Cast Iron Car block tig welded

[jakeru]

Nice repair. It sounds and looks like a low expansion, high nickel content rod. Any nickel-iron allloy where the nickel reaches or exceeds mid 30's %, the low expansion "magic" starts to happen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invar

I've had good results with it as well (a 55% nickel / 45% iron stick electrode, with the flux knocked off, and applied via TIG), but sometimes the cast iron can get a little cruddy. Interested in hearing how you prepped the cast iron because you got a nice result.

Did you weld both sides one pass each (2 passes total)? Or try to it is in 1 pass? Did you manage 1 continuous weld bead or did you beak it up? Did you skip around or "stitch weld"?

[Kempy]

Welded continuous just tacked it and then started welding.

Nice repair. It sounds and looks like a low expansion, high nickel content rod. Any nickel-iron allloy where the nickel reaches or exceeds mid 30's %, the low expansion "magic" starts to happen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invar

I've had good results with it as well (a 55% nickel / 45% iron stick electrode, with the flux knocked off, and applied via TIG), but sometimes the cast iron can get a little cruddy. Interested in hearing how you prepped the cast iron because you got a nice result.

Did you weld both sides one pass each (2 passes total)? Or try to it is in 1 pass? Did you manage 1 continuous weld bead or did you beak it up? Did you skip around or "stitch weld"?

[TheGary]

I would be surprised if the iron doesn't crack right next to the weld once it gets back in operation.

[Kempy]

I would be surprised if the iron doesn't crack right next to the weld once it gets back in operation.

Well it has been a few years now and it is still not leaking the motor is working just fine so far. I have done a Ford Powerstroke 7.3L and it was on a work truck and is still working over 5 years now, it cracked from water freezing in the block winter came to fast and they forgot to put the antifreeze in it, it had a hose leak so they just keep putting water in it.

[TheGary]

Well it has been a few years now and it is still not leaking the motor is working just fine so far. I have done a Ford Powerstroke 7.3L and it was on a work truck and is still working over 5 years now, it cracked from water freezing in the block winter came to fast and they forgot to put the antifreeze in it, it had a hose leak so they just keep putting water in it.

OK, then I am wrong. You must be doing something right That others have not. I have seen many block repairs that have not held very long. I would not weld


blocks because it just is not worth it for someone to put all the work into the engine then have it leak again where it is welded. It may work 9 times out of 10 but one customer with a failure would cost me much more than I would make on welding blocks. I guess if it was mine I might try it, depending on how much work it would be if it did happen to fail.

I have never heard of cronatron before. I just went to there web site. Wow are the expensive. I thought Eutectic was expensive . 50 lbs of E7018 for over $300. Your cast tig rod is over $350 for 2 lbs. I find it hard to believe they have something worth that kind of expense that can not be purchased from someone else for less. I would say they just repackage and resell and not make any of there own products.

[Kempy]

OK, then I am wrong. You must be doing something right That others have not. I have seen many block repairs that have not held very long. I would not weld


blocks because it just is not worth it for someone to put all the work into the engine then have it leak again where it is welded. It may work 9 times out of 10 but one customer with a failure would cost me much more than I would make on welding blocks. I guess if it was mine I might try it, depending on how much work it would be if it did happen to fail.

I have never heard of cronatron before. I just went to there web site. Wow are the expensive. I thought Eutectic was expensive . 50 lbs of E7018 for over $300. Your cast tig rod is over $350 for 2 lbs. I find it hard to believe they have something worth that kind of expense that can not be purchased from someone else for less. I would say they just repackage and resell and not make any of there own products.

Yes the Cronatron cast iron Tig rod was expensive but it has done the job more then once. I have used some of there other products also. They do have thing that no other companies have and it is expensive but it dose work and they stand by their products.