Welding the center differential

[Thor06]

Hey all, I have the tranny out for a new clutch/flywheel and while its down I wanted to weld the center diff. I've mentally weighed the options and I'd rather deal with the negatives of a welded diff and be able to launch hard without worrying about it breaking than having to worry about it popping later.

I have read many a thread in the forums and the tech article by 4pistons, but I'm pretty good with torch welding and a monkey could MIG weld, and I would rather do it myself at my friends house than pay someone else to do it and wait while it gets done. So has anyone done it themselves? Has anyone had any of the parts crack on them while they are welding? What is this preheat and cool down process that should be followed to ensure its done right? Has anyone just done it themselves with no preheat or cool down processes with good results? What kind of welding should be done on it?

Thanks in advance guys.

 

[trick engine]

I have done it for my own car myself using my Tig welder .
It should be preheated and the gears need to be centered correctly or else the shafts will not slip in one welding is done and then the diff will not be usable.

 

[GSX_Dan]

I got the same question, I'm not very keen on paying someone $80 to get this done when I just spent $1000 on a MIG welder for my garage. Anyone know any specifics about the welding process? What temp should it be brought up to? Can this be accomplished with a kitchen oven? Can the bearings stay on while welding or do they get overheated? Any info would help. Thanks.