Delay starting problems with an old Cybertig 300

[94cobra2615]

Hi all. This is my first post.

I've recently been having problems getting the tig to activate.

I have the top and front panel slid out of it to try and diagnose the problem. Single phase unit.

Here is what happens:

I activate the foot pedal and a relay in the front pull out panel clicks, but nothing shows on the guages and you can't strike an arc.

It works and welds but there is a delay. I timed it to about 10 seconds. After 10 seconds (after pedal is depressed and held) a loud solenoid clicks from the center panel inside......under where the power is tied into the unit from the breaker box. After the solenoid noise the guages come alive and you can weld

It gets really annoying cause you have to wait everytime the pedal is released and then pressed again. It just started doing this.

Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks.

[tailshaft56]

Is there a pre-flow adjustment? If it's a fixed value something has changed If it's fixed and operated by a time delay relay, well, that's your problem.

[94cobra2615]

Thanks for the reply.

It just started doing this. The only thing I messed with were the points for the High Frequency this past week. It wasn't working so I took the points out and sanded them. I then gapped them to .005". The high frequency works now. I wouldn't think that would affect it??

When talking of pre-flow are you talking about a purge for gas? The argon is plumbed straight to the tig torch. The torch has a twist valve to turn the gas flow on/off.

The machine is capable of running the gas through it as well as water.

I could get pics of the machine if it would help out.

It is a great machine. We've had it for years.

[old fart]

There are several different programme drawers available for this unit( the big white panel on front) The most basic one called the 100 series had a optional gas prefolw ajustment on the left side about 1/2 way up form the bottom. This turns on the gas valve and holds the arc off until it times out. Running the gas direct from the bottle regulator to the torch will have no effect on this process. If you can tell what drawer you have I can tell you where this knob is.
O.F.

[94cobra2615]

Fixed it. That's exactly what it was Old Fart. Kids must have been playing with the knobs.

BTW, it's a 300 series.