The Ford Barn

Lawrie · 01-27-2019, 02:07 AM

I have a nice set of CRA heads ,cast iron that are 75cc in the chamber,they worked really nice on my 265 ci engine,good torque and ran great,
One had a small crack in the chamber that let some water in to the cylinder and that one missed at idle and also blew into he radiator,so I replaced the both heads with some 81A that work nice ,BUT do notice less torque on the hills.
these were 80cc in the chamber.
my question is ,has anyone had success with welding up the crack in the cast iron head,
I thought to preheat it in the BBQ ,vee out the crack and use a cast iron rod, peen it after welding and slow cool it down.
I would like to use them again on a spare 99a engine I,m building
Ideas??
lawrie

Tinker · 01-27-2019, 02:24 AM

Novice advice on welding cast iron. Pre-heat for sure. I've had hit/miss heads welded but the cast iron was way more susceptible in the 1910s to welding.

Maybe brazing, others will add better advice.

https://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19414

cas3 · 01-27-2019, 11:12 AM

this guy https://www.castmetalwelding.com/ has done a couple cracked blocks for me using spray welding. heats it up in an oven and rolls it out on tracks to weld it, then back in the oven to slow cool. must be some one in your part of the world doing it too

G.M. · 01-27-2019, 01:11 PM

Brazing might be better. G.M.

Lawrie · 01-27-2019, 03:54 PM

Agter reading the hairline crack post above ,Maybe i can repair it by pinning it
Lawrie

petehoovie · 01-27-2019, 04:10 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Many procedures/tips to weld cast iron on YouTube. See them here > https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ding+cast+iron

'Muggy Weld' here > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzbcVb2UymA

rotorwrench · 01-27-2019, 05:43 PM

Some have used a bed of charcoal to do the heating and cool down since it cools down slow as it burns out and can be covered to keep the heat in longer. It can be fusion welded with cast iron pieces whittled from a bad block or head using a gas torch to melt. Some like the nickel rod but brass or silver filler might do just as well.

Propane gas burners can be used as well but you have to baby sit them to turn the heat down over time. Guys that do fusion welding for a living have ovens built just for this type of work

5851a · 01-27-2019, 06:22 PM

This place does it every day. Lucky to have them not to far away, but your shipping would be bad. Welded a back corner bell housing mount back on to a block for me once, drove it 100,000 miles before selling car and never had a problem. http://midwestcylinderhead.com/services.php#casting

Craig CT · 01-27-2019, 08:10 PM

Hi Lawrie; You could have other defects in the head that haven't shown up yet. I'd hang them on the wall and shave the ones you have. Good luck, Craig.

Bob/Ohio · 01-28-2019, 04:17 PM

Lawrie,
I have welded a lot of cast iron over the years. Those cast heads would weld very well. My concern would be the location of the crack, and the amount of heat generated by welding it. Out near the edge vs in the middle would make a difference in the amount of warp you may get from the heat. You will have to true up the head surface when you are done welding. You will also have to do this after pinning, but you won't have to deal with the heat pulling the head surface around. Just my thoughts on this.

Bob

slowforty · 01-28-2019, 04:24 PM

An old guy down the street used to weld up Flathead blocks, after he went through the port while doing a Porting job. I said how do you know when it is hot enough to weld.
He said I put in on my wood stove in the shop. When i walk by the block i spit on it. When the spit sizzles then it is hot enough to weld up. Obviously this could be a winter project.

01-27-2019, 02:07 AM	#1
Lawrie Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Qld, Australia Posts: 4,215	cracked head I have a nice set of CRA heads ,cast iron that are 75cc in the chamber,they worked really nice on my 265 ci engine,good torque and ran great, One had a small crack in the chamber that let some water in to the cylinder and that one missed at idle and also blew into he radiator,so I replaced the both heads with some 81A that work nice ,BUT do notice less torque on the hills. these were 80cc in the chamber. my question is ,has anyone had success with welding up the crack in the cast iron head, I thought to preheat it in the BBQ ,vee out the crack and use a cast iron rod, peen it after welding and slow cool it down. I would like to use them again on a spare 99a engine I,m building Ideas?? lawrie

01-27-2019, 02:24 AM	#2
Tinker Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: MN Posts: 7,053	Re: cracked head Novice advice on welding cast iron. Pre-heat for sure. I've had hit/miss heads welded but the cast iron was way more susceptible in the 1910s to welding. Maybe brazing, others will add better advice. https://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19414 Last edited by Tinker; 01-27-2019 at 02:34 AM.

01-27-2019, 11:12 AM	#3
cas3 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: sw minnesota Posts: 4,574	Re: cracked head this guy https://www.castmetalwelding.com/ has done a couple cracked blocks for me using spray welding. heats it up in an oven and rolls it out on tracks to weld it, then back in the oven to slow cool. must be some one in your part of the world doing it too

01-27-2019, 01:11 PM	#4
G.M. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Florida and Penna. Posts: 4,471	Re: cracked head Brazing might be better. G.M. __________________ www.fordcollector.com

01-27-2019, 03:54 PM	#5
Lawrie Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Qld, Australia Posts: 4,215	Re: cracked head Agter reading the hairline crack post above ,Maybe i can repair it by pinning it Lawrie

01-27-2019, 04:10 PM	#6
petehoovie Senior Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 8,140	Re: cracked head Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Many procedures/tips to weld cast iron on YouTube. See them here > https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ding+cast+iron 'Muggy Weld' here > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzbcVb2UymA __________________ The only thing nice about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.... *"Silver rings, your butt! Them's washers!"* "We shot our way out of that town for a dollar's worth of steel holes!" - from 'The Wild Bunch' - 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NReUd2_0u0

01-27-2019, 05:43 PM	#7
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,432	Re: cracked head Some have used a bed of charcoal to do the heating and cool down since it cools down slow as it burns out and can be covered to keep the heat in longer. It can be fusion welded with cast iron pieces whittled from a bad block or head using a gas torch to melt. Some like the nickel rod but brass or silver filler might do just as well. Propane gas burners can be used as well but you have to baby sit them to turn the heat down over time. Guys that do fusion welding for a living have ovens built just for this type of work

01-27-2019, 06:22 PM	#8
5851a Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: NE Iowa Posts: 1,664	Re: cracked head This place does it every day. Lucky to have them not to far away, but your shipping would be bad. Welded a back corner bell housing mount back on to a block for me once, drove it 100,000 miles before selling car and never had a problem. http://midwestcylinderhead.com/services.php#casting

01-27-2019, 08:10 PM	#9
Craig CT Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sherman, CT Posts: 330	Re: cracked head Hi Lawrie; You could have other defects in the head that haven't shown up yet. I'd hang them on the wall and shave the ones you have. Good luck, Craig. __________________ " When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned " Mark Twain.

01-28-2019, 04:17 PM	#10
Bob/Ohio Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: N.E.Ohio Posts: 222	Re: cracked head Lawrie, I have welded a lot of cast iron over the years. Those cast heads would weld very well. My concern would be the location of the crack, and the amount of heat generated by welding it. Out near the edge vs in the middle would make a difference in the amount of warp you may get from the heat. You will have to true up the head surface when you are done welding. You will also have to do this after pinning, but you won't have to deal with the heat pulling the head surface around. Just my thoughts on this. Bob

01-28-2019, 04:24 PM	#11
slowforty Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Tinley Park Ill Posts: 1,061	Re: cracked head An old guy down the street used to weld up Flathead blocks, after he went through the port while doing a Porting job. I said how do you know when it is hot enough to weld. He said I put in on my wood stove in the shop. When i walk by the block i spit on it. When the spit sizzles then it is hot enough to weld up. Obviously this could be a winter project.