help with old buzz box

[TXTrailerdaddy]

I have a Montgomery Wards 250 amp AC/DC buzz box that my dad bought in the early 70's. Aside from being generic and having those infuriatingly short welding cables, it has always performed well. However, I fired it up the other night and it was awfully quiet. It would still strike an arc just fine, but with the fan not working I know that it has no ability to cool the coils. I remember my dad saying that the internals were made by Lincoln, but who knows if that was salesman talk. I need a new fan and am looking for a place to start. I suppose I could go to Grainger for a new fan, but just thought I would ask for input.

[Timinmb]

Its likely a 220 volt fan, as the wiring to a typical welder contains two live legs and a ground, not a neutral for a 110 return path. Make sure you get the right fan. Maybe lincoln, maybe century? Can you describe it, maybe someone here can identify it. How do you control the amperage?

[MAC702]

In a worst case (or simple, depending on hos you want to look at it), you can accomplish quite a bit by something made famous by...Mickey Mouse. In other words, gat a cheap, 120V fan, either from Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, or cannibalizing something else, and either put it inside the case of your welder or attach to the vents to draw the air through them. It may work just as well as the original design.

Of course, if you can easily make it original, that is a good way to go, but don't be afraid to think outside the welder's box. You would just need to run another power cord to it to run the fan.

[TXTrailerdaddy]

It has a bar that slides up and down for the amperage in the middle. Other than that, the locking mechanism, power switch, and 4 quick connects (2 for AC 2 for DC) for cables, there is nothing remarkable about it. I have an old squirrel cage fan, but this thing is so bulky to move around as it is. I should get longer cables, but I had more power cord than welding cable so I just move the welder with a dolly as needed. I can't believe the fan quit, because it never gave any indication of problems. No squeeling or anything. The machine really doesn't have too much time on it, it has sat in the garage unused for years. I just recently started using it again. I'm planning on getting a new Miller 250NT so I thought about getting rid of it and getting a nice mig for the shop, but I probably can't get too much for it.

[RobertTX]

Not unlikely that the old fan just has dirty/tight/rusty or ? bearings from sitting up so long. Unplug the unit, take the cover off, and spin the fan by hand. Try a little WD 40 sprayed around the bearings and se if it frees up any.

[slowrev]

another possibility is that the fan is 120V and you have lost your neutral lead connection somewhere. Not a good thing as this is also your case ground on most of the older machines.

[TXTrailerdaddy]

Fan is 220v. Spins freely with no grinding or looseness that I can feel. It is as if a fuse popped, but there isn't one and nothing appears burned. It was connected. I have since pulled it out. I am going to take it up to the welding supply place tomorrow and see if they can match it up with something. Thanks for all the help!