Hello! I got a v8'60 with some cracks on the side of the block and one up in the deck surface... I have done some research on Google and here on the hamb. I seen guy repair blocks by welding, epoxi, pinning and even some kind of sealer. I need your advice on my block and if it whorth trying to repair?? I know the best is to get a "new" block and use the old to build i Nice coffetable or ancor my boat to. But v8-60 arent easy to find here in Sweden. The one i got is complete with everything and turns easy and freely Got a complete gearbox to! Cheers Rasmus
I have seen cast iron repairs made by welding. It's not easy to find someone who can and will do that without costing an arm and a leg. None of the other methods will work on your block. And welding may not work. Good luck.
if that is the only cracks?...then I'd find the "right guy" in your area. It is repairable from what I can see...especially worth the effort in Sweden. Here in the USA, we might replace rather than repair. .
It appears to have froze and then broke, not cracked. It could possibly be welded by an experienced welder familiar with welding cast iron. I would complete dis-assembly and checking before going any further including magna flux check for any un-seen cracks, there probably are some more.
I have welded up pumps cracked more than that . Put in a bed of sand and heat to 400 degree F groove out crack, gently pull or push into place as much as you can , use nickel rod for cast iron [ask at welding supply co. what to use] go slow about 1/2 inch at a time skipping around cooling in between welds . You have nothing to lose at this point.
I have machined blocks that were welded with a electric welder and nickle rod. Didn't like it. The weld had hard spots in it and small bubbles. I have cut two that were welded using an Oxy- Acetylene torch and powdered iron or a cast iron stick. Just like cutting new metal. Needless to say I liked the gas torch better.
Rockmount and Eutectic both make excellent tig rods for cast iron repair. Probably others do to, but I have used their products. They are easy to use, but expensive. Tig has the advantage of slowly heating a large area before melting instead of the rapid expansion and contraction from a stick weld. Many times you don't even need pre or post heat, although slow cooling is always a good idea. Find an experienced tig weldor and that is an easy repair. Easy access and all superficial, water would only leak to the outside, not into the oil pan from this break. If that's the only break you're in good shape.
I've also sometimes (in a pinch) had success tig welding with high nickel content stick welding rods after knocking off the flux with a hammer and buffing remains away with a wire wheel. Some work, some don't.
Yeah u dont ser that here !!! I agree that it seems hard to repair it and the best solution is a New block. Will show it to a Local welder and a machineist too. Like some of you said, i could be more cracks in side...
I can appreciate your delima. It is most likely repairable but may end up being cost prohibitive if you cannot find a welder will to take the job. That is very intimidating to most welders, at least in my area it would be. My father has repaired several castings when local welders were afraid to take on the work and they wouldn't guarantee it. Still never had a failure. Helped that he was a welder for a few years before. My grandfather was a former tool and die maker at GM for 20? years. When he worked there he had access to internal papers on iron casting repair and what not. Anyway, a few of the copies he made, he kept and gave copies of those copies to me. If I find them, I'll post them. Really the biggest thing is preheat and post heat of the weld. You want the heat even before and during the weld, crack vee'd for best penetration, and slowly cool the weld as it can be like glass after it's blown. Depends on the casting, they can vary greatly. Optimally, the work would be done in a furnace. NHRA racer named Sissel originally furnace welded a pair of sb Chevy heads together for his inline six and was very successful. Same guy is still building parts I believe but his parts are now way beyond welded together cylinder heads today. I'd probably check about the feasibility and cost of getting the block welded first, then have a machinist magnaflux to see that there aren't any additional hidden cracks. If there are any more cracks, I would definitely just look for a replacement block.
I have come across what people call "cold welding" whit no preheat or "hot welding" with preheat. What method would Most likley be the best? A old guy told me today that i should weld it whit old piston rings as filler material ?
Nobody knows the metal content of old piston rings. Really old ones were probably cast iron, but what cast iron? Not a good idea, I think. Find a good weldor and see what he says. Tig preferably. I've been around a lot of blocks busted by freezing over the years and luckily they all cracked to the outside. Must be thinnest there on most engines. With luck yours will only be cracked on the outside too.
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