Lincoln SA-250-3.152 Perkins Diesel-what you need to know!
When I am asked about the Lincoln SA-250-3.125, I tell my customers. You can keep it for the rest of your life. If you have put another $10,000 in the machine, it's worth it! What would you replace it with that doesn't cost $25,000? Repair and upgrade it, you can get an extra 40 to 50 years of life, and you have an investment!
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The Perkins 3.152 engine is no longer manufactured (thank you, EPA). It went on the market around 1959, and I have been told that 3.5 million units were produced. Any diesel mechanic can work on it; the injector pump and injectors are available new and or easy to rebuild. The welder part is an SA200 on steroids, simple and reliable.
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Lincoln has obsoleted almost everything on the machine, but the aftermarket has picked up on the slack, and our rewound armatures and coils are superior ot Lincoln OEMs.
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The machine's major drawback is its footprint: it's larger than an SA-200, but it can be fitted into an SA-200 frame. It's a pain in the ass, but those who have had it done seem to be very happy with the conversion.
How to make it last?
There isn't much you can do to upgrade the machine; Lincoln did an excellent job engineering it. The manufacturing of the machine is another story. This machine suffers from many of the manufacturing shortcuts, such as the SA-200—paper insulation in the coils. Obsoleted parts, little or no technical help, welcome to Lincoln Electric.
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As long as it is running and welding, keep going. Due to your engine maintenance, I recommend Rotella motor oil. It's cheap, and you can find it at most Walmarts. Use name-brand filters and keep an eye out for leaks, anything that gets hot, or smells burnt. Anything that seems funky, have it checked out. This is where we can help you. Call or email us with your questions. ​
1. The #1 failure we see is the Lincoln Shunt Coils (FJW5-AG For codes below and FJW5-AS for codes; 10073, 10073CV, adn 1004. As of this post, Lincoln has obsoleted both. Both are available here at Weldmart (10-year warranty).
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Weldmart Shunt coils below Code number 9605
Weldmart Shunt coils for code numbers; 10073, 10073 CV and 10074
Aftermarket Lincoln-style shunt coils. paper insulation with copper-clad aluminum wire. Cheap !!!!!!!!
2. The second most common failure is the AC exciter housing. This component contains the AC exciter winding, the brush rack, and the main brushes. Most of the failures occur in the windings. Lincoln Electric has obsoleted this part as of this writing. We offer rewound exciter frames (2-year warranty), but we need your core. All copper windings, epoxy-coated.
3. It's rare, but you do see main armature failures in the SA-250-3.152. Some of these machines are now 46 years old! In our opinion, Lincoln Electric produced a very cheap armature. The armature lamination core is the same for the SA200, SA250, Classic 1, 2, 3, and Classic 300D. Lincoln would use thinner ribbons (there is no copper wire; the conductors are rectangular in cross-section, just thicker or thinner). Very good engineering! All Weldmart rewound armatures are 300 amp units. We have never had any warranty claims or reorted failures with our rewound armatures. We will need your core and will pay return ground freight to any normal continental US mailing address.
Note: The armature pictured above does not have the final coat of Red epoxy.
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