Had my flathead block welded, pretty cool process

Anyone know how this would go with a crack in the main centre journal of a flathead block?

Most books say to check for vertical cracks in the centre web of flatheads and say the blocks are toast if cracked there. Would be interesting to see if this would work and save those blocks

Cheers

 

Go to www.goodson.com they are a automotive machine shop supply co. I have been using one of these for several years to repair manifolds. Another good trick if you have a tig welder is get some cast iron rods,clean the flux off and use as your filler material works great.

 

Sweet!

 

very cool

 

Damn another tool I gotta have.................

 

That's neat. My dad has one of these spray guns that he bought at a swapmeet a long time ago. Its just in a box. Neither of us have tried using it. Maybe I should think about trying it.

 

Metalman, I may have missed it but what is the powder that he used to build up that area? I have one of these torches and have used it for hard surfacing. Would come in handy to build up areas and be able to machine it. The powder that we used can not be machined.

Neal

 

He said it was silicon bronze he used on my block and told me it machines well. He did say there are different compounds, he uses something else on cams that has a harder surface but still machines.

 

Thanks. I'll follow up on this. Looks like somehing that can come in handy.

Neal

 

We have been using that process with hardening powder on plows and cultivator shovels for years and it defiantly helps them last longer. It's a simple easy process and it only takes a few minutes to do a shovel, never thought about machining it though.......hopefully this will save some other wise "discarded" block and heads.

 

I was given a torch like that but turned it away because I could not find anywhere to buy the powdered metal - I may have to see if I can still get it.

David

 

I'm thinking that if you "V"d out the crack and then used a filler it would work just fine for block repair. Makes me rethink the possibility of getting a flatty motor someday for my 53 -

Made my day -

 

Do a Yahoo search on 'powder spray'. A whole new world has just opened up.

 

I have had several race blocks repaired with this method with no problems with durability. Very reasonable cost compared to a new block.

 

Still waiting to hear if anyone has used this process to fix a cracked valve to cylinder wall flathead. I want to try it but wish someone else has first!

 

You should pin that crack not hard to do.Welding your crack is a recipe for disaster.pinning is designed to repair that.

T

 

Yeah, I've pinned a cracked block before with good results but I got a couple the crack is a little to deep in the valve pocket to pin. The guy doing this spray welding said it would work. I've been looking to see if anyone has experience yet to confirm or depute it. Why do you say it won't work?

 

Need a picture?

 

To those asking if the web area of a block can be repaired with this method - yes, it can... or at least it could be done 40+ years ago! At that time I had a really hot B' 4 cylinder OHV engine in my A' and it had a cracked center web near the oil feed tube to the center main bearing. My granddad was a great mechanic who dealt with a lot of the older dirt track guys in the south Chicago area, and also helped on a few of the 50s Indy cars suspensions & carbs at his shop. He took my cracked block over to a place on Western Ave - believe it was called 'Gadams', and they did that same process for us while Gramps and I stood there watching Saturday morning. Later that Summer, the block was rebabbitted, and then I was off to spinning the tires on the A'. I never had a problem with the 4 banger after that, and these guys even repaired aircraft engines & parts, so I believe that car engines would be less of an issue. Oh ya, just as a side note - I was about 7 or 8 when I had the opportunity to take a ride down the alley behind my Grandpas shop in a one man-open wheel- dirt track style racer! I think that was one of the biggest moments of my life and one of the main factors in my lifelong love affair with cars.

 

Well, yeah, something. If you've tried or know someone who has used this method and it failed , that's the info I'm looking for. If your saying you think it will fail that's no help. The engineer that makes the powder says it will work, the guy that repaired my block thinks it would as well but that's only in theory, they never actually done one. Looking for actual experience, not theory if you know what I mean.

 

In the early 80s before the ceramic header coatings took over, we'd get our headers "aluminized" using the same process. You have to look hard but you can see that my home made tri Y headers were done with the spray metal process and they stayed nice for years. The aluminum appeared white like the VHT header paint that was so popular up to that time. Hotrods East was a local shop that bought the gun and did these for me. The surface was "pebbly" but it did not rust.

 

Hey Metalman;
thanks for starting this thread.
Today was my day to eat the bear as I just won this on E-VILBAY.

 

Silicone bronze is pretty stout stuff, used to use it for TIG welding mild steel sheet metal parts at a place I worked at. Took less heat and less time, although it was a little harder to grind than steel because it would clog up the grinding discs. I was vaguely aware of the spraying process, but didn't know much about it until today. Thanks for sharing the information!

 

Google Utectic Castolin Spelling ?. I have used there products in the past.

 

Knew an old body guy that used this process to lead bodies....Un healthful but worked well....

 

Never tried it but it's available on Amazon even. $640

 

We used this process where I worked to repair scored machine shafts bearing surfaces. Set the damaged shaft in a lathe,cover the ways with canvas cloth.heat the damaged area and spray with metal. When cooled then turn to the correct size.

 

I have to think that the spraying process doesn't meld with the parent metal but grips it tightly on the surface such as brazing or soldering does. If thats correct, I wouldn't think it would be good for repairing a crack in something like a crankshaft.......but would probably work well on a shaft for just renewing a surface. This is just speculation on my part, but it seems logical. It would seem that it would be good for filling in but maybe not up to the task of handling certain stresses like a crankshaft would impose. Again, speculation by me.