Technical Crown Alloy 44-30 mig wire for welding cast Iron

Has anyone here used the Crown Alloy 44-30 for welding cast iron exhaust manifolds? I have a hudson Twin H intake manifold that has a common rust out problem that I am thinking about trying this mig wire on.

 

I have seen it used for cast iron repair in the past. Like all cast, pre/post heat control of the part is the most critical part.

 

Here is the page from their catalog/manual.

 

aint used it , heat control and stress relief are keys though. another thought is consider how dirty the cast might be .....oilsoaked iron or stuff high in residual crap from the original process can be real problematic. From what i see ya just gotta give er' a go .

 

Here are pictures of the areas I need to repair.

 

That looks like it could be a valuable, hard to find piece. As such, I don't believe you should be "trying" anything on it. I would find myself a pro who is experienced in cast iron welding and get their opinion. Only if they say it can't be fixed, should you try anything.

I had a fresh rebuilt hemi in my race car when I hit the wall and broke two of the three mounting tabs off the left side of the engine. Even though I had done a lot of welding, I found a guy who was experienced in cast iron repair. He got the job done and it has lasted over 20 years. As above, the secret is pre and post heating. I should know, I got to hold the torch during both pre-heat and post-heat (while he was having a beer, telling me what to do).

I had a friend who bought a '28 LaSalle roadster with a cracked block. Unable to find another block, he took it to a shop in the twin cities who specialized in this kind of repair. They had an oven big enough to hold the block, which made the repair easier. If I remember correctly, it took three days for the pre-heat and cooldown and cost $1500, and that was 40 years ago.

 

Lot of preheat, and slow cooling are keys for cast iron welding. It is difficult due to the high carbon content. Preheat numbers like as hot as you can get it, 500-1000F is good. Part may need a round or two of heat and cool to help bake out any contaminants. A BBQ grill on max and heat the part up might suffice for the heating. Then slow cooling at very slow rate, over several hours. Chances are the part will distort some and you may need some machining to clean up and flatten the surfaces. One area is obviously on a gasket surface.
Another option is brazing instead of welding. Works good, but since it is a surface bind vs fusion, cleanliness is crucial for best results.