When I was a teenager I worked for a machine shop in Nashville TN and the boss there showed me all sorts of cool repairs. If you have a block that has windowed from a rod break it can be fixed if none of the structure is damaged. A lot of times the busted out part is long gone. You go to a scrap block and cut a piece out and use that. Like you said, unless it's super rare or real big it's usually good just to use it to repair the next one. We never used nickel because the expansion rates are so much different. On a long stringy crack you must find the ends of the crack. Mandatory. You drill a stop drill hole just past where the crack ends. We had cast iron plugs that were threaded on a taper like a pipe. V it out and you can clean it properly and use iron infused Devcon or it's cousin JBWeld. About every 1/2 inch or so down the crack put one of these plugs in. You grind these plugs flush with the block afterwards. The best way to me, notice I said me, is to braze the crack up. The thing here is sufficient and sustainable heat. We had old gas range burners that ran off of the natural gas supply in the building. After stopping drafts with welding blankets you heat and keep it hot until well after you are done. The heat is slowly brought down then just kept covered after you turn off the burners. It's got to cool slowly on any braze repair. The biggest thing to remember it there should be no sharp edges anywhere the brass will touch. Cast iron is pretty stupid metal compared to say, spring steel. Cast iron is stable and strong to an extent. But it lacks the alloys and other elements to make it have an identity. Cast has a lot of sand and other impurities in it that just doesn't weld. That's why it's so darned difficult. Back to sharp edges. The sharp edge will get hot faster and will overheat before the base metal and burn the steel out. That leaves the garbage behind that won't weld. Either you grind it out to good metal or scrap it. The trick to cast iron is to polish out all of the sharp edges like you are polishing a port. If possible grind only 2/3rds of the way through to the bottom of the crack. Round off any sharp edges. No mirror finished stuff here as you need some grinding marks to give the brass to grip to. Use a flux that is for cast iron. Talk to your welding supplier. We used a red powdered flux but there are blue fluxes too. Do your homework. If your heat is right the brass will flow like solder on a brass pipe. Do not overheat! After it has cooled past molten stage lightly peen the surface of the brass. We used to take the large sanding discs like for a 9 inch grinder and lay it flat and gently tap on the disc with the grit side down. That leaves the impression of the grit in the brass and helps relieve the stresses in the surface where it cools the thickest. A 40 to 60 grit works the best. It also helps hide the repair to make it more cosmetic when you paint it. Brazing takes years of practice on cast iron. Go find the oldest most established welding or machine shop. Get the old guy that has been doing this stuff. Brazing cast iron is not for beginners. If you must, go get some scrap blocks and practice. And practice some more. Remember... clean, smooth, rounded, proper flux, pre-heat, don't burn the metal and cool slowly. Oh yeah..... go find that experienced guy. Shut your mouth, open your eyes and ears. Learn something. Ask intelligent questions. I tried to keep this basic and simple and it still was a friggin book. Good luck! Cheers Terry from South Carolina
UTG, are you reading this? If you can go down the rabbit hole of points distributors and fuel economy quackery, find a guy like this local to you who knows how to blacksmith or do diesel repair the old way (not the lincoln tech way). We salvaged a cracked cylinder head off a John Deere Model 40 pined and brazed it since we had to time, rebuild the exhaust port on the Gravely walk behind when the bolt housing snapped off the side of the flathead. Machinist58, absolutely SPOT ON about grabbing a broken block (like a chevy 305 no one wants to repair a 400 4 bolt small block with an ear busted off) and taking parts from that! I have some old "NFG" blocks lying around for that purpose. people just give'em away as garage art. I used to do some "cutaways" with them like the old 1950's shop class or dealership demo would have, with the new special parts for the engine painted in Rustoleum chrome or something.
I just love learning about ways to save things by repairing them and not replacing them. I remember hanging with a buddy at his repair shop one time when he asked if I wanted to go to our local junk yard to grab a few things he needed to finish up a repair on some 80's Chrysler, window switches for both sides didn't work and he said his partner at the shop tried to fix them and couldn't. I took that switch with me and went searching, found two switches that looked the same except the main plug was either in the wrong spot or something like that. When we got to the shop and I had everything laid out it looked like I could take the switch apart which I did and I used all the good parts and got two working switches. I then looked at what was left ( parts that his partner screwed up taking it apart ) and I said I can fix this as his partner was walking by, he stopped and said ( with a Tude ) you can't fix it cause I already tried. 15 min later I had two working switches and walked over and handed them to him and said now you have spares and walked away, he walked out mumbling under his breath, my buddy was laughing and said to me your just a dick aren't you lol.
TIG brazing is far faster and more effective than gas. Use phospor bronze rod DC current. Deeper cracks do a root pass, but most can be repaired in one go. Get everything as clean as you can, but if the casting is oil soaked, or very dirty, might be a need to go over it with the torch a few times, to get the crap out.
@@humourless682 that's one thing I tried to do but had no success at. I was going to show my troops that it could be done and naturally....... I realize now I probably had the polarity wrong. Heat is heat right? Logic says it should be able to be done......... Famous last words. Never show off new things in front of the trainees...... LOL! Cheers Terry
A method we used on flatheads (three times) was th stip the block completely, build a large wood fire, put the block in the fire and hallow it to heat up. Not red hot be hot. Brazed with two torches at once and let it cool. One raced a whole season with no further problems. Back in the 50's ya had to improvise!!!!
I have an oxy acetylene welding book from 1939. Really great book. Details almost every fix and procedure you could imagine. Even just experimental fixes. But I remember a section on repair of large locomotive parts made of iron. It showed how to build a fire and preheat the iron. Also while the fire would added carbon to the weld. I gotta find that book! Better not have lost it when I moved.
Flathead fords had the good crack, and the bad crack. Getting 'em hot was only half the battle, you had to make sure the metal cooled slowly and uniformly--some of the blacksmithers would shove the part into a pile of sand so it wouldn't air cool if you were too cheap for welding blankets no doubt, UTG's should really look at old blacksmithing tricks for engine building. How to de-rust an old part with molasses dip or electrolysis in washing soda, using bolts and nuts to press push frozen valve guides into hot cylinder heads and so on. if we can sit thru fuel economy scams, we can learn how to save an old part to save dough or after "the big one" hits and you just can't order up a replacement cylinder head or something.
Repairing it by 'pinning' is the best choice for a crack like that. Actually, once done it can be made very undetectable. Pinning is way better than welding for a non-stressed area.
@@UberLummox Not brass. It's a ferric alloy. You want the thermal rate near to cast iron. Basically, in a nutshell, you drill a series of spaced holes along the distance of the crack, extending beyond the crack to stop it from migrating. Tap the holes, thread a pin into the hole with threadlocker, snap off the driving head, grind down the protruding end. Install another round between the first set so they overlap each other until the entire crack is 'stitched' All of them should overlap and be as deep as the base material. Once this is done it will be sealed and the repair should be peened to relieve stress. Once done it's pretty well obscured, not invisible. I've seen heads done and put back into service with no problem.
@@UberLummox Some call it 'stitching'. You can use regular grade 2 bolts and whizz the heads off. You can buy kits with snap off bolts and a jig. This biggest thing is to get the spacing right. It's not hard to make a jig. A long time ago it was all done by hand. Back in the days of steam engines it was required before welding was really perfected. Cast iron is a very fickle metal to weld (not braze) in the best of cases. Back then the cast iron was so junky and full of impurities it was almost impossible. For a block I would trust this method over welding. That block will be perfectly fine for use after it's fixed. Just as good as before. A long, long time ago I needed a cast iron part welded and went to a REAL welding shop. The guy that owned the place, an old timer told me 'I can weld it for you but It's gonna let you down, It's gonna let you down.' So I just left and bought a junkyard part.
Pinning or stitching isn't a bad idea, certainly in a non-stress area of a skirted block. since its down that low, the block can also take some HardBlok or concrete fill--was normal on drag engines back when aftermarket blocks were just a dream. Combustion heat is concentrated at the top of the cylinder, and a few street racers even made it to their destination driving with a block having concrete in the lower half to keep the main caps from walking around. naturally, running on alcohol rather than gasoline will help (runs cooler) even more.
I wish I had someone 20 years ago that explained these things. You are a wealth of knowledge. I always heard Cleveland was better than a Windsor but no one ever said why. You are the why to my understanding Uncle Tony!
@@Andrew_406 As I said, more GM nonsense. Those dorks started the whole small block and big block crap, which has no place in the Ford world. 351C/351M/400 are 335's. 370/429/460 are 3.85's. 289/302/351W are 90º, and the rest are FE's.
I bought a '73 Dart with a 318 once. When the engine reached operating temp, the oil pressure dropped to zero. Broke down the engine to rebuild, and brought the block in to be boiled. Cracked cam bearing bore, scrap block. Put in a junkyard 318, and on the first fireup again when the temp came up the oil pressure was zero. Don't know, but suspect it had the same problem. The junkyard was a good one, and honored the 30 day warrantee. The replacement engine ran fine for years. Never before or after had I heard of a cracked cam bearing journal.
"All of the sand" doesn't always fall out. In high school a friend had a 74 360 that always over heated and the cause was only realized when he rebuilt the motor and found a bunch of sand still in the block.
Drill holes at the end of each crack, tap it for a screw in plug. Then do the same thing between the plugs along the crack. Grind it smooth and its done. Might take a few to seal it but it works.
Had an 83 Camaro when I was a young fellow and it got left without antifreeze. CRACK right on the side of the block. I was devastated. All my fault. A freak freeze in Alabama busted my 305HO and I thought it was a goner for sure. That's when my dad introduced me to JB Weld. And I honestly thought he was crazy. Used it and continued to drive that car for the next 3 years. I even almost forgot about it.
Yeah I fixed a nasty crack in the 360 on my Trailduster with JBweld as a teenager too. There used to be a story on the JBweld package about how the City of Dallas, Texas repaired a cracked Caterpillar engine block with JBweld in a pinch and saved 4 grand and 30 hours down time. JBweld is some super strong stuff, it gets a bad reputation from people who don't properly clean the surface or people who mistakenly buy the JBkwik rubber cement junk made by the same brand.
This can work on lifter valley cracks as well but it's very hokey, IMO. Much less risk in the case of external cracks and if done carefully (prep, clean grease/oil[) it can hold up for a very long time.
I tried JB Weld on a dodge 5.2 with a crack between a piston and a cooling port. It ran for about 10 minutes,then began happily mixing oil and coolant again, while pressurizing the intake manifold way high. Coulda been my bad weld, but I’m pretty good! It was the work of several months of weekends and evenings,still sits in a corner of my shop years later, not sure what, (if anything) I will ever do with it.
I've run into to those main journal cracks before and it is so defeating to find them it just kills any estimate you make before you take it apart to inspect it. I would always just go to the scrap yard and get another one on the cast iron blocks. When M.Benz went to full aluminum blocks the same thing happened in the exact same place, right in the middle of the main journals, where the oil ports were. Some guys would try and weld them up to try and save the customer about $3500 for a short block at that time, but eventually just they ended up replacing the whole engine anyway because you can't guarantee it to last for 2 weeks let alone another 100,000 miles, and a complete bottom end (short block ) for the Engine was cheaper and quicker to fix due to the extra labor required to rebuild it on an empty block at the time, and since they were new you couldn't find any of those in a scrap yard either. Great info Uncle Tony. Keep'em coming.
I love the leader into the repair procedure and then not telling us what it is. You have peaked my curiosity and I can’t wait to see what it is. Smart way to retain interest. Your a clever cookie
When I sent my '65 383 mag to the machine shop I had a feeling something was up. Yep a curved crack on drivers side from center plug to front plug, not all the way. Cost me $548.00 for them to fix. Now you can't even tell it was ever touched.
UTG is wrong about "freeze plugs". That was a myth, back in the early days farmers would save a dollar using just water as coolant and one noticed his core plug popped out in winter and Ford took credit for it since he had his reputation as thinking about the little guy. How do we know? b/c UTG shows us right here, his 361 cracked there. Water has no brain, it doesn't look for the way out of the block that won't offend the block's owner. Fast forward to 1969, Ford threads its core plugs on the Boss 302 block to gain strength to its low deck Windsor block--why do that if they're meant to push out? They only exist to let core sand pour out after manufacturing.
You have just answered a question that has been bothering me for over 50 yrs. Why the block cracks if the frost plugs were designed to stop it. AHA!! The frost plugs were never designed for that. They were designed to allow the sand to come out.
Ok contrary to my earlier comment about Oldsmobiles never crack, I got a story. Around 1987 ish, these older feller's I knew were messing with 403 Olds engines. Without getting into all that, I'm gonna say this... Keith from skinny kid race cars is the person in particular I'm taking about... He had a 500plus hp 403 olds in the driveway around 1987. Car was a 1972 cutlass supreme body. He parked it outside in a Detroit winter. Come April we found the poor 403 with the windowed webs block split in about 5 pieces because of water only and he forgot to drain it. He let the block freeze and split in 5 pieces. I was there. Anyway the roof of this particular car ended up being on the first generation white with gold stripes, Brian Robbins driven Hurst Olds alcohol blower and hat car that skinny kid built while doing all the mustang stuff. That first car before it wrecked only shared the roof to the car I'm talking about where the 403 froze and pretty much split in half. Damn Tony, we are getting old. I just had to tell you this story about "cracked blocks". It's not even my only story about cracked 403 oldsmobile engines. I know the vid is about hairline cracks and how to fix em, but I couldn't resist throwing that one out there. Edit : had to do the edit. I was fresh 18 years old and had a big block muscle car myself, but got an opportunity to take Keith, now "skinny kid"s racecar with the 403 to Milan dragway for high school nationals. That was always a big deal and alot of men put their teenager into their 9 sec back half rides. I got to run this 11 sec Olds with a quarter stick hurst shifter. I was so freaking nervous over that shifter at the time. We made one pass, I went 12.01 lifting. Then we got rained out. I had to add this part in the edit. I knew Keith for years before he became "skinny kid". The name fits him however as he was a grown man about 135 pounds and lived off of mountain dew and butter noodles. It's not a requirement but many of our "hero" drag car guys lived off of a similar non healthy diet back when they were young and hungry. All the money went to the program, eating food was not even in the picture.
Awesome video Tony! I believe the original Big Foot 429 block had some welds in it because of the abuse it went through and replacement parts were so hard to find.
Back in my younger years I welded up well over 100 blocks (mainly chevy) used in dirt track racing. I always arc welded them up with nickle rod and had great success.
@@duncandmcgrath6290 I have a chevy 250 block with a small maybe 3/8” long crack from someone tightening a corner head bolt. There is a coolant passage on the inside. Do you think I’d be better to try to stick weld with nickel or just put some JB weld. I’m just worried about seepage if I don’t fix it
As a teenager I "fixed" some kind of crack in the rear of my offroad beater Traildusters 360. It started losing coolant fast from between the engine and transmission and I couldn't actually see the crack but I could feel it. Lucky I was able to just barely push a couple fingers and a small wire brush into the area between the flexplate and the block and got it clean enough to JBweld most of the crack shut except for the very top of it which I could not reach and then I took care of the slow drip with stop leak. That fix was still holding when the transmission quit on me.
I did that exact same thing on the other end of a 273 it cracked at the water inlet for the water pump, I cleaned it as best I could, J B welded it and clamped it over a weekend, it forever had a drop out of the bottom bolt at that fitting but ran for years.
@@jeffsr8300 That's awesome! Saved yourself a lot of money there for sure! My first car was a 68 Satellite which is still my main beater going on 13-14 years later and it had a 66 model solid lift factory 4 barrel 273 when I got it. It had absolutely no power below 2000 RPM but otherwise it was a great motor that put up with years of abuse from a crazy young driver. After the 273 started to smoke really bad, pressurize the cooling system and started knocking briefly on cold starts I replaced it with a carb swapped 5.9 Magnum that makes awesome power.
Depending on where the cracks are located, a simple yet effective solution is to add coolant into the system and start the engine bringing it up to closer to operating temperature and add a can of evaporated milk NOT SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK into the coolant and run it for about 20 minutes adding coolant and more evaporated milk as needed. The evaporated milk seeps into the cracks and cooks into a solid only in the crack and seals it with a solid that will last for years and can even be painted over for a nearly invisible repair. This will not plug up things you don’t want plugged such as radiator or heater core tubes that aren’t leaking. This is actually THE ONLY form of stop leaks which John Deere recommends and accepts that will not void their warranty, and if it’s approved by John Deere for use on machines that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, then it is good enough for me. I have even used it when a head gasket went and I had to get home before I could fix it. 2 years later and I still haven’t changed the head gasket and there has been no coolant loss, no overheating, and the heater has been working fine for 2 winters. I have used it on leaky radiators and heater cores as well as cracked blocks with 100% success and swear by it.
I saved a 360 block that had been dropped after all the machine work was completed. The prior owner JB Welded the corner of the block including a portion of the deck back on the block. He raced it for a couple of years before I bought it. The chunk ran through the water port from the water pump up into the inner valley up to the deck in a triangular shape. I ground out the surface areas of the JB weld and used special cast iron wire for my MIG welder. It runs fantastic and quit leaking into the head bolt hole after welding.
Back before the after market started making new Ford 427 blocks again , I saw some extreme lengths gone to, to save or resurrect heavily damaged or over bored blocks .Like side skirts with huge chunks blown out both sides or furnace brazing all new cylinders in.
Back in the early ninetys we used to go to Napa and get a bottle of KW diesel block sealer .just be sure to follow the instructions exactly . The 440 is in a 68 Roadrunner to this day , the 421 S.D. Pontiac was destroyed in a barn fire 10-12 years ago .
I can think of two 426 HEMI cars that were from my area, they were less than ten years old at the time, and were bought and sold numerous times, going through many hands. They were always bought with wiped out bottom ends, and the new owner would grind the crank and replace bearings and put it back together. Sometime shortly after, new owner would be going for it and boom, history repeats itself, up for sale. I used to hear the stories from the local strokers that HEMI’s had notoriously weak bottom ends, and everyone nodded their heads. Eventually, someone looked a little deeper and discovered that both engines had cracked main webs, and at some point enough oil would take the short cut through the crack and spun bearings again. The cracks likely collateral damage from years earlier. Since then, I’ve seen another HEMI block that looked fine on the outside, but looked like someone had brazed the main webs in numerous places, and I can’t imagine what caused that amount of damage without opening a window.
That may explain my neighbors car. 67 hemi charger. He bought it new. In about 1974 the bottom end went out. Put a new crank in it. Drove it. Did same thing. In 1976 he asks me if I wanted to buy it for $800 bucks.
Tony I love how you described around 12:02 where the most stressed and weakest part of any V8 is located. You have experience with Nitro hemi stuff so you know by fact how much this area is stressed and how important it is. Just ask any 650+hp Ford 302 stock block guy how important this area is!
500 HP on a stock 302 has it flexing enough to loosen intake manifold bolts and snap oil pump ears off. If you're pushing 650 you need an aftermarket block like now.
I cracked the cast iron block of a Volvo diesel in my tug boat about 10 years ago. A welder buddy of mine (passed now) had what looked like a wax stick that he dabbed on the crack once it was heated a lot with a propane torch. It melted like wax and flowed into the crack. It had metals in it I think and smelt like sulphur when it was heated. The engine still runs to this day, and is used all and every summer with no leaks. Now I know my diesel does not have a pressurized water jacket like a car does, but I am still impressed. Problem is I asked him at the time where he got it, and who made it, but the make wasn't marked on it, and he had had it years and couldn't remember where he bought it.
Great video. I suspect you will be doing metal stitching. A real art and skill in reparing cast iron cracks that is a permanent solution. Still see this being used in classic car repairs here in the UK. Amazing to see this being performed to repair a cracked block. Thanks for the superb channel.
In the early "80s I worked as a mechanic. I know most people never change their antifreeze (now or then) Today the rust inhibitors are much better. I know you are from the south because you talk about running water only. Anyway I noticed mopar products had much more water jacket rust than F or GM. An old radiator man told me Chrysler didn't "pickel" their castings properly. Has anyone else had this experience? #2 permatex to install freeze plugs.
1990 Geo Tracker engine blocks (G16A) all crack in the block where the crank bearing sits. You can just rebuild them and forget about the crack, and the engine will run beautifully like it wasn't even there. Not all cracks are block killers
@@novinnovations4026 Or maybe say you might notice minor cracks that usually aren't an issue. I was just saying, passing along your experience is a kind gesture.
Tony I've watched many a video on fixing cracks on flathead ford V8s. I got a daily driver 1950 Ford Tudor sedan (2 door post). I'm almost certain this engine is not original to the car. But anyway the way I understand it every flathead Ford today that hasn't been built recently by a "professional" then there are cracks between the exhaust seats especially and into the top of the cylinder bores. I have no doubt that old flathead banging away in my car now has cracks. Thing is it still runs freaking great. I can push start the car with one foot leaving the gas pump dumping the clutch in first only pedaling it about 10 feet. Anyway...cracks on other engines are a big deal especially when they find water. The flathead community truly has several unconventional means of fixing cracks. Always watch uncle Tony, but also pay attention to these flathead ford channels for crack repair tips. Love ya man! Take care Tony!
I once fixed a cracked 318 in an 85 dodge pickup with JB Weld. The thing frost heaved and broke open inside just above the lifter bores on both sides. I cleaned, ground, torched, pounded, and grooved out the cracks, mixed a big batch of jb weld and put a thick patch into and well around it. The thing ran and I sold it to a guy letting him know exactly what I did and told him to call me when it finally blew out again. 2 years later he called me to say it was still running and his kid was going to drive it to high school!
Ford Boss 302's threaded their core plugs to give strength to the block. They weren't meant to be pushed out, water doesn't have a brain to find its way to the exit. Many snowbelt drivers put their block heater into the core plug opening, and other engine builders swaged the core plugs. automakers would be more than happy to sell you another engine when you don't follow the owner's manual. Meanwhile, since this is intended to be a race block, time to pour in some HardBlok--only the top few inches of the bores' gonna get hot anyway during operation.
Well, when the block comes off the assembly line, the freeze plug holes are in ideal condition. When the freeze plugs need replacement, often those holes are in far from ideal condition, and polishing them up is no guarantee of a good seal. As a result, people will put anaerobic sealer on freeze plugs during installation. 10:00 Yes, in extremely rare parts, furnace welding is a great thing. However, there can be a long waiting list to get it. 11:56 It has been said to be the the end of many military humvee diesels. Some companies had to make greatly redesigned 6.5 diesels that wouldn't do it, but fit wherever a 6.5 or 6.2 diesel was installed.
Uncle Tony, you bring forth some valuable points and information. The idea of not using sealants on freeze plugs is legitimate and has been practiced by my father for as long as I can remember. However as an owner of a automotive machine shop, this practice will serve only liability. You must make every effort to ensure that plug does not leak. On the issue of cracks caused in the lifter valley during a freeze, those too can be caused by the stress of the intake manifold being torqued down spreading the block out. Conversely the cracks on the outer side of the block can very easily caused by binding engine mounts. I have dealt with blocks being flexed to the max on numerous occasions. I one instance the engine went into a new car. The engine had already seen life in another race car and was freshened up with no out of character corrections. The way the engine was mounted in the new car proved to be extremely rough on the block when the car went into severe tire shake. It literally tried to tear the Bellhousing of the block off. The chassis issues were corrected and so was the same block. The block lived well afterwards. So severe tire shake and engine mounting parameters can introduce issues.
Looks to be a good vid coming up, I'm pretty sure I know how your going to do it. I've seen it done, never tried it myself. It will be interesting to see you guys do it. Good vid UT
In the day got a v8 Monza for $50 that had a triangle broken out of the side. We pulled it and found the piece. Had Marinetek glue and stuck it in for shits and giggles. We weren't going to waste time putting in anything. Buddy shows up, needs anything that ran for a work car, he's down and out. Gave it to him, it never did die.
Tony worked in a foundry for some time and actually these core plugs primary reason is to set the core. The core is a sand based mold that is chemically treated to hold shape during the pour and the heat then bakes the core which falls apart as the casting cools. Had to maintain these core machines and they are a real pain in the ass to keep working as that binding agent gets into everything so you are constantly repairing the machine for the next days operations.
I know of a repair to a tractor block, cracked water jacket: he drilled and tapped holes to match a plate large enough to cover the crack. Slathered it with jbweld put on the plate and torqued down the bolts.
You're rite bout a crack in the galley area but a guy knowing how to handle a oxyacetylene set could (95%) sure do a brass repair on that block.🤔🙏 Love the content Tony Keep it coming 👍👍
Run that 361 down to Johnathan W👍 get him to do a collab. JW has a triumph herald that he started a few years back and the comments got bad nuff he quit on it. 427-350turbo car😁😁 dana 60 n Corvette spindles on front Take a sheet metal guy and wrap that hotrod up💔 if he'll let ya. Much Love regardless
yea.. no sealer on the core plugs? tell that to every rebuilder in the country .. when that utg 318 was on Nick's dyno .. EVERY core plug leaked water .. the question was raised and the answer was Tony didn't have any sealer at the time .. no one builds an engine with the expectation of freezing ..
@@tonyc223 yep .. as if a swipe of permatex will permanetly bond the plug in place .. the plugs weren't designed to pop out and if any do the block may be cracked too .. i've applied a sealer to core plugs since 1971 when i built my first 327 .. on circle track engines i drill and tap the outer diameter and add 2 machine screws to make sure they don't come out
This is perfect timing cuz I've got a 7.3 the previous owner cracked but sealed up just enough that I didn't notice it on purchase (had to replace the oil cooler and flush the system which cleared out the sealer as well) I'll definitely be tuning in to the next video
The oldtimers used to tell me to use Indian Head or Gasgacinch gasket shellac on core plugs because those would seal imperfections, but still allow them to push out if it freezes
At the Ford Windsor Engine plant casting defects and cracks account for alot of air test leaks .We separate them out and return them to the vendor (nemak) .
Goodson used to sell the stitching pins and accessories. I bought some a few years ago on closeout and now I don't see threaded pins listed anymore. Who has a good source?
We had issues with some highly modified, race only blocks losing the core plugs so they were tapped and brass pipe plugs installed. These engines were always in climate controlled environments or on the track. Between race seasons, when in storage, all fluids were drained anyway. Otherwise, yes, you are correct...no sealer. Clean the plug bores and install the plugs dry.
Remove the pipe plug and install a 1/4 turn ball valve as opposed to a radiator petcock UNLESS you pay attention to a potentially clogged petcock. A clogged petcock won't drain water, be aware if water doesn't exit doesn't mean the block is empty or drained of water. With a ball valve on the other hand, a small screwdriver or coat hanger wire can be inserted through the open valve to dislodge debris. Don't rely on core plugs to eject during freezing weather, they were never intended for this purpose. Those openings are there to allow flushing debris from the block after the factory casting process.
The holes were there also as a way to hold the cores in place by an arm that extended from the inside of the block to the outside of the block. Later the rough cast holes were bored round.
I had a SBF I was going to use, and it sat outside exposed to rain, then a rapid freeze. Split in several places to the cylinders. Downside to thin-wall casting! 😤
My brother who is not a mechanic decided the engine in his Volvo P1800 needed a rebuild. They got the machine work done ad were assembling it when another friend arrived with a dozen browns. They had just pushed one of the piston assemblies in, installed the rod cap and finger tightened the nuts without torqueing them. Had a beer and continued installing the pistons. Got it all assembled and back in the car. Dad who was mechanically inclined told him to come get him when they went to start it. Well, they started it and were setting the timing and carb when it started knocking. Those rod nuts backed off and the rod came out the side. He got very fortunate in that the rod just knocked tw.o pieces out of the side but the pan rail was intact. Took the block and pieces to a welding shop and they V'd the pieces and block, tapped the pieces into place and brazed them in. A new con rod, grind the mains and new main bearings and they got it running. This time he got Dad out for startup. Ran well for a couple of more years and he decided to sell it. Lesson learned, never install bolts without tightening them. Dad had a friend who was a journeyman mechanic and Sunnen rep. He had told me that "never install a bolt without torqueing it" bit of wisdom.
I had an engine that had thrown a rod threw the side of the block and someone welded it up and its been perfect ever since.. been running that engine for 7 years.
Bought a 71 roadrunner back in the 80's with a title for $100 , was going to rebuild and put the 383 in a 72 ' Cuda, but it was cracked up under the intake like that, I heard Heb McCandless had some new 440 short blocks with steel crank and flat tops for $800 ,used the 906's off the 383 and added hemi valv springs, would love to have that road runner now ,was actually a really good body, that was back when the cars were still cheap
On occasion I've had plugs walk out. With high rpm builds, we have gone to threaded plugs and burst panels just like blowers use for back fires. I believe they are a universal size.
As usual you are right. However this one was special. Full port/relieved, over bore on a Canadian block. Rumor had it that the Canadian 59AB were of a higher nickel content. Based on this rumor we went up to Canada and purchased eight 59AB blocks from a junkyard. They were stamped 59AB with the word CANADA also on the bell housing. Not many of us left to either prove or dis-prove this but we found that the blocks did last longer. ?????
On using a rad drain valve, most valves will accept a piece of 1/4" brake line. This will allow you to put a piece of hose on the tubing when draining into a pan.
I have an old hot rodder type magazine from the 50's or early 60's where they stitch repaired a block by drilling along the crack and screwing in threaded plugs the length of the crack, overlapping each threaded plug a bit so they can't back out. Once ground down you'd never know the block was cracked. If it was mine I'd do that and also add a bit of block cement to help reinforce the bottom end a little bit.
I'm a retired engine builder. I came across a top oiler 427 that was fixed exactly the way you described. It never leaked. It was in the lifter valley of the engine. After they fixed it, someone polished the inside like you would an intake port, the entire lifter valley. They also polished the rest of the inside of the block. Looks like a mirror. Very impressive.
For external cracks like that in an iron block, I just braze them. You only do about half inch at a time to avoid overheating the casting and creating more cracks. Much faster and just as good in a non stressed area like an external freeze crack in a water jacket. Done dozens of them as this is very common in marine engines that were not winterized. Pinning is the best, but its very time consuming and I could probably braze 5 other blocks in the time it takes to do one pinning job. Welding with a nickel rod requires more prep and unless done properly, will cause more cracks due to thermal shock. Not something to try unless you really know what you are doing. How you pin a motor, is you start by grinding the area to be stitched to clean metal, then you spot mag the block to find the true ends of the crack. Its usually farther than is visible. You then drill both ends of crack to keep the crack from propagating - a crack will not propagate through a radius. Now you can you begin stitching it. You start at one end of the crack and drill your hole to size, tap it, and screw in the cast iron pin with the proper sealant. Then you break it off flush with the surface, grind it flat, and drill your next hole so that the hole overlaps with the pin your just put in. You will be locking the first pin in place with the second so it can't loosen. Tap the new hole, screw in the cast iron pin, break it off, grind it flush, and repeat until your have stitched the entire crack. Like I said, very time consuming to do it right. Once completed and ground down, you can hide the repair with paint.
"Unweldable" blocks have been repaired successfully with SFA5.7 ERCuAl-A2 with no preheat, although preheating is best of course. Not ideal for the hottest parts of an engine, exhaust ports exhaust manifolds - melts at about 1900F. You might like to try it out... Aluminium Bronze. :)
I guess really all cracks are stress cracks, but the freezing is more or less a static force that overstresses the material while dynamic operational stresses are the result of high RPM repeated impacts. Another type of dynamic stress would be a shock or impact to the casting, such as being dropped on something very hard or, perhaps shot. In this case, the amount of energy reaching the point of impact is more than can be evenly spread, with the result of a stress riser right near there. As you say, hosiery is the ordinary effect of cracks.
Shop I used to visit used to fix blocks in the back. Had a propane hibachi long grill that sat on the floor. Warm up the block. Then bring out the gas axe out and fix the crack . Then youd see him wack away with a hammer. He was busy enough he did it every time I was over there. Should have learned to do it when I had the chance I would be rolling in dough
I'd like to see how long a backyard crack weld job holds up... Grind the crack back cold, run the engine up to temp. Drain the radiator while running so it runs hot (but not overheat) switch ignition off, drain oil, drill and stick weld while everything is hot.
My 318 cracked there between the plugs on both sides. I fixed it by using a grinder in the crack and mixed up some j.b. weld. It allowed me to drive another few weeks until the wife said she didn’t trust it. No leaks, no more cracks.
Boss had a nice convertible back in 78 231 odd firing special, white and a black top . It was cracked in exactly the same way between the plugs left side. Marine Tex . I have also had a bad experience with a very small crack in a block just below the deck rt side
I live in Michigan and I found that the brass freeze plugs or core plugs work way better and they don't rot out cuz we tend to use salt in the winter on the roads here plus it's a softer metal so it does move a little easier than the steel core plugs do if I do something stupid like leave water in my block which when I was young and had a lot less money have ran water in my system before just to get by during summertime
The drain is the same on small block Ford too. Couldn’t you just do a short fill with Hardblock afterwards? It would be dedicated drag race for the most part, but it would ensure water not being that low in the block.
Mopar muscle magazine did an artical on a crack in a factory big block head . the drill holes and used special fun threaded bolts and pushed each bolt up against the other crwating an air tight bond till they filled up the crack then cut the bolts of flush and then took a hammer and punch and tapped the middle of the boltsthen finished grinding them down till they blended into the head and the crack was fixed
Maybe I'll say something tomorrow on live, but I wouldn't mind your take on how to build not a "performance" engine, but just a super reliable one. When I get a vintage car, I'm not going to race it. I'll be driving it as much as possible. Id want my engine build to have stock power (though extra power would be a pleasant surprise) and be able to drive 2-4 hours on a trip and not have to worry about breaking down.
My uncle Franny showed me the petcock on the lower drain plug holes a long time ago. It really saves time and a big mess when you're swapping an intake or water pump. Seems like uncle's know things.........
in the marine industry up here in washington, they crack all the time. i have drill and pinned a few but there's no warranty on that so if it leaks someplace else, the customer is still looking at a shortblock plus labor plus parts. Jaspers makes it to easy and to cheap to F around, these days, if one cracks, i sell the shortblock R&R for 700 + i can swap it over in a day and everybody is happy the first try
If freezing water is strong enough to crack cast iron it is certainly strong enough to push out a core plug. The reason some people use sealant on new core plugs is probably because the cast iron is pitted so the sealant is extra leak security. It doesn’t mean it will stop a core plug from popping out.
My guess is you're going to use the Lock n stitch method to repair the crack. I've always thought that was a pretty cool way to repair a crack.. I want to say even Jay Leno had a block of his repaired using that method.
Reckon your repair maybe similar to what we do with fire sprinkler pipe , bang cotton into the crack. Sprinkler pipe runs at 1200kPa no problem with this repair. Old timer showed me this years ago , reckoned he was pulling my leg ... he wasn't.
If you use your flux core welder no need for nickel rod or anything special. Warm it up with a torch and weld you will be surprised how well it works especially on exhaust manifolds.
When I was a teenager I worked for a machine shop in Nashville TN and the boss there showed me all sorts of cool repairs. If you have a block that has windowed from a rod break it can be fixed if none of the structure is damaged. A lot of times the busted out part is long gone. You go to a scrap block and cut a piece out and use that. Like you said, unless it's super rare or real big it's usually good just to use it to repair the next one.
We never used nickel because the expansion rates are so much different. On a long stringy crack you must find the ends of the crack. Mandatory. You drill a stop drill hole just past where the crack ends. We had cast iron plugs that were threaded on a taper like a pipe. V it out and you can clean it properly and use iron infused Devcon or it's cousin JBWeld. About every 1/2 inch or so down the crack put one of these plugs in. You grind these plugs flush with the block afterwards.
The best way to me, notice I said me, is to braze the crack up. The thing here is sufficient and sustainable heat. We had old gas range burners that ran off of the natural gas supply in the building. After stopping drafts with welding blankets you heat and keep it hot until well after you are done. The heat is slowly brought down then just kept covered after you turn off the burners. It's got to cool slowly on any braze repair.
The biggest thing to remember it there should be no sharp edges anywhere the brass will touch.
Cast iron is pretty stupid metal compared to say, spring steel. Cast iron is stable and strong to an extent. But it lacks the alloys and other elements to make it have an identity. Cast has a lot of sand and other impurities in it that just doesn't weld. That's why it's so darned difficult. Back to sharp edges. The sharp edge will get hot faster and will overheat before the base metal and burn the steel out. That leaves the garbage behind that won't weld. Either you grind it out to good metal or scrap it.
The trick to cast iron is to polish out all of the sharp edges like you are polishing a port. If possible grind only 2/3rds of the way through to the bottom of the crack. Round off any sharp edges. No mirror finished stuff here as you need some grinding marks to give the brass to grip to.
Use a flux that is for cast iron. Talk to your welding supplier. We used a red powdered flux but there are blue fluxes too. Do your homework.
If your heat is right the brass will flow like solder on a brass pipe. Do not overheat! After it has cooled past molten stage lightly peen the surface of the brass. We used to take the large sanding discs like for a 9 inch grinder and lay it flat and gently tap on the disc with the grit side down. That leaves the impression of the grit in the brass and helps relieve the stresses in the surface where it cools the thickest. A 40 to 60 grit works the best. It also helps hide the repair to make it more cosmetic when you paint it.
Brazing takes years of practice on cast iron. Go find the oldest most established welding or machine shop. Get the old guy that has been doing this stuff. Brazing cast iron is not for beginners. If you must, go get some scrap blocks and practice. And practice some more. Remember... clean, smooth, rounded, proper flux, pre-heat, don't burn the metal and cool slowly.
Oh yeah..... go find that experienced guy. Shut your mouth, open your eyes and ears. Learn something. Ask intelligent questions.
I tried to keep this basic and simple and it still was a friggin book.
Good luck!
Cheers
Terry from South Carolina
Solid advice 👌 thx
UTG, are you reading this? If you can go down the rabbit hole of points distributors and fuel economy quackery, find a guy like this local to you who knows how to blacksmith or do diesel repair the old way (not the lincoln tech way). We salvaged a cracked cylinder head off a John Deere Model 40 pined and brazed it since we had to time, rebuild the exhaust port on the Gravely walk behind when the bolt housing snapped off the side of the flathead.
Machinist58, absolutely SPOT ON about grabbing a broken block (like a chevy 305 no one wants to repair a 400 4 bolt small block with an ear busted off) and taking parts from that! I have some old "NFG" blocks lying around for that purpose. people just give'em away as garage art. I used to do some "cutaways" with them like the old 1950's shop class or dealership demo would have, with the new special parts for the engine painted in Rustoleum chrome or something.
I just love learning about ways to save things by repairing them and not replacing them. I remember hanging with a buddy at his repair shop one time when he asked if I wanted to go to our local junk yard to grab a few things he needed to finish up a repair on some 80's Chrysler, window switches for both sides didn't work and he said his partner at the shop tried to fix them and couldn't. I took that switch with me and went searching, found two switches that looked the same except the main plug was either in the wrong spot or something like that. When we got to the shop and I had everything laid out it looked like I could take the switch apart which I did and I used all the good parts and got two working switches.
I then looked at what was left ( parts that his partner screwed up taking it apart ) and I said I can fix this as his partner was walking by, he stopped and said ( with a Tude ) you can't fix it cause I already tried. 15 min later I had two working switches and walked over and handed them to him and said now you have spares and walked away, he walked out mumbling under his breath, my buddy was laughing and said to me your just a dick aren't you lol.
TIG brazing is far faster and more effective than gas. Use phospor bronze rod DC current. Deeper cracks do a root pass, but most can be repaired in one go. Get everything as clean as you can, but if the casting is oil soaked, or very dirty, might be a need to go over it with the torch a few times, to get the crap out.
@@humourless682 that's one thing I tried to do but had no success at. I was going to show my troops that it could be done and naturally.......
I realize now I probably had the polarity wrong. Heat is heat right? Logic says it should be able to be done.........
Famous last words.
Never show off new things in front of the trainees...... LOL!
Cheers
Terry
A method we used on flatheads (three times) was th stip the block completely, build a large wood fire, put the block in the fire and hallow it to heat up. Not red hot be hot. Brazed with two torches at once and let it cool. One raced a whole season with no further problems. Back in the 50's ya had to improvise!!!!
exactly what i was about to comment, natural wood coal fire is just the right temp
I have an oxy acetylene welding book from 1939. Really great book. Details almost every fix and procedure you could imagine. Even just experimental fixes. But I remember a section on repair of large locomotive parts made of iron. It showed how to build a fire and preheat the iron. Also while the fire would added carbon to the weld. I gotta find that book! Better not have lost it when I moved.
But, back in the fifties flatheads were a dime a dozen...they were giving them away...
Flathead fords had the good crack, and the bad crack. Getting 'em hot was only half the battle, you had to make sure the metal cooled slowly and uniformly--some of the blacksmithers would shove the part into a pile of sand so it wouldn't air cool if you were too cheap for welding blankets
no doubt, UTG's should really look at old blacksmithing tricks for engine building. How to de-rust an old part with molasses dip or electrolysis in washing soda, using bolts and nuts to press push frozen valve guides into hot cylinder heads and so on. if we can sit thru fuel economy scams, we can learn how to save an old part to save dough or after "the big one" hits and you just can't order up a replacement cylinder head or something.
The method is alive and well in some parts of the countries. th-cam.com/video/mi_NSFq0r8I/w-d-xo.html
Repairing it by 'pinning' is the best choice for a crack like that. Actually, once done it can be made very undetectable. Pinning is way better than welding for a non-stressed area.
great minds think alike, as soon as he said fixing boilers I knew the score.
Is pinning when you cram a buncha brass screws into the crack?
I've seen it done but dinnint know what ya calls it.
@@UberLummox Not brass. It's a ferric alloy. You want the thermal rate near to cast iron. Basically, in a nutshell, you drill a series of spaced holes along the distance of the crack, extending beyond the crack to stop it from migrating. Tap the holes, thread a pin into the hole with threadlocker, snap off the driving head, grind down the protruding end. Install another round between the first set so they overlap each other until the entire crack is 'stitched' All of them should overlap and be as deep as the base material. Once this is done it will be sealed and the repair should be peened to relieve stress. Once done it's pretty well obscured, not invisible. I've seen heads done and put back into service with no problem.
@@UberLummox Some call it 'stitching'. You can use regular grade 2 bolts and whizz the heads off. You can buy kits with snap off bolts and a jig. This biggest thing is to get the spacing right. It's not hard to make a jig. A long time ago it was all done by hand. Back in the days of steam engines it was required before welding was really perfected. Cast iron is a very fickle metal to weld (not braze) in the best of cases. Back then the cast iron was so junky and full of impurities it was almost impossible. For a block I would trust this method over welding. That block will be perfectly fine for use after it's fixed. Just as good as before. A long, long time ago I needed a cast iron part welded and went to a REAL welding shop. The guy that owned the place, an old timer told me 'I can weld it for you but It's gonna let you down, It's gonna let you down.' So I just left and bought a junkyard part.
Pinning or stitching isn't a bad idea, certainly in a non-stress area of a skirted block. since its down that low, the block can also take some HardBlok or concrete fill--was normal on drag engines back when aftermarket blocks were just a dream. Combustion heat is concentrated at the top of the cylinder, and a few street racers even made it to their destination driving with a block having concrete in the lower half to keep the main caps from walking around.
naturally, running on alcohol rather than gasoline will help (runs cooler) even more.
I wish I had someone 20 years ago that explained these things. You are a wealth of knowledge. I always heard Cleveland was better than a Windsor but no one ever said why. You are the why to my understanding Uncle Tony!
If your going to use a Cleveland block use one cast in Geelong Australia, there stronger and lighter than the US cast Windsor or Cleveland.
@@davetherave6569 4 bolt mains were available on Cleveland's too.
@@Andrew_406 More GM nonsense. Are you aware that the Cleveland has a shorter deck height than a Windsor? What makes it a "big block"?
@@Andrew_406 As I said, more GM nonsense. Those dorks started the whole small block and big block crap, which has no place in the Ford world. 351C/351M/400 are 335's. 370/429/460 are 3.85's. 289/302/351W are 90º, and the rest are FE's.
Hey all, read my comment above.
Tony got this one wrong about Windsors.
I bought a '73 Dart with a 318 once. When the engine reached operating temp, the oil pressure dropped to zero. Broke down the engine to rebuild, and brought the block in to be boiled. Cracked cam bearing bore, scrap block. Put in a junkyard 318, and on the first fireup again when the temp came up the oil pressure was zero. Don't know, but suspect it had the same problem. The junkyard was a good one, and honored the 30 day warrantee. The replacement engine ran fine for years. Never before or after had I heard of a cracked cam bearing journal.
"All of the sand" doesn't always fall out. In high school a friend had a 74 360 that always over heated and the cause was only realized when he rebuilt the motor and found a bunch of sand still in the block.
Cat had some issues with sand in the castings of a few C-18s we bought.
Ford 6.0 ps
seems like most stories i hear about too much sand left behind involves Mopar small blocks during the first bankruptcy era.
If I blasted parts I could never get it all out no matter what I did to clean it.
So I stopped. Found another way to clean parts.
I knew a guy who bought a chevelle new back in the day, kept over heating, had sand in the water jacket
I used to repair huge machining equipment and I know exactly how you are going to fix that block. Looking forward to it! I haven't done it in years!
Cold metal stitching I would assume ?
@@ianstoys13mgs That's what I think he will do.
Welding; or brazing in a kiln.
Bubblegum!
JB Weld to the rescue. 😆. I knew a guy that patched a cylinder head on a 4 cylinder fwd Chrysler back around 1978 just to unload it on a dealer.
@@mikekokomomike old fashioned original Roman formula JB Weld?
Drill holes at the end of each crack, tap it for a screw in plug. Then do the same thing between the plugs along the crack. Grind it smooth and its done. Might take a few to seal it but it works.
It's how they fixem in Pakistan.
That's how I've done it. Used a dab of JB weld for thread sealer just in case. Never. Had any issues with the repair either.
You’re a wealth of great information and knowledge Tony! I appreciate every video you produce.
Tony can take any automotive situation and make an interesting video out of it
Had an 83 Camaro when I was a young fellow and it got left without antifreeze. CRACK right on the side of the block. I was devastated. All my fault. A freak freeze in Alabama busted my 305HO and I thought it was a goner for sure. That's when my dad introduced me to JB Weld.
And I honestly thought he was crazy.
Used it and continued to drive that car for the next 3 years. I even almost forgot about it.
Yeah I fixed a nasty crack in the 360 on my Trailduster with JBweld as a teenager too. There used to be a story on the JBweld package about how the City of Dallas, Texas repaired a cracked Caterpillar engine block with JBweld in a pinch and saved 4 grand and 30 hours down time. JBweld is some super strong stuff, it gets a bad reputation from people who don't properly clean the surface or people who mistakenly buy the JBkwik rubber cement junk made by the same brand.
This can work on lifter valley cracks as well but it's very hokey, IMO.
Much less risk in the case of external cracks and if done carefully (prep, clean grease/oil[) it can hold up for a very long time.
@@Impactjunky Agree, I believe the bad rap mainly comes from uncertified JB Welders.
@@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259 Yea that's the thing about it. The secret to good results is in the prep work.
I tried JB Weld on a dodge 5.2 with a crack between a piston and a cooling port. It ran for about 10 minutes,then began happily mixing oil and coolant again, while pressurizing the intake manifold way high.
Coulda been my bad weld, but I’m pretty good!
It was the work of several months of weekends and evenings,still sits in a corner of my shop years later, not sure what, (if anything) I will ever do with it.
I've run into to those main journal cracks before and it is so defeating to find them it just kills any estimate you make before you take it apart to inspect it. I would always just go to the scrap yard and get another one on the cast iron blocks.
When M.Benz went to full aluminum blocks the same thing happened in the exact same place, right in the middle of the main journals, where the oil ports were. Some guys would try and weld them up to try and save the customer about $3500 for a short block at that time, but eventually just they ended up replacing the whole engine anyway because you can't guarantee it to last for 2 weeks let alone another 100,000 miles, and a complete bottom end (short block ) for the Engine was cheaper and quicker to fix due to the extra labor required to rebuild it on an empty block at the time, and since they were new you couldn't find any of those in a scrap yard either. Great info Uncle Tony. Keep'em coming.
I love the leader into the repair procedure and then not telling us what it is. You have peaked my curiosity and I can’t wait to see what it is. Smart way to retain interest. Your a clever cookie
Thank you for the info....very interesting!! Good to see you got your bounce back. Getting bummed over an engine is a real drag
When I sent my '65 383 mag to the machine shop I had a feeling something was up. Yep a curved crack on drivers side from center plug to front plug, not all the way. Cost me $548.00 for them to fix. Now you can't even tell it was ever touched.
I would also have my reservations about the core plugs bore being painted inhibiting their proper operation during a freeze.
UTG is wrong about "freeze plugs". That was a myth, back in the early days farmers would save a dollar using just water as coolant and one noticed his core plug popped out in winter and Ford took credit for it since he had his reputation as thinking about the little guy. How do we know? b/c UTG shows us right here, his 361 cracked there. Water has no brain, it doesn't look for the way out of the block that won't offend the block's owner.
Fast forward to 1969, Ford threads its core plugs on the Boss 302 block to gain strength to its low deck Windsor block--why do that if they're meant to push out? They only exist to let core sand pour out after manufacturing.
if you're stupid enough to think that they will actually push out then you deserve a cracked block
You have just answered a question that has been bothering me for over 50 yrs. Why the block cracks if the
frost plugs were designed to stop it. AHA!! The frost plugs were never designed for that. They were designed to
allow the sand to come out.
Ok contrary to my earlier comment about Oldsmobiles never crack, I got a story. Around 1987 ish, these older feller's I knew were messing with 403 Olds engines. Without getting into all that, I'm gonna say this...
Keith from skinny kid race cars is the person in particular I'm taking about... He had a 500plus hp 403 olds in the driveway around 1987. Car was a 1972 cutlass supreme body.
He parked it outside in a Detroit winter. Come April we found the poor 403 with the windowed webs block split in about 5 pieces because of water only and he forgot to drain it. He let the block freeze and split in 5 pieces. I was there. Anyway the roof of this particular car ended up being on the first generation white with gold stripes, Brian Robbins driven Hurst Olds alcohol blower and hat car that skinny kid built while doing all the mustang stuff.
That first car before it wrecked only shared the roof to the car I'm talking about where the 403 froze and pretty much split in half.
Damn Tony, we are getting old. I just had to tell you this story about "cracked blocks".
It's not even my only story about cracked 403 oldsmobile engines.
I know the vid is about hairline cracks and how to fix em, but I couldn't resist throwing that one out there.
Edit : had to do the edit. I was fresh 18 years old and had a big block muscle car myself, but got an opportunity to take Keith, now "skinny kid"s racecar with the 403 to Milan dragway for high school nationals. That was always a big deal and alot of men put their teenager into their 9 sec back half rides. I got to run this 11 sec Olds with a quarter stick hurst shifter. I was so freaking nervous over that shifter at the time. We made one pass, I went 12.01 lifting. Then we got rained out. I had to add this part in the edit. I knew Keith for years before he became "skinny kid". The name fits him however as he was a grown man about 135 pounds and lived off of mountain dew and butter noodles.
It's not a requirement but many of our "hero" drag car guys lived off of a similar non healthy diet back when they were young and hungry. All the money went to the program, eating food was not even in the picture.
If it's cracked only on the outer wall of the block you can fix it with j b weld, or Marine tec.. it really works.
Awesome video Tony! I believe the original Big Foot 429 block had some welds in it because of the abuse it went through and replacement parts were so hard to find.
That's awesome that you will be able to use the engine in some capacity.
Back in my younger years I welded up well over 100 blocks (mainly chevy) used in dirt track racing. I always arc welded them up with nickle rod and had great success.
Same , did plenty of pre and post heat ... blocks had long lives after that .
@@duncandmcgrath6290 I have a chevy 250 block with a small maybe 3/8” long crack from someone tightening a corner head bolt. There is a coolant passage on the inside. Do you think I’d be better to try to stick weld with nickel or just put some JB weld. I’m just worried about seepage if I don’t fix it
Gern Blanston, any suggestions on my comment below
As a teenager I "fixed" some kind of crack in the rear of my offroad beater Traildusters 360. It started losing coolant fast from between the engine and transmission and I couldn't actually see the crack but I could feel it. Lucky I was able to just barely push a couple fingers and a small wire brush into the area between the flexplate and the block and got it clean enough to JBweld most of the crack shut except for the very top of it which I could not reach and then I took care of the slow drip with stop leak. That fix was still holding when the transmission quit on me.
I did that exact same thing on the other end of a 273 it cracked at the water inlet for the water pump, I cleaned it as best I could, J B welded it and clamped it over a weekend, it forever had a drop out of the bottom bolt at that fitting but ran for years.
At first I didn't think it would work, but we drove it for years.
@@jeffsr8300 That's awesome! Saved yourself a lot of money there for sure! My first car was a 68 Satellite which is still my main beater going on 13-14 years later and it had a 66 model solid lift factory 4 barrel 273 when I got it. It had absolutely no power below 2000 RPM but otherwise it was a great motor that put up with years of abuse from a crazy young driver. After the 273 started to smoke really bad, pressurize the cooling system and started knocking briefly on cold starts I replaced it with a carb swapped 5.9 Magnum that makes awesome power.
Depending on where the cracks are located, a simple yet effective solution is to add coolant into the system and start the engine bringing it up to closer to operating temperature and add a can of evaporated milk NOT SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK into the coolant and run it for about 20 minutes adding coolant and more evaporated milk as needed. The evaporated milk seeps into the cracks and cooks into a solid only in the crack and seals it with a solid that will last for years and can even be painted over for a nearly invisible repair. This will not plug up things you don’t want plugged such as radiator or heater core tubes that aren’t leaking. This is actually THE ONLY form of stop leaks which John Deere recommends and accepts that will not void their warranty, and if it’s approved by John Deere for use on machines that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, then it is good enough for me. I have even used it when a head gasket went and I had to get home before I could fix it. 2 years later and I still haven’t changed the head gasket and there has been no coolant loss, no overheating, and the heater has been working fine for 2 winters. I have used it on leaky radiators and heater cores as well as cracked blocks with 100% success and swear by it.
Thank you because I doubt they teach this stuff at school
Fr?
I saved a 360 block that had been dropped after all the machine work was completed. The prior owner JB Welded the corner of the block including a portion of the deck back on the block. He raced it for a couple of years before I bought it. The chunk ran through the water port from the water pump up into the inner valley up to the deck in a triangular shape. I ground out the surface areas of the JB weld and used special cast iron wire for my MIG welder. It runs fantastic and quit leaking into the head bolt hole after welding.
Back before the after market started making new Ford 427 blocks again , I saw some extreme lengths gone to, to save or resurrect heavily damaged or over bored blocks .Like side skirts with huge chunks blown out both sides or furnace brazing all new cylinders in.
Years ago in the 1970's the machine shop i worked for we use to "stitched " the blocks using screws and locktite. It was a long process but it worked.
Back in the early ninetys we used to go to Napa and get a bottle of KW diesel block sealer .just be sure to follow the instructions exactly . The 440 is in a 68 Roadrunner to this day , the 421 S.D. Pontiac was destroyed in a barn fire 10-12 years ago .
I can think of two 426 HEMI cars that were from my area, they were less than ten years old at the time, and were bought and sold numerous times, going through many hands. They were always bought with wiped out bottom ends, and the new owner would grind the crank and replace bearings and put it back together. Sometime shortly after, new owner would be going for it and boom, history repeats itself, up for sale. I used to hear the stories from the local strokers that HEMI’s had notoriously weak bottom ends, and everyone nodded their heads. Eventually, someone looked a little deeper and discovered that both engines had cracked main webs, and at some point enough oil would take the short cut through the crack and spun bearings again. The cracks likely collateral damage from years earlier. Since then, I’ve seen another HEMI block that looked fine on the outside, but looked like someone had brazed the main webs in numerous places, and I can’t imagine what caused that amount of damage without opening a window.
That may explain my neighbors car. 67 hemi charger. He bought it new. In about 1974 the bottom end went out. Put a new crank in it. Drove it. Did same thing.
In 1976 he asks me if I wanted to buy it for $800 bucks.
Tony I love how you described around 12:02 where the most stressed and weakest part of any V8 is located.
You have experience with Nitro hemi stuff so you know by fact how much this area is stressed and how important it is.
Just ask any 650+hp Ford 302 stock block guy how important this area is!
500 HP on a stock 302 has it flexing enough to loosen intake manifold bolts and snap oil pump ears off. If you're pushing 650 you need an aftermarket block like now.
@@mikehagen3785 That only applies to the factory-lightened roller blocks. Early castings will take more power.
I cracked the cast iron block of a Volvo diesel in my tug boat about 10 years ago. A welder buddy of mine (passed now) had what looked like a wax stick that he dabbed on the crack once it was heated a lot with a propane torch. It melted like wax and flowed into the crack. It had metals in it I think and smelt like sulphur when it was heated. The engine still runs to this day, and is used all and every summer with no leaks. Now I know my diesel does not have a pressurized water jacket like a car does, but I am still impressed. Problem is I asked him at the time where he got it, and who made it, but the make wasn't marked on it, and he had had it years and couldn't remember where he bought it.
Sounds like some kinda flux
Great video. I suspect you will be doing metal stitching. A real art and skill in reparing cast iron cracks that is a permanent solution. Still see this being used in classic car repairs here in the UK.
Amazing to see this being performed to repair a cracked block. Thanks for the superb channel.
In the early "80s I worked as a mechanic. I know most people never change their antifreeze (now or then) Today the rust inhibitors are much better. I know you are from the south because you talk about running water only. Anyway I noticed mopar products had much more water jacket rust than F or GM. An old radiator man told me Chrysler didn't "pickel" their castings properly. Has anyone else had this experience? #2 permatex to install freeze plugs.
1990 Geo Tracker engine blocks (G16A) all crack in the block where the crank bearing sits. You can just rebuild them and forget about the crack, and the engine will run beautifully like it wasn't even there. Not all cracks are block killers
Good to know! ;)
@@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259 I should say, this is as long as the crack isn't devastatingly deep obviously.
@@novinnovations4026 Or maybe say you might notice minor cracks that usually aren't an issue. I was just saying, passing along your experience is a kind gesture.
Tony I've watched many a video on fixing cracks on flathead ford V8s. I got a daily driver 1950 Ford Tudor sedan (2 door post). I'm almost certain this engine is not original to the car. But anyway the way I understand it every flathead Ford today that hasn't been built recently by a "professional" then there are cracks between the exhaust seats especially and into the top of the cylinder bores. I have no doubt that old flathead banging away in my car now has cracks. Thing is it still runs freaking great. I can push start the car with one foot leaving the gas pump dumping the clutch in first only pedaling it about 10 feet.
Anyway...cracks on other engines are a big deal especially when they find water.
The flathead community truly has several unconventional means of fixing cracks.
Always watch uncle Tony, but also pay attention to these flathead ford channels for crack repair tips.
Love ya man! Take care Tony!
Wow,I didn't know people still did that.
My grandfather welded cracked blocks for a long time,He was a good welder and understood castings and metal.
I once fixed a cracked 318 in an 85 dodge pickup with JB Weld. The thing frost heaved and broke open inside just above the lifter bores on both sides. I cleaned, ground, torched, pounded, and grooved out the cracks, mixed a big batch of jb weld and put a thick patch into and well around it. The thing ran and I sold it to a guy letting him know exactly what I did and told him to call me when it finally blew out again. 2 years later he called me to say it was still running and his kid was going to drive it to high school!
The suspense Tony , Geezus man???
Ford Boss 302's threaded their core plugs to give strength to the block. They weren't meant to be pushed out, water doesn't have a brain to find its way to the exit. Many snowbelt drivers put their block heater into the core plug opening, and other engine builders swaged the core plugs. automakers would be more than happy to sell you another engine when you don't follow the owner's manual. Meanwhile, since this is intended to be a race block, time to pour in some HardBlok--only the top few inches of the bores' gonna get hot anyway during operation.
I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your content and how you explain what you are doing in detail.
All the best to you Uncle Tony
Well, when the block comes off the assembly line, the freeze plug holes are in ideal condition. When the freeze plugs need replacement, often those holes are in far from ideal condition, and polishing them up is no guarantee of a good seal. As a result, people will put anaerobic sealer on freeze plugs during installation.
10:00 Yes, in extremely rare parts, furnace welding is a great thing. However, there can be a long waiting list to get it.
11:56 It has been said to be the the end of many military humvee diesels. Some companies had to make greatly redesigned 6.5 diesels that wouldn't do it, but fit wherever a 6.5 or 6.2 diesel was installed.
Uncle Tony, you bring forth some valuable points and information.
The idea of not using sealants on freeze plugs is legitimate and has been practiced by my father for as long as I can remember. However as an owner of a automotive machine shop, this practice will serve only liability. You must make every effort to ensure that plug does not leak.
On the issue of cracks caused in the lifter valley during a freeze, those too can be caused by the stress of the intake manifold being torqued down spreading the block out.
Conversely the cracks on the outer side of the block can very easily caused by binding engine mounts.
I have dealt with blocks being flexed to the max on numerous occasions.
I one instance the engine went into a new car. The engine had already seen life in another race car and was freshened up with no out of character corrections.
The way the engine was mounted in the new car proved to be extremely rough on the block when the car went into severe tire shake. It literally tried to tear the Bellhousing of the block off.
The chassis issues were corrected and so was the same block. The block lived well afterwards.
So severe tire shake and engine mounting parameters can introduce issues.
Glad you are fixing it and not turning it into a grenade for spectacle.
Looks to be a good vid coming up, I'm pretty sure I know how your going to do it. I've seen it done, never tried it myself. It will be interesting to see you guys do it. Good vid UT
In the day got a v8 Monza for $50 that had a triangle broken out of the side. We pulled it and found the piece. Had Marinetek glue and stuck it in for shits and giggles. We weren't going to waste time putting in anything. Buddy shows up, needs anything that ran for a work car, he's down and out. Gave it to him, it never did die.
Engine masters challenge an engine builder did a 361 block bored and stroked to 413 it made incredible power.
Tony worked in a foundry for some time and actually these core plugs primary reason is to set the core. The core is a sand based mold that is chemically treated to hold shape during the pour and the heat then bakes the core which falls apart as the casting cools. Had to maintain these core machines and they are a real pain in the ass to keep working as that binding agent gets into everything so you are constantly repairing the machine for the next days operations.
I know of a repair to a tractor block, cracked water jacket: he drilled and tapped holes to match a plate large enough to cover the crack. Slathered it with jbweld put on the plate and torqued down the bolts.
You're rite bout a crack in the galley area but a guy knowing how to handle a oxyacetylene set could (95%) sure do a brass repair on that block.🤔🙏 Love the content Tony Keep it coming 👍👍
Run that 361 down to Johnathan W👍 get him to do a collab. JW has a triumph herald that he started a few years back and the comments got bad nuff he quit on it. 427-350turbo car😁😁 dana 60 n Corvette spindles on front Take a sheet metal guy and wrap that hotrod up💔 if he'll let ya. Much Love regardless
yea.. no sealer on the core plugs? tell that to every rebuilder in the country .. when that utg 318 was on Nick's dyno .. EVERY core plug leaked water .. the question was raised and the answer was Tony didn't have any sealer at the time .. no one builds an engine with the expectation of freezing ..
Yep, brass plugs with permatex #1.
@@tonyc223 yep .. as if a swipe of permatex will permanetly bond the plug in place .. the plugs weren't designed to pop out and if any do the block may be cracked too .. i've applied a sealer to core plugs since 1971 when i built my first 327 .. on circle track engines i drill and tap the outer diameter and add 2 machine screws to make sure they don't come out
I have a Ford 460 in a jet boat that cracked in the bell hosing area from freezing. Drilled, cold welded and sealed with epoxy 9 years ago!
This is perfect timing cuz I've got a 7.3 the previous owner cracked but sealed up just enough that I didn't notice it on purchase (had to replace the oil cooler and flush the system which cleared out the sealer as well) I'll definitely be tuning in to the next video
Some of these young guys are going to get a shock watching your next trick. I can't wait.
The oldtimers used to tell me to use Indian Head or Gasgacinch gasket shellac on core plugs because those would seal imperfections, but still allow them to push out if it freezes
At the Ford Windsor Engine plant casting defects and cracks account for alot of air test leaks .We separate them out and return them to the vendor (nemak) .
Are you referring to drilling and tapping and installing interlocking threaded inserts?
Goodson used to sell the stitching pins and accessories. I bought some a few years ago on closeout and now I don't see threaded pins listed anymore. Who has a good source?
We had issues with some highly modified, race only blocks losing the core plugs so they were tapped and brass pipe plugs installed. These engines were always in climate controlled environments or on the track. Between race seasons, when in storage, all fluids were drained anyway. Otherwise, yes, you are correct...no sealer. Clean the plug bores and install the plugs dry.
Remove the pipe plug and install a 1/4 turn ball valve as opposed to a radiator petcock UNLESS you pay attention to a potentially clogged petcock. A clogged petcock won't drain water, be aware if water doesn't exit doesn't mean the block is empty or drained of water.
With a ball valve on the other hand, a small screwdriver or coat hanger wire can be inserted through the open valve to dislodge debris.
Don't rely on core plugs to eject during freezing weather, they were never intended for this purpose. Those openings are there to allow flushing debris from the block after the factory casting process.
The holes were there also as a way to hold the cores in place by an arm that extended from the inside of the block to the outside of the block. Later the rough cast holes were bored round.
@@Prowbar Good detail, the cores must be held in position during the process.
I watched this on my lunch break, another fantastic, informative video. I can't wait for the video on the technique for repairing cast iron.
I had a SBF I was going to use, and it sat outside exposed to rain, then a rapid freeze. Split in several places to the cylinders. Downside to thin-wall casting! 😤
Why would you let an engine sit outside in the elements if you planned to use it?
Some of these bashing of motors are silly when it comes to neglect!
My brother who is not a mechanic decided the engine in his Volvo P1800 needed a rebuild. They got the machine work done ad were assembling it when another friend arrived with a dozen browns. They had just pushed one of the piston assemblies in, installed the rod cap and finger tightened the nuts without torqueing them. Had a beer and continued installing the pistons. Got it all assembled and back in the car. Dad who was mechanically inclined told him to come get him when they went to start it.
Well, they started it and were setting the timing and carb when it started knocking. Those rod nuts backed off and the rod came out the side. He got very fortunate in that the rod just knocked tw.o pieces out of the side but the pan rail was intact. Took the block and pieces to a welding shop and they V'd the pieces and block, tapped the pieces into place and brazed them in. A new con rod, grind the mains and new main bearings and they got it running. This time he got Dad out for startup. Ran well for a couple of more years and he decided to sell it.
Lesson learned, never install bolts without tightening them.
Dad had a friend who was a journeyman mechanic and Sunnen rep. He had told me that "never install a bolt without torqueing it" bit of wisdom.
I had an engine that had thrown a rod threw the side of the block and someone welded it up and its been perfect ever since.. been running that engine for 7 years.
Ask Hunter, he's a crack expert.
Nice one.......🤣
Talk to Phil McCracken
Ask the Mad Pillow.
Bought a 71 roadrunner back in the 80's with a title for $100 , was going to rebuild and put the 383 in a 72 ' Cuda, but it was cracked up under the intake like that, I heard Heb McCandless had some new 440 short blocks with steel crank and flat tops for $800 ,used the 906's off the 383 and added hemi valv springs, would love to have that road runner now ,was actually a really good body, that was back when the cars were still cheap
Use a 40/60 mix 60% antifreeze 40% water, test to 32 below zero, you'll never have a problem again. I live in Minnesota, and this is the way to go.
Right on uncle Tony
Anybody named uncle tony must be a wonderful mechanic.
On occasion I've had plugs walk out. With high rpm builds, we have gone to threaded plugs and burst panels just like blowers use for back fires. I believe they are a universal size.
When you say high rpm. Do you mean past 6500rpms
@@dang5553 not necessarily. High rpm for the engine family your working with.
As usual you are right. However this one was special. Full port/relieved, over bore on a Canadian block. Rumor had it that the Canadian 59AB were of a higher nickel content. Based on this rumor we went up to Canada and purchased eight 59AB blocks from a junkyard. They were stamped 59AB with the word CANADA also on the bell housing. Not many of us left to either prove or dis-prove this but we found that the blocks did last longer. ?????
On using a rad drain valve, most valves will accept a piece of 1/4" brake line. This will allow you to put a piece of hose on the tubing when draining into a pan.
I have an old hot rodder type magazine from the 50's or early 60's where they stitch repaired a block by drilling along the crack and screwing in threaded plugs the length of the crack, overlapping each threaded plug a bit so they can't back out. Once ground down you'd never know the block was cracked. If it was mine I'd do that and also add a bit of block cement to help reinforce the bottom end a little bit.
I'm a retired engine builder. I came across a top oiler 427 that was fixed exactly the way you described.
It never leaked. It was in the lifter valley of the engine.
After they fixed it, someone polished the inside like you would an intake port, the entire lifter valley.
They also polished the rest of the inside of the block. Looks like a mirror.
Very impressive.
@@cammontreuil7509 is there a point to polishing the internals?
Those fenderwell headers are awesome 👌
In cold weather country they are to install block heaters as well!
For external cracks like that in an iron block, I just braze them. You only do about half inch at a time to avoid overheating the casting and creating more cracks. Much faster and just as good in a non stressed area like an external freeze crack in a water jacket. Done dozens of them as this is very common in marine engines that were not winterized. Pinning is the best, but its very time consuming and I could probably braze 5 other blocks in the time it takes to do one pinning job. Welding with a nickel rod requires more prep and unless done properly, will cause more cracks due to thermal shock. Not something to try unless you really know what you are doing.
How you pin a motor, is you start by grinding the area to be stitched to clean metal, then you spot mag the block to find the true ends of the crack. Its usually farther than is visible. You then drill both ends of crack to keep the crack from propagating - a crack will not propagate through a radius. Now you can you begin stitching it. You start at one end of the crack and drill your hole to size, tap it, and screw in the cast iron pin with the proper sealant. Then you break it off flush with the surface, grind it flat, and drill your next hole so that the hole overlaps with the pin your just put in. You will be locking the first pin in place with the second so it can't loosen. Tap the new hole, screw in the cast iron pin, break it off, grind it flush, and repeat until your have stitched the entire crack. Like I said, very time consuming to do it right. Once completed and ground down, you can hide the repair with paint.
"Unweldable" blocks have been repaired successfully with SFA5.7 ERCuAl-A2 with no preheat, although preheating is best of course. Not ideal for the hottest parts of an engine, exhaust ports exhaust manifolds - melts at about 1900F. You might like to try it out... Aluminium Bronze. :)
I guess really all cracks are stress cracks, but the freezing is more or less a static force that overstresses the material while dynamic operational stresses are the result of high RPM repeated impacts. Another type of dynamic stress would be a shock or impact to the casting, such as being dropped on something very hard or, perhaps shot. In this case, the amount of energy reaching the point of impact is more than can be evenly spread, with the result of a stress riser right near there. As you say, hosiery is the ordinary effect of cracks.
Shop I used to visit used to fix blocks in the back. Had a propane hibachi long grill that sat on the floor. Warm up the block. Then bring out the gas axe out and fix the crack . Then youd see him wack away with a hammer. He was busy enough he did it every time I was over there. Should have learned to do it when I had the chance I would be rolling in dough
Personally I blame squirrels
I swear this is the only intelligent comment on this video 😆👍👍
Ahh nuts
I'd like to see how long a backyard crack weld job holds up...
Grind the crack back cold, run the engine up to temp.
Drain the radiator while running so it runs hot (but not overheat) switch ignition off, drain oil, drill and stick weld while everything is hot.
My 318 cracked there between the plugs on both sides. I fixed it by using a grinder in the crack and mixed up some j.b. weld. It allowed me to drive another few weeks until the wife said she didn’t trust it. No leaks, no more cracks.
Boss had a nice convertible back in 78 231 odd firing special, white and a black top . It was cracked in exactly the same way between the plugs left side. Marine Tex . I have also had a bad experience with a very small crack in a block just below the deck rt side
I live in Michigan and I found that the brass freeze plugs or core plugs work way better and they don't rot out cuz we tend to use salt in the winter on the roads here plus it's a softer metal so it does move a little easier than the steel core plugs do if I do something stupid like leave water in my block which when I was young and had a lot less money have ran water in my system before just to get by during summertime
5:30 I have plugs in my 96 Jeep 318 in the heads as well. It's how I got all coolant flushed perfectly.
The drain is the same on small block Ford too. Couldn’t you just do a short fill with Hardblock afterwards? It would be dedicated drag race for the most part, but it would ensure water not being that low in the block.
It works like you said. I've done it. High flow water pump 160 thermostat your good.
Mopar muscle magazine did an artical on a crack in a factory big block head . the drill holes and used special fun threaded bolts and pushed each bolt up against the other crwating an air tight bond till they filled up the crack then cut the bolts of flush and then took a hammer and punch and tapped the middle of the boltsthen finished grinding them down till they blended into the head and the crack was fixed
Maybe I'll say something tomorrow on live, but I wouldn't mind your take on how to build not a "performance" engine, but just a super reliable one. When I get a vintage car, I'm not going to race it. I'll be driving it as much as possible. Id want my engine build to have stock power (though extra power would be a pleasant surprise) and be able to drive 2-4 hours on a trip and not have to worry about breaking down.
I've seen a lot of late model Olds split down the middle too. Also those 2.8 60 degree chevys.
My uncle Franny showed me the petcock on the lower drain plug holes a long time ago. It really saves time and a big mess when you're swapping an intake or water pump. Seems like uncle's know things.........
in the marine industry up here in washington, they crack all the time. i have drill and pinned a few but there's no warranty on that so if it leaks someplace else, the customer is still looking at a shortblock plus labor plus parts. Jaspers makes it to easy and to cheap to F around, these days, if one cracks, i sell the shortblock R&R for 700 + i can swap it over in a day and everybody is happy the first try
If freezing water is strong enough to crack cast iron it is certainly strong enough to push out a core plug. The reason some people use sealant on new core plugs is probably because the cast iron is pitted so the sealant is extra leak security. It doesn’t mean it will stop a core plug from popping out.
oh God, he figured out a way to film it by himself... sponsored influencer for Mary's Man Creme, when??
My guess is you're going to use the Lock n stitch method to repair the crack. I've always thought that was a pretty cool way to repair a crack.. I want to say even Jay Leno had a block of his repaired using that method.
I've never thought about how much force is put on the main caps and the amount of stress on them
Looking forward to the brazing tutorial...
You'll be disappointed then.
I know it's a little distance for you but there's a 361 on craigslist near the Philly Pa area.
Great info as always Uncle T..... I really enjoyed winning the bid on that intake the other night.... very cool 👍👍👍👍👍✅✅✅✅✅
Block fill just past the crack and brand new used.
Reckon your repair maybe similar to what we do with fire sprinkler pipe , bang cotton into the crack. Sprinkler pipe runs at 1200kPa no problem with this repair. Old timer showed me this years ago , reckoned he was pulling my leg ... he wasn't.
If you use your flux core welder no need for nickel rod or anything special. Warm it up with a torch and weld you will be surprised how well it works especially on exhaust manifolds.