Red face does it again!

[Welder Dave]

I have a 1961 Canadian built SA200 and needed to weld some hooks on my backhoe stabilizer's so I could chain them together to keep them from folding up when I took the backhoe off. Hadn't used the welder since last year so wasn't sure if it was going to require a bunch of fiddling around to get it started. Started my generator and hooked up a battery charger to the welder. Waited about 40 minutes and tried to start the welder. Cranked it for about 6 seconds with no choke so I wouldn't flood it. Didn't fire so I pulled the choke. Cranked about 3 seconds and heard it fire. Battery seemed to be losing a little power but I tried again and it started right up in about 3 seconds. I need to adjust the idler a little but it came down to idle and just purred. It has a muffler so is fairly quiet but you have to love those Continental engines. 60 years old and runs as good as it was new. The welder end isn't too shabby either. Nice smooth arc that is hard to beat even with new machines with all their fancy controls.

[old miner called Pop]

I have a 1961 Canadian built SA200 and needed to weld some hooks on my backhoe stabilizer's so I could chain them together to keep them from folding up when I took the backhoe off. Hadn't used the welder since last year so wasn't sure if it was going to require a bunch of fiddling around to get it started. Started my generator and hooked up a battery charger to the welder. Waited about 40 minutes and tried to start the welder. Cranked it for about 6 seconds with no choke so I wouldn't flood it. Didn't fire so I pulled the choke. Cranked about 3 seconds and heard it fire. Battery seemed to be losing a little power but I tried again and it started right up in about 3 seconds. I need to adjust the idler a little but it came down to idle and just purred. It has a muffler so is fairly quiet but you have to love those Continental engines. 60 years old and runs as good as it was new. The welder end isn't too shabby either. Nice smooth arc that is hard to beat even with new machines with all their fancy controls.

I had 2 of those old Lincolns with the Continental Motors, I bought 3 of them none of them worked. I rebuilt 2 of the motors and kept one for a backup and had the exciters checked and 2 of them had to be rewound so I had them rewound. The generator on the 3rd one was toast and woud have cost about 4300 to rewind, shucks I didnt have that much money to work with so I just kept the rest of the parts for spare parts. The only trouble I had doin it was figuring out how the magneto worked and how to time them, once that got figured out I was off to the races

So I put 2 of them back together and built my first rig using both of them to make sure they worked right and they did. I finished up the rig and put one of them on the truck and went to work with it. Wrapped up the spare in plastic and built a plywood box for the spare to keep the mice and other critters out of it.

I ran that thing hard out in the strippin pits for about 2 1/2 years, maybe I ran it too hard, Lots and lots of 1/4 and 3/16 7018 rods got burned with that old Pipeliner and it welded nice and smooth all day and night long. She liked her gas though and I loved the way that ol girl throttled up when I struck an arc. Then one night I saw a strange glow in the backside of my lens on my hood...she caught fire in the big armature and was toasted, only thing good was the exciter, how that survived I dont know i guess it didnt get hot.

Got home late that night and the next morning me and the neighbor took the first one off busted open the box unwrapped the 2nd one and put it on the rig...that night I went back out there and worked like a man on a mission and finished that bucket. She didnt miss a beat until 3 years later the bearing in the back left home and shorted evrything out.

I worked those pipeliners like a borrowed mule evry day and sometimes non stop til 3 or 4 days later, the only time I stopped was when I ran out of gas. So I would go to the truck stop get gas and breakfast or supper whatever time of day it was and go back up the mountain for another go around.

Then I bought an old Miller Big 40 that had a Continental motor just like the rest of them. 2 weeks later I bought the wire feeder I still use today, a jet arc outfit and a compressor. The only snivel I had with the Pipeliners was I couldnt run a wire feeder all day long like I could with the Miller and I was warned by Owen that jet arcin will burn up the Pipeliners.

I ran that Miller hard for about 6 years and it sat for a week or 2 when I ran out of work and the damn mice got in it and chewed up the wires and the varnish on the armature and was done for. There wasnt enough work at the time to justify buyin another welder so I took weld body off and we made a hilift coal delivery truck out of it and sold it.

But yeah those Continental motors were a beast, they lasted forever and I used to love to hear them snort when Id strike an arc. One time I was backgouging a hoe bucket out in the backyard with the Miller Big 40, my wife came out to see what all the commotion was about. She didnt quite know what to make of all this noise and why does that truck shake like that when it starts up? I told her the ol girl was having an orgasm....she just shook her head. I explained it to her later

[Welder Dave]

Some would scoff a bit at my SA200 because it has a muffler on it. The machines without mufflers are unmistakable, you could be 1/2 a block away and instantly recognize the sound of an SA200 with a Continental. I got mine for $500 and another $800 for a new carb and rebuilt mag. The $500 was because it didn't run. Knew it needed a carb but the mag seal leaked and filled the mag with oil. $1300 was still a great price for good running red face. I could probably double my money but it's sure nice to have a good welder when you need it.

[angelo c]

Folks. If you're having trouble with the mags on these old girls any small aircraft mechanic can set them up for you easy. Every piston cessna and Piper have two and are frequently needing fiddling.
Check airnav.com for your local A/P

[Lis2323]

My SA200s were both blackfaces. I only paid $1000 for the pair with cables. I probably spent a couple of days cleaning them up and tuning the engines.

Cleaned the fuel tanks, rebuilt the carbs and unstuck one valve.



I resold one for $2200 to recover my costs and the other is out on “permanent loan” with a good friend who uses it at his gold mining operation.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[old miner called Pop]

My SA200s were both blackfaces. I only paid $1000 for the pair with cables. I probably spent a couple of days cleaning them up and tuning the engines.

Cleaned the fuel tanks, rebuilt the carbs and unstuck one valve.



I resold one for $2200 to recover my costs and the other is out on “permanent loan” with a good friend who uses it at his gold mining operation.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Loan? Maybe ask the fella for a nugget or 2 now and then!!!

I enjoyed rebuilding those motors...simple to work on. Keep the oil up where it supposed to be the doggone things will run forever

[Welder Dave]

Have heard of some SA200's burning oil but still going at 20,000 hours! Lis2323's machines are green light machines. Not as desirable as the red face but still good machines.

[old miner called Pop]

Have heard of some SA200's burning oil but still going at 20,000 hours! Lis2323's machines are green light machines. Not as desirable as the red face but still good machines.

green light machines? Whats that?

Got to thinkin yesterday about when I was using the old Pipeliners up on the mountain. Down at the bottom of the mountain and not too far from town was the truck stop I used to eat at. The waitress once told me she always knew when I was up there they could hear the welder kick up when I would strike an arc. She told me she use to come outside for a smoke and she could see me up on the bank and the arc when I would be weldin.