can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

from a freeze up.....sbc.....about an inch below the deck

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

yes it can be done but make sure you find someone that has done it before and is experiaced. have had it done have also used marine tex works great if preped right !

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

I had this happen to me once. I ended up freshening up that motor and going with another block anyway. I was told however that you have to be very careful with the heat to prevent cylinder wall distortion.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

I've seen one get welded once, with a stick welder. The guy put the bare block in his powdercoating oven and heated it up first. He said we was using a special rod also but I don't remember what kind it was.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

if it in the lifter galley or outer wall heat is not a problem because the water jacket acts a a air pocket insulating the cylinder from the heat depends on how deep you pockets are I am a big believer in doing it right the first time but have never had a problem with any block Ive had welded....don't think id do it on a 1200 sterling though if you get my drift.

but in a 15 yr old boat with a 350 in it thats another story

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

There are special electrodes to stick weld cast iron. BUT, you must heat the block up first or you could run into problems. A long time ago I worked in a machine shop, and we would get these castings in to finish machine. More than once one needed to be welded, and we always heated them in an oven before welding. See what it would cost to have a professional do it, and weigh that against replacing the block. SBC's are cheap (relatively speaking). Also, an inch below the deck could be problems because it seems close to the head bolts.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

Yes, it can be done by an experienced welder. What I mean by that is a guy that is experienced with cast iron. What you have to do is preheat the area around the weld. A tempurature stick is used to bring the metal up to the correct preheat. A special rod is used, usually one that has a high nickle content. One of the problems is to keep the crack from "running". Also, I have had good results with using a two part epoxy on cracks. The trick there is to be patent and be absolutly anal about following the directions on the product you are using. To fix a crack may take 3-4 days by applying thin coats of epoxy. Just don't let any smuck weld your block. He needs to have experience. Good Luck!

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

I've had good luck welding cast parts with 55% nickel rods. Preheat is absolutely necessary, as well as post heat to draw the heat away from the weld area gradually. I actually had the same problem with a motor I bought on e-bay that although rebuilt, there was a crack in the same spot you're talking about. I ground it with a disc grinder, cleaned with acetone, and used JB industroweld. $10 at autozone for enough to fix a dozen things. I had good luck with this repair on the small block. My dad, a long time automotive gearhead(since the early 50's) was very impressed with the repair as well. Sometimes, a quick fix can be a good, lasting repair if it is well thought out. BBB :drool:

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

Like Whiteknuckle said, the block has got to be heated (400-500 deg??) or at the very least the area surrounding the crack. Welding will cause the crack to grow if not preheated from the shock of intense heat. And the crack will need to be hit with a grinder to create a chamfer before welding.
Allowing the iron to cool slowly is important too. The iron will get very brittle and could break like glass.

I used to weld all types of metals. Cast iron was the only material that I had reservations about. I welded many cast iron electric motor housings. They all held up, but I was uncomfortable about doing it.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

I like BBB's "quick fix" but I also drill and tap the ends of the crack and along it at 3/4 to 1" increments (#10), insert the screws, grind flush, and stake. This stabilizes the surface and prevents re-cracking with temp. changes. Then epoxy it up. You can even texture the surface by pressing with a shop rag while the epoxy is setting up for a perfect cast iron appearance. Paint it and "only your hairdresser knows". --- Jer

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

I understand it can be done with a nickel rod.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

In the 90s before we went with alum blocks on our blown drag motors , we would die grind , mesh and apply Titanium Putty to our lifter galley in order to keep our #2 and 6 from busting loose from spring pressure /cam lift.
I would try Titanium putty if possible as an alternative to welding,that is what some of the the Caterpillar guy's use on the large cracks or holes in their diesel blocks. Good for 16000 lbs per sq inch as well as high heat. Good luck!!

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

Where can I get some of this Titanium Putty? I have a spare 454 mark4 that has a crack. Thought that I would junk pile it. Maybe I will have it fixed and somebody could use it. Found that 454 mark4 4 bolts are hard to come by in my area and just hate to junk it.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

Titanium putty is a high performance Epoxy , any commercial distributor should be able to order it.
I know there are various grades , some more resistant than others to heat,oil temps, etc. We paid $100.00 or so for a 1 lbs. container back in the 90s. I purchased ours locally,I don't remember our exact source. We still have a 7 year old spare short block that looks the same as the day we finished her, and that is after comming in constant contact with hot oil , fuel etc .

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

If you don't want to go the welding route and really are set on keeping your existing block, check out these people: www.castironrepair.com. They are in Buffalo, NY and I've been to their shop, pretty impressive what they can do. They repaired a cylinder head for me that was cast too thin under a valve spring seat and had broke through to the water jacket. It was about 1/16" wide and about 1 inch long. I didn't want to get a new set of heads as this was for a numbers matching car and this is why I went that route. The customer service is excellent too.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

Cast iron can be welded using either Manganese, or Stainless steel rods. But before begining to weld the material it must be preheated to at least 400 degrees in the large surounding area to prevent further cracking.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

Here is a link to AZ tools that is selling for $66.00. I remember a guy telling me he used this on the deck of a SBC and it held!? I can't verify his story. This said it only good to 350 F do you think there is enough of a safety margin there?
http://www.arizonatools.com/catalog/.../detail/16325/

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

and here was sone guys review of the product

"Have not used other brands, but I found the consistency of this putty to be quite firm, and hence easy to bridge a fairly large gap. It was straight forward to mix and apply, and appears to have bonded very well to an aluminum engine block that I was using it on."

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

I've seen freeze crack repair on blocks before. I had a freeze crack repaired on an old Delahaye engine. What they did was drill the ends of the cracks to keep them from running. Then the block was stripped and a thin slot was ground along the crack and the block was heated. After heating the crack was "silver soldered" .. This particular type of solder is more like "brazing" as it is gold in color... This was a repair in a water jacket. I don't know how structurally strong it was. But it worked for the water jacket.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

As far as welding goes----Their is a procedure called SPRAY WELDING that a competent machine shop should know about. Basically it uses a special oxy/acetylene torch with a built in hopper that sprays cast powder onto the already prepped crack after the block has been oven pre-heated. The results are a very professional, and the welded area is now stronger than the rest of the unrepaired areas. This method can repair anything from valve seats, combustion chambers, cast camshafts and even cast crankshafts.
If you do a search their are a few more ways to repair a cracked block (other than welding) that I have posted.

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

if you have to strip the motor down to heat the block for welding you might as well just replace the block......like a previous poster said.....sbc's are cheap

Re: can you weld a cast iron engine block???
 

I've had some cast iron axles welded by preheating them with a torch, then welded to the axle tubes before. Is that not an exceptable way and would not require disassembly?