I just got a 50 hudson commodore coupe for dirt cheep its been siting for a long time I got it tofire up it runs bitchen but the block has about a six inch long crack in it no water in the oil just leaks water out the crack I was going to clean it uo with wire wheel and try and weld it has any one tried this???????
Yep...block needs to be heated before you weld it and cooled slowly...if you don't have the equipment take it to someone that can do it right.
It's not the best thing to do but if you don't have a good replacement block it is worth a try. If you have access to some tapered plugs drill and tap the ends of the crack and install the plugs. "V" out the crack and make sure it is clean, then see what you can do with a low amp. try not to get the block too hot or the cracks will just keep coming. Wire feed is best but if all you have is stick use that. When you are done smear some JB on it and that should seal it. There are shops that do nothing but motor welding but the block has to be completely bare, preheated and postheated. It's costly.
clean up the crack and braze it up. this day and age they make really killer 2 part epoxies that will seal it right up. make sure you drill the end of the crack to stop it and use some brake cleaner to clean the area. post some pic's the hudson sounds cool.
so just drill doth end of the crack and that will stop it nothing needs to be put in the holes i drill?
you need to pre-heat the block, and use a ni-cl rod. Its expensive, but has a high nickle content. Look up procedures for welding cast iron. IF you dont do it right, the cracks will spread, and your block will be garbage
I think if I were looking to repair a block I might try something like this stitching process... http://www.locknstitch.com/ http://www.locknstitch.com/Repair%20pdf%20files/Cummins%205.9%20crack%20repair%20instructions.pdf I don't know how this stuff WORKS, but it LOOKS pretty cool..
Im not an expert on this topic (few are or I wouldn't even be answering), but I did talk with an old timer on the topic several years ago. He said the block needed to be heated in an oven, welded and then slowly cooled. He then took my deposit as well as my flathead with a Merc crank and Jahn's pistons and almost immediately proceeded to kick the bucket, but that's beside the point. I have also seen macinists drill a series of holes along the length of the crack and then place dowels into the holes. I would forget your average machine shop and find a guy that knows flatheads. He should be able to hook you up. Few motors crack more often or cost more than a flathead.
this guy is the best <TABLE width="85%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=companyName noWrap align=left width=330>HIGH SPEED SALVAGE</TD><TD width=10></TD><TD class=titleText align=left width=60>Tel:</TD><TD class=baseText align=left width=200>(631)348-7070</TD></TR><TR><TD class=baseText align=left>Al Mathon</TD><TD></TD><TD class=titleText align=left>Fax:</TD><TD class=baseText align=left>(631)347-7070</TD></TR><TR><TD class=baseText align=left>735 Old North Oean Avenue</TD><TD></TD><TD class=titleText align=left>E-mail:</TD><TD class=baseText align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD class=baseText align=left>Patchogue NY 11722</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The old man was the proverbial flathead bomb in south Texas, so he had quite a waiting list. He said he was going to TRY and find me a block without a crack, but would work the cracked one if necessary. Called him 3 months later to tell him that I had found a better block and his wife answered and said that he had passed away. I asked her when I could pick up my motor and she said that she had no idea who owned what so she sold them all to some guy. I didn't feel that she had made a wise choice, but didn't like the idea of harassing a woman in her 80s. 70s maybe, but definitely not 80s. I looked at it as a very, very, very painful growth opportunity. Why do I get the feeling that guy was from Melbourne???
I believe High Speed Salvage are the guys who were doing SBC V16s some time ago? might still be. I've searched for them before, but it appears they're not online in any way.
Well mate, I did buy a block out of texas, with a merc crank and Jahn pistons. Where was the crack in the block? Danny
that is the mathon v16 he used to be in islip , ny try calling the number most of the old timers are not online like that
What he said... I used to weld up exhaust manifolds. Preheat in an old oven then weld it up. Some didn't make it after preheating, found numerous cracks and sent them for scrap. Do yourself a favor and look up the procedures for welding cast iron before you start.
You've gotta be jackin with me, but just in case..... It was on the deck from a cylinder to a valve. Can't recall which cylinder?
Why not try some K&W Block Seal? The stuff works and lasts, but make you read the directions carefully and follow them faithfully. Several years ago, my friend bought a nice '55 Chevy Bel Air two door sedan with a 327 and 4-speed in it. When he got it home, he discovered all the coolant had leaked out through a crack, between two freeze plugs, in the block. He called me, all freaked out, so I went to his shop for a look. The engine ran good, had good oil pressure, and didn't knock or smoke, so we decided to try some K&W rather than pull the engine. The stuff worked, and he drove it like that for years. Might work for you too.
If it’s a crack just in the water jacket: Braze or better yet, weld with NiChrome or high-nickel rod. Heat the block up slowly in an oven, let is soak for a while in the heat, braze or weld, then cool it down slowly. In states like Michigan, welding blocks is common to fix boat engines that were not winterized properly and froze up. Find a guy that does that. I wouldn’t use epoxy. Also, grind out a nice vee on the crack to prep for welding.
Does this hudson engine run pretty good, or does it need rebuilt? If it runs, don't pull it. Start looking for an uncracked core engine to rebuild. Fire up what you got with a garden hose flowing into the radiator and put some flush chemical in there. Try to remove the worst of the scale. Now add moroso ceramic sealer, the correct one, there's water version and antifreeze version. We've run a bunch of stock car motors with 6 inch freeze cracks. That's our regimen. No failures yet. If the engine needs to come out anyway, I just can't see fixing that block. The engine is just not expensive enough to justify it. Find another core. If you are intent on fixing it, you need a big-rig machine shop. Those guys know how (or where) to get big castings welded correctly. Good luck
Clean it good and JB weld it. Cheap and fast fix that doesn't need a teardown. If it doesn't work, no harm done, fix it "right" or find another one.
all the shops i have dealt with in the last 10 years send cracked blocks out to be stitch locked... mostly cause those shops that do the work on the block guarantee it once its installed... you wont find a welding shop that'll do that
all right thanks for the all the ideals I think im going to two part apoxy the out side and run some block sealer on the inside
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