Welding Cast Iron At Home With Basic Equipment - What You Can Get Away With And What You Can't

Most people consider welding cast iron to be taboo, or a black art, but in certain situations not only can it be done successfully, but it doesn't require any special equipment or preparation. Here's a few examples of cold welded cast iron and what you need to know to start perfecting this skill on your own.
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[@tabbott429]

confused... what makes a guy welding for 40 years choose a cheap harbor freight 110V welder as his go to welder for the shop?

[@UncleTonysGarage]

It does everything I need it to do. It also represents what the least affluent of our viewers can afford and can work with. If I worked with aluminum or chromoly or had to do high volume or precision work, I would have the equipment to suit those needs.

[@jaredhammonds8255]

For the rest of us

[@chrishensley6745]

@@UncleTonysGarage Amen

[@DoktorJeep]

Here's a little secret: the best guys don't need the best to be good. I knew divemaster with SEAL credential using cheap gear so they don't have to worry about wrecking or losing it. I have seen guys who off-road with 2WD trucks because they knew how not to get stuck in the first place. And if you are good enough at welding, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on the best gear that you might use once in a while.

[@AlienLivesMatter]

Any slow fool can buy a fast bike. A true expert can outperform on lesser equipment.

[@jlewis8060]

I worked as a full time welder for several years and several of those were in the drilling industry. I did a lot of cast iron repair with a MIG welder fixing cracks, broken parts, doing buildup, and fabricating tooling. Surface prep, preheat, narrow beads no longer than 2", hit it with a needle descaler immediately, move to a different area and repeat. The cast iron will not contract at the same rate the weld metal will as it cools, running the descaler over the weld immediately after welding stress relieves the weld metal otherwise as it cools the toes of the bead pull away from the base metal. I have literally spent days and days with a MIG gun in one hand and a descaler in the other doing successful cast iron repairs this way. Good video and thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us.

[@kellynull7099]

If you can't weld then braze it. You will be surprised how well brazing works.

[@keegenm.6154]

Brazing holds great... below 700 degrees. With exhaust manifolds you never really know what's gonna happen

[@anteneupitra]

you can weld iron cast engine blocks

[@EffequalsMA]

Field repairs out in the bush usually braze busted cast iron parts. Surprisingly effective.

[@yeahitskimmel]

My Dad only had brazing stuff no welder when I was growing up, fixed quite a few things I thought were done for

[@michaelgarrow3239]

@@yeahitskimmel - you can weld with Ox-acetylene.

[@jakemichael8586]

@@michaelgarrow3239 yes you can do ANY thing with Ox-acetylene. from soldering, to brazing, to welding! and cutting and heating!

[@smncutler]

Brazing is the way.

[@roadrunner4404]

I'm a welder for 30 years and I hv successfully repaired a few broken cast iron tractor parts. Also a few failures. Until today I didnt realize the successes were the ones completely broken in pieces n the others had cracks only. Great tip. Preheat and post heat control sure made a difference too

[@anteneupitra]

If you know what your doing you will never have any problem...in welding cast iron

[@anteneupitra]

had a friend he enver heated anything...

[@toecutterjenkins]

My grandfather was a welder in the Bronx; he was one of a few who could weld cast iron. My dad said he would start a fire in a drum and heat the parts up before welding. This was back in the 60 and 70s.

[@edge2sword186]

I knew a guy that dropped an intake valve in a 351 C on his new 1971 Mach 1 , The FORD dealer had pistons and rods available but no heads anywhere . He stick welded the seat and ground it like new and drove it and I had a set of BOSS 302 heads I ported and the owner never came for them so I let him take them and modify the cooling passages to work on his 351C so he added roller rockers and titanium valves and never looked back . This guy was the most gifted car genius I ever knew and he seemed like he could repair anything racers and mechanics brought him cars they could not fix he repaired every one like it was nothing .

[@Z_732]

Biggest tips to cast.. aside from the obvious. If it's a crack, drill through at end of crack before you start, then, welding only a little at a time, be patient. After a short bead 1 inch max depending on the thickness of the material. My best results have been a slag hammer. Peen the holy tar out of it while it cools to help relieve the stress of shrinking.. that's a good start for most people. Yes I've welded multiple items that were cast, and yes as far as I know they are still holding. If at all possible, do them in the flat position as well.. 😉

[@MoparMan-ff8fb]

you can weld cast iron even with a mig welder BUT you have to heat up the area you are repairing red hot and use borax as a flux then cover the area you repaired with a heavy layer of dry sand and shipping blankets so the repair slowly cools and it will work . my dad took classes on blacksmithing

[@iannorton4463]

I do it every week without all of the extras you mentioned mate. Sometimes I only use the heat created by the job itself and no external torches etc. I suppose its all down to experience. ✌️

[@Sak-zo1ui]

Heat is a necessity but no need for all the other stuff ALTHOUGH they dont hurt.

[@AtZero138]

🤘👀🇺🇲

[@amosmoses9247]

If you NEED to weld cast and dont have perfect conditions or equipment, it can still be done. I've tempered more cast iron post-welding with fire blankets than with sand. I've also used more garnet than sand because the garnet usually has less moisture. At least it does before you put it in the waterjet.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525]

Well explained. Except for just heating up on area. Why not just bake it in the oven to heat up the whole exhaust manifold for example? If you don't have a forge to heat it in. Now I'm actually saying that and all honesty as a way of doing it. I'll watch my dad do it and he did it for 50 years. Welding all types of material. Using different types of welders. But we actually have in the shop today even that same old pink stove that some Mary's Aunt Sue used for baking oversized cakes. Whatever the lady's name may have been. Customers would actually pull up a chair sit there and watch it through the window of the oven door. Part of my job was to make sure as he got hotter later stop looking or put on some goggles. You know hadn't thought about those goggles and customers watching it in a long time. Amazing what you miss after it's gone.

[@joshandnissa]

I did a decade in an exhaust shop. I welded a lot of exhaust manifolds with a mig. If I could weld them on the car I would run it until it was hot. weld it and start it again and leave it run a while. Worked almost always.

[@amosmoses9247]

Nice trick. I'm stealing that!

[@oldblueaccord2629]

Yeah they heat even on the engine,great trick.

[@dalesakawsky7309]

I have welded engine blocks with a 110-volt arc welder with Nirod very successfully .

[@snoopy5736]

Offerup special

[@davenorman8251]

To repair an exhaust manifold use a gas bbq remove the plate and place the manifold on the gravel heat it til orange,stick weld with weldall or high nickel rods there are a few different good ones.After welding cool the manifold by turning the bbq down a little every 10 minutes for about an hour and your done.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525]

Do you saute the cast iron pot first? Or just flip it over in between and and barbecue sauce? Seriously what an excellent idea for a small part! We heard all kinds of things when we would bake it in the oven up in the shop. But what we calmly heard was when they came back, was wow that really worked! Yeah my dad used to bake them in an old oversized homestyle baking oven. Nice thing was I can boil hot dogs on the burners while we worked in the shop. Hey to a kid that was fun.

[@jakemichael8586]

can use a stainless rod as it has a bit of nickel in it. oxy fuel welding is best as it keeps the heat to a more controlled level. and yes to pre heat.

[@kellynull7099]

Cast iron and cast steel there's a art to it. Preheat 300 to 500 degrees. Every 1 inch of weld you got to ping it for expansion. It keeps it from cracking around the weld.

[@bcubed72]

Don't you generally use nickel rod, too? (When arc welding, obv.)

[@bobpallang151]

@@bcubed72 or you braze it with bronze.

[@kellynull7099]

@@bcubed72 absolutely you can. Seen it used Alot on moter shafts. It's softer making it ideal for machining.

[@kellynull7099]

@@bobpallang151 alot of people don't realize how durable it truly is.

[@johndoe43]

Cast steel is usually very walkable. Preheat and then weld with 7018 or mig. Doesn't hurt to bury in sand to let cool overnight. The trick here is too determine that it is actually cast steel. Spark test helps here

[@rudiwendt5278]

I'm not a mechanic I'm a parts changer and I learn something everytime I come on this channel. I like this guy for sharing his knowledge. BTW, Uncle Tony you're absolutely right when it comes to welding cast iron. My first factory job was welding the largest coal mining machines in the world for Bucyrus Erie. The castings I welded on were 8 inches thick. The shift before me started to heat the casting up to at least 400 to 800 degrees. They had a crayon that would melt to let them know if it was hot enough to weld. I was welding the front teeth of the bucket. What a hot crappy shop. Took two 8 hr. shifts to finish. Then grind smooth and get tested for inside cracks. I hated that job in the summer. Thanks for all your knowledge in the mechanical world.

[@greasygarage9111]

Spent a handful of years brazing in a propeller shop working with bronze and experimenting with different metals. Gas welding is definitely under appreciated nowadays and an art of its own.

[@charlestimmons604]

Oxy gas welding is very hard, I took welding in high school shop class and that's what we started with. I sucked as a kid and haven't re visited as an adult.

[@scotcoon1186]

@@charlestimmons604 I learned in 9th grade in metal shop. Took right to it. TIG, on the other hand... can't keep the tungsten out of the pool. I once welded a locking headgate shut with a cutting tip after a heifer got her head wedged in beside a post.

[@derweibhai]

Your tips are like gold to a garage mechanic. Thank you!

[@briane.5656]

Thanks Tony. Not sure I'll need this any time soon, but I just got started welding earlier this year (at the grand old age of 56), repairing rusted out rockers and floors, and looking for opportunities to get better at it.

[@starcloakstarside9719]

Affirmative. I TIG Welded block braces into my 302 motor to reinforce it for my 1,000 horsepower build. Now I don’t take my fuel-charge burn over 75°ATDC-C, but it’s still insurance. Tony is right on this.

[@jonathangehman4005]

You cleared up a mystery I've been wondering about for 40 years, how come some guys could weld up a manifold and some guys couldn't. Gotta' give this a try

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525]

Look through some of the replies and comments about how to heat it and bring the heat slowly back down. My dad used an oven. Other guys a flaming pit and one guy used a barbecue pit modified. All examples of American ingenuity at its best. I probably should have taken time to pick up welding skills.

[@Chris-zm7wh]

Pre Heat and prep is the key to this

[@CODA-Improvements]

I’ve never been hesitant to do something I may learn a new skill from . Though, after using flux core for years, I’m hooked on MIG now.

[@gearbender427]

So happy you did this video, thanks.

[@theshed8802]

Great video Tony. I used to build a lot of Cleveland's, and my go too solution for disabling the heat crossover was a cartridge of acetic cure silicone. I was never shy filling the passage, up to about 1/2 it's length. Had several motors with over 100k miles on them and never had a problem.

[@evengineering7136]

excellent information. Thanks!

[@stevejanejamesjassteph5903]

Great information. Thanks for sharing what you learned Tony

[@matthewmoilanen787]

Been adding weld material to 351M Ford combustion chambers to replicate an Aussie head with small ports and small chamber for years and it works great. This is a trick that has been used successfully often. Nice job Tony!!!!!

[@michaelmartinez1345]

This is a good episode on repairing/modifying castings, particular iron... There is a rod available with a high nickel content made specifically for cast iron... When castings are welded, particularly cracks in areas where lots of carbon & oil is at, do everything possible to get that carbon & oil out... Then 'V' groove the area to be welded, to increase the size (width) of the bead... Clean the area that will be electrically grounded. Pre- heat the area to be welded to just below it's critical temperature and bolt it to a fixture whenever possible, to maintain it's original shape.... Let the part cool in a slower way to reduce internal stress...

[@jozefbubez6116]

Great! Your explanation is most clear. Keep up the good work!

[@arthurrose6473]

Excellent approach for teaching difficult welding (cast iron gave me fits UNTIL I realized what you said about can't crack weld but CAN weld one piece to another.

[@GuestInvitado-gd3bi]

Thanks for the tips.👍

[@rescuedandrestoredgarage]

Great video brother the information is awesome. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and knowledge 🙏

[@Moparornocar]

I wanna see a how to and tips and trick on oxygen acetalyn welding

[@DoktorJeep]

"Tony says you can't do it at home" * watches video out of Pakistan of blocks, cams, cranks, and heads being repaired and put back in service... "I can do eeeeeeet!"

[@midnightrunner684]

M.A.G.A

[@RushKid211]

Thank you so much!!!! You answered my question perfectly.

[@slendy3864]

I'm not a guy who subs to alot of channels but your channel was a no brainer for anyone who has a bit of experience workings on carburated motors and tends to spend a few more hours in the shop then the Mrs would like. Its geat to throw on a video n crack the Haynes manual and know I can figure it out.

[@tomhanauer6919]

Thanks for that. I had been considering cutting and shutting a pair of cast hub carriers, but been discouraged by all the info saying impossible to weld cast. Hilighting the difference between repair and modification gives me enough hope to look at the project again.

[@MATTNKYSPEED]

Hey uncle Tony I’ve been a welder my entire life i totally understand and respect you for saying leave this welding to professionals ! “The type of welder doesn’t matter if you don’t know the the process “ But the first manifold crack I fixed was with braising but hey i think I lucked out !

[@hunnybunnysheavymetalmusic6542]

Much of what you say I can vouch for from experience.

[@stevesadusky8634]

Good tip Uncle T.👍

[@bobwebber6484]

Thank you, you have solved a port filling issue that my mind has been struggling with for a while (can’t bring myself to put epoxy in a port).Time to start practicing on junk stuff.

[@billywird]

Yes sir I found that I could weld cast iron with my MIG welder (using the MIG welding gas) in cases where the weld needed to be built up on a worn part. My old John Deere tractor (Model A) had the sockets in the shift levers so worn that if one got into a hurry changing from reverse into forward one could actually lock the transmission into two gears and when you throw the clutch lever, well you can guess what happened (busted the teeth off of one of the gears, this was not my doing but my partners doing, he just happened to be the goat). He welded the sockets up the best he could with cast iron welding rod using his arc welder (I mean one socket was so worn it had a hole in it). Well some time later I was working on the transmission and had the shift rods out so I experimented and lo and behold I was able to weld those sockets up. I have watched some you tube videos where over in Pakistan the shops oxy-acetylene blocks that have huge holes in them from internal damage. Amazing.

[@samhicks97]

361 cracked block repair foreshadowing! 👌😎👌

[@chrishensley6745]

So True Tony!.....Have welded the broken ears on a big block chevy exhaust manifold using a cut down valve guide where the ear was missing and has held up for 30 years now on my 68 chevelle.....theres a will theres a way man!....grass roots video man...way it use to be years ago.

[@nsboost]

Had a harbor freight vice break outside of the return window. I tig welded it back together and it's been better than it was ironically.

[@arthurcunningham530]

Great pun!

[@chevybob9836]

My first truck in 1979 was a 1953 F-100 with a cracked exhaust manifold. That's when I learned about J-B Weld. It worked fine until I drove it on the freeway and all the J-B Weld out of it. Thank you for posting these videos

[@markburke2533]

Thanks Tony!

[@Numer1Polak]

I been wanting to try this on a 2v Cleveland head to add some squish. Good to hear it has been done before

[@armandomendoza3167]

Use a welding blanket to hold on to the heat of what ever you are welding. Concerning cast iron. When finished welding. Cover the iron part with the welding blanket. It will hold the heat and it will cool down much slower allowing the metal to recondition itself. I had to research because I was modifying a Chevy 350 spread bore intake manifold. Also if you hit the welded metal with a metal pick tool. It will spread a bit to allow it fill the a crack. And yes the cast iron part needs to be hot to minimize cracks. Yet in some instances like you mentioned is less likely to crack. Because your adding metal. There is also a cold weld process with a slow cool down effect. That is welding the cast iron piece and wrapping it in a welding blanket or dipping it in a box of sand and adding sand to the welded iron part. And let it slowly cool down. For a whole day. I've tried welding with a blowtorch and is different. I've tried welding Nickel 99 rod it sticks stronger to cast iron. Never the less. We all have to improvise. Good job Uncle Tony. 😎👍

[@billsmopars4927]

For small parts, sitcking in a bucket of sand aids slow cooling.

[@bushd1644]

I just had some done for me last month on a jeep 4.0 head, had to weld up the water jackets to swap it onto a 4.2, I paid a shop $236 + $60 material to weld up 12 half inch water jackets. They heated it up and tigged 99% nickel Rod and it turned out great. I have pictures if anyone wants them. I could have welded it myself as I'm a great welder but I did not have an oven big enough for the pre heat treatment

[@charlesboston1]

your close to describing what happens with cast ...... when you weld cast and as it cools things shrink and pull and as a rule cast will crack right next to the weld , because cast is brittle and doesn't flex like the material used in the weld . peening the weld as it cools helps relax things and reduces the stresses as it cool and can prevent cracking . using a rod that has a lower melting temp than the cast , so the weld stays molten longer , while the cast solidifies and the "pull" as more from the more flexible weld will also help .... this is why brazing is used many times to fixed a broken piece of cast . one of the easiest methods for most people is to use a short "tack"weld , then clean and let things cool , then another short tack weld , and repeat until the weld is done , making sure to peen the tack while it cools

[@dakotastimeout2827]

I’ve always thought about raising the ports and welding up the chambers on a head, I’ve got a set of 4x Pontiac heads that I might have to try it on.

[@znnx382]

I've done stuff like this to plug holes in overported heads where the burr went to deep. Never had a problem when just using flux!

[@mostlyoldparts]

When you weld your combustion chambers, will you then have a machine shop mill the heads flat? I'm concerned there may be warpage due to the welding heat. Great video!

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Just surface it out on a belt sander and save the money for other things

[@keysautorepair6038]

This is exactly what I was looking for going to try to weld up a hole in cast iron wish me luck.

[@ScottGovey]

Ive welded a few cracked engine blocks from the dreadful winter time water freezing. Stick welded with nickel rods and no prep of any sorts. Still holding up to this day. I even did it without draining the water out of the blocks so i don't know if that may had an effect on the success or not. Just wanted to share those experiences. Great info!

[@Nostradamus_Order33]

Interesting you said that. I did the same thing once. Iron block filled with coolant with a nickel rod using 125 amp stick welder. It worked. I thought I just got lucky. I couldn’t do an exhaust manifold crack though. Would not work.

[@ScottGovey]

@@Nostradamus_Order33 mabey uncle tony can test this out. Lol

[@Nostradamus_Order33]

@@ScottGovey you think it has something to do with the coolant?

[@3000gtwelder]

I welded cast iron with Muggy weld arc rods that I banged the flux off the rods, and cleaned them up and used them as TIG rods. It worked perfect, no cracks!

[@robertcooper9645]

I've done it using an arc welder with a high nickel content rod and had great success

[@brokentoolgarage8609]

Great info. This got me to thinking about that slant 6 head. To get over the "death hump", could you fill that forward part in and then raise the port on the head?

[@shanew.williams]

UTG, i'm really looking forward to the upcoming vid of you welding inside the combustion chamber itself to reduce cc's. I would like to learn how, as i might try it on a set of RB '452 cast heads i've already been using a long time milled down dead even with the quench pad.

[@srednadahlberg]

Looking forward to that as well! Building a 273 and need the compression bumped up on a set of 360 heads.

[@jamesstoy8967]

I like the mess with riding mower engines first with my wild ideas. They are cheap or free. I found that porting the first 25-50% of the intake port made a big difference in low and mid range torque and increased top end power too.

[@gregshadrick5157]

Tony thanks for all that you do for us gear heads! That being said I have a 66 model 426 hemi with the front oil pan bolts broken from being dropped I'm guessing one side broke out from the bolt hole towards the front by the timing cover and missing but still have pan rail the other side broke the outside edge same direction on the block but it's still attached how would you recommend trying to repair this? Any help or ideas would greatly be appreciated.

[@MiamiZombie2012]

Lol what a coincidence, I'm just about to weld a wastegate to a cast turbo exhaust housing. Should be interesting.

[@darzo7527]

try using Harris welding electrode "Super Missleweld" that this will weld any metal to any metal minus Aluminum

[@MiamiZombie2012]

@@darzo7527 I've only got an el cheapo jegs flux core. It gets the job but it's definitely not the best.

[@minnesotatomcat]

Will u get the heads machined back flat again? I almost guarantee you’re gonna have a little warpage adding heat to certain spots and not the whole thing. Great vid 👍

[@sickcoy13]

I’ve been told the simple theory to cast iron welding is to slowly preheat the part as not to shock the part with too much heat too soon. Then once preheated use a nickel filler material.

[@Lagrange1186]

Yeah I’d really like a follow up on welding combination chambers. Remember a fella doing that with Cleveland’s back in the 70’s… he had pretty good results 😂

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy U-T-G, Thanks for the HINTS COOP ...

[@ripplerbr]

Thank you for the wisdom and inspiration. I've been frozen thinking I need a TIG welder for a couple simple metal buildup projects on cast iron. I will give FCAW a try. Great channel here. Thanks again.

[@bushd1644]

Tig is best with nickel 99 smaw rods, just break the shielding off and clean the filler metal really well. Pre heat around 400° and keep it hot, after welding slowly step the heat down

[@williamstamper442]

As always great vid Tony

[@magnusdanielsson2749]

I did a stainless exhaust with a cheap stickwelder. Most people seemed to think it wouldnt work and that I was crazy. Seems like there are alot of preconceptions about welding, what yo can or cant..

[@markerwin7416]

You mentioned adding material being easier/simpler- could this technique be used to strengthen the main webbing on a OEM block?

[@barrycuda3769]

That's great' I was watching this to see if it would give me any idea on how to fix the broken off ear on the back of my slant six block 'I'd been thinking maybe I could build it up with weld then drill it and grind it ' and then you mentioned that very thing 👍👍. My "ear" got broken off because it was used as a mount on an engine stand ' is that what happened to yours? . Thank's Tony.

[@gittnjiggy2]

back in the early 1980s we would repair cast iron (like exhaust manifolds on back hoes where the muffler stood straight up off the manifold and would break off) with a smaw stick brand named "wasa-weld 2000". Worked great, looked like brass when cooled, and I still have a couple of 1/8" sticks in a tube.

[@Z_732]

UT.. I wish you were closer man, I can show you some tricks to welding cast.. cracks and all.. I've done it and had it hold when the shop was -10 degrees f

[@craigchiddo2794]

Just picked up one of them eutectic torches what adds powdered metal and flux to the weld grabbed it cheap off the marketplace

[@mschiffel1]

For the heat crossover I always cut a piece of a soup can and slip it behind the intake gasket. Always works and lasts forever. No time consuming welding needed. Try it.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Lol tried that on my buddies Pontiac 400 and it didn't last til it even warmed up🤷‍♂️ Not sure what went wrong except we were stupid kids ana we tried something we heard.

[@mschiffel1]

@@MrTheHillfolk I've done this for years with no issues.

[@edbeck8925]

Anti spatter spray should help eliminate some of the over spray marks. Muggy weld has a high nickel welding rod for cast iron that dosen't require preheating

[@tonyelliott7734]

Brazing works very well.

[@broke_dongle]

Thinking about my 1st over ported BBF head and the exposed water passage I made in the exhaust port. Should have kept that head for practice.

[@mpetersen6]

I've seen connecting rods on presses for stamping out automotive body panels welded in situ. Heat with torch. Weld. Hammer. Repeat and repeat and repeat until done. Either cast iron or cast steel. Also worked on repairs requiring machining of repaired castings of same. Depending on the type of repair braze or silver solder works better. Easier to machine than the weld usually.

[@johndevries8759]

I've found the peening process helps to control the shrinkage difference between the base metal and the welding rod.

[@UnnaturalSpiritGarage]

A while back you discovered a cracked block from being frozen by water, and I remember you mentioning that there was a method to repair this... can you elaborate on this, I was expecting a video but totally forgot until this video came up. Thanks

[@johndoe43]

You may be talking about pinning where they drill and tap and screw in a pin then another next to it and on and on to the end of the crack. Most machine shops will do it

[@kitkatninja9837]

UT what if u break threw the runners or the bowls porting how would u suggest repairing that?

[@zakuraayame5091]

do you shave down castings on cars you remove bits and circles for weight savings? looks like the exhaust manifold could have a decent bit shaved off of it unless the lines aren't from casting but structural to withstand exhaust heat?

[@egodeathplease]

"Welding. It's a power for good" poster in my welding class. 🤣

[@markcole6475]

I’ve welded a cast iron 4v manifold 351w egr port closed and held for years….sold the truck and as far as I know it’s still going!

[@xxTheWhiteTiger]

alright, so, if a got a crack block, should i just weld a piece of metal around it? like, to seal it off? would it work just fine? like, not weld the crack itself, but weld a plate to prevent from leaking oil

[@Lecherous_Rex]

I was told if you want to keep cast from cracking you drilled holes at either end of the crack, ground a trough in it with a cutting disk, stick welded it with muggy weld and hammer peened cool to keep it malleable

[@nagyandras8857]

Cracks are indeed nasty.. but its not impossible to weld even that at home. I had a feiend with a super old machinery and that had a crack on the side of the block it self. Normally none would try to weld that up. And actually none should. However , if you can drill the crack ot self , and extend beyond the crack, following its line, it can be fixed properly and will Hold. You will need to preheat the whole thing to some degree. There is no need for 500c or anything in that order. We Just used wood , literally put a fire under the block it self and had it heat up. What one should take care of , is having a Sand bed. And the block has to be heated with the Sand bed. Now once thats done , get some mild steel to fill the crack. And now comes the hard part. Use a stick welder. Gona need one that has an inverter. The rod you use is GYS INOX 316L or equivavlent. Use the lest current you can get away with. Make short welds of no more Than about 2 inches. As soron as you finish the weld, you will need a small copper hammer, and beat on the weld till it chills. Do not hit it hard. You want to make many small hits. Very swiftly. Start Welding in the middle and from there go towards the edge of the crack. Thatway you can weld up holes too. Then turn the heat down , but not to zero. You want the casting to cool to ambient temps slow. And thatsball. It will work.

[@mitchelllustig232]

Preheat/weld/slow cool. Bury the part in cat litter or floor dry. You can also get NI-80 wire to help out

[@UcantBeSerious03]

Make sure you spray it down with Windex. Windex makes everything better =)

[@robertwest3093]

I actually had the same success repairing broken off bolt holes on a Ford exhaust manifold. Been holding almost 30 years now!

[@44hawk28]

Have you tried Swapping the polarity on that welder to see if you can get less Spatter better and greater penetration with that welder, and with actual stickwelding you can use a high nickel rod like missile Weld or something like that and if you will put a good beat down and enhammer it to keep it from shrinking you can from shrinking you can if you Weld a gap into a crack you can repair a crack on Cast iron.

[@hensleysmachine2130]

If UT Harbor Freight flux core is like mine, they are so cheap that they don't even have a rectifier in them, so technically they are an AC flux core welder.

[@fastinradfordable]

I lived in Washington state. My boss relentlessly bought cars from Canada when exchange rate was nuts. Getting nice wranglers out the ass for only a couple Gs But I digress. In Canada. They still bust exhaust manifolds just like u used to fight tony

[@fastinradfordable]

Also, I love u my brother man. I got a free bench and welded the leg back on successfully

[@stephenclinton2769]

Have you ever had any issues with combustion chambers cracking next to your welds after extended service?

[@thomasheer825]

Tony why not build a oven to preheat and post heat. I do a bunch of powder coat stuff. Built mine with 2 250gal home heating oil tanks. Cut one down to fit inside the other, used used R13 insulation between the inner and outer . Used 3 oven heating elements for the heat source, and a ebay thermal control unit, basically a fancy digital heater control unit. Since I got the tanks for free, my final cost was right around $200 total cost. Had some experiences before with cast materials, not good. Well since I can easily get 450 or more degrees in the oven, tried some cast again and simply heated the cast up to 450 for about 45 minutes, weld it and slap it back in the oven at 400 then reduce the heat in 50 degree steps. Learned that cast iron expands a lot at 400-500deg, so this technique matches needs.

[@Broken_Yugo]

Should be noted that the transition zone between the steel filler and carbon rich cast iron will be a very hard spot that probably won't be machinable. You can grind it though.

[@MVPisME383]

He's a thousand percent right guys unless you know what you're doing don't try to repair cast when it comes apart it will be worse but if know what you're doing it can save you money

[@SinsBird]

How are you going to learn it if you don't try?

[@reinhardtrippmacher8776]

That's what i was looking for. You can add material and shape that hole to smaller diameter but you can't just weld cracks together. Perfect! As simple as this. All I wanna do is adding welding material to a coolant gallery to extend the bridge between the gallery and the cylinder liner. The factory holes are 20mm x 10mm but the gasket hole where the coolant goes through is only 35mm. So I think I can add material to the side walls of the coolant galleries to make the hole in the block smaller. Could I use a mig welder for that? I still would pre heat it as much as possible. I wanna basically do the same as you did on the intake ports. Make them smaller.

[@mromatic17]

I use rosenthal solder and copper with a butane torch to fill in castiron cracks and sometimes stick weld it to make a weird alloy that will hold. it works on my ford exhaust manifolds and they don't leak!

[@kevinkeen2450]

I losted it laughing when you mentioned using a coat hanger. It brought back memories of what my Uncle Bob did and what he showed and taught me. All the naysayers need to go back on LubeTube and/or talk to the ones that made something out of nothing to hot rod. And actually look at what people used to do back in the hot roding days of days passed.

[@kevinkeen2450]

Everything you said and done is true Tony. Ignore the assholes, because they think they know it all. You're doing us all a favor, by showing how to do what needs to be done.

[@yobentley7274]

Could you weld a patch over a crack in a cast iron block?