I do.

they are decent welders. We own one of similar vintage. theh price is about right. we replaced ours this year with a new Linclon Vantage, but have fond feelings for the Big 40. The 4 cylinder gas engine is reliable
but the thing that was getting to ours more than anything is simplly age. It's been outside all its life and it is beginningn to take a toll. The wiring isn't as good as it might be. the auto idle down quit working because the linkage rusted up. the exhaust system was rusted off of it.

:waving:

[jhall]

I need a set of points & condenser for my Miller Big 40 welder with a red seal continental 4 cylinder engine. on the block it shows a 400, email me if you know or post here, jrh22@hotmail.com