Cracked Block

[BlueBreadTruck]

If you take it to a competent welding shop, they should be able to weld the crack, no problem. You will have to drain the coolant, and they would have to do a good pre/post heat so it does not crack, but not very hard at all

 

[oworm]

If you take it to a competent welding shop, they should be able to weld the crack, no problem. You will have to drain the coolant, and they would have to do a good pre/post heat so it does not crack, but not very hard at all

I can't afford the time to strip it down and take it to a shop. I think the cost would outweigh the value of the truck anyway. I'll keep a close eye on it and when it starts loosing coolant I will decide.

 

[oldmisterbill]

Wow...I have NEVER seen anything like that locknstitch...

Man, makes you sure wonder when these days a crack like that would just be an instant boat anchor with no questions asked.

Lock-N-stitch type repairs have been done by millwrghts for years. The first time I saw it was when I was in my 20s.the guy that did it was in his 60 then.That dates it back quite a bit. Some of the old guys used plain steel rod -drilled it so it went in tight. Some repairs would weep for a bit then seal with the formation of rust -deposits & the like.

There are welding rods today that have the same expansion rate as the cast iron,this makes crak free welding of cast iron easier with less preheating. Look up Muggy weld for an example.There are other big companys with this same technology.

I used to have a homede forge that had a cover-I would braze in the hot charcoal and bury the part with coals then cover for a couple days -the slow cool relives the stress ,preventing cracks.