Blocked cracked

[Rex_A_Lott]

To answer your question, yes it can be welded, several different ways. It can be stick welded with a nickel rod. It can be gas welded with a cast iron rod. There is a process using a special torch using a cast iron powder introduced into the flame.( I've never done this one but I've seen it demonstrated). It can be brazed ( yes I know this is technically not welding).
There is also the stitch method, as mentioned, to do crack repair. Uses tapered pins that overlap each other.
JB weld has also worked for many.
We all think that the old ways are better, (and they are for some things), that's why we are attracted to this hobby. But , sometimes, as my old Vo-tech welding instructor used to say, " There's more ways to choke a dog than feeding him butter". Sometimes I wonder just how much one of the old farmers would have given for a couple of tubes of JB Weld.
The good news, many fixes available. The bad news, you have to make up your own mind, you'll never get agreement out of this bunch. Good Luck.

 

[gas pumper]

RE" I have written about this before on the barn but I dont think any one believes me:- Clean up the cracked area vee out a little, till cast iron is really clean. Make up a strong copper sulphite solution and paint it on the area to be repaired. After a while wash off excess and this should leave a fine deposit of copper on the cast iron. Now tin carefully as for soldering and solder up the crack. This if done properly will not give trouble as that part of the block should not get above the boiling point of water and below the melting point of solder.
This was taught to me by an American welding engineer on a course I attended about 40 years ago. Good for cracked cast iron cooking pots, Kettles, and blocks with rods through the crank case. Happy Motoring."

I have seen a very similar set of instructions about soldering a crack in cast iron, only it said to rub a copper penny (real) in the crack to deposit copper then solder. It was in an older book, from the 20's.

I recently did this repair on a freeze cracked A block which was tossed because of the issue. I didn't do the copper, because I didn't know about it. I used plumbing flux and a Mapp gas torch. V'd out the cracks and flared out to clean metal. Tinning was accomplished by scrubbing the solder and flux in with a stainless steel brush. I made a block off plate for the top of the block and pressure tested the block and repaired the weepers. Bonding and flowout looks great and I got it to hold up well. I am confident this is a permanent repair. Thanks for reading, Frank

 

[ian Simpson]

RE" I have written about this before on the barn but I dont think any one believes me:- Clean up the cracked area vee out a little, till cast iron is really clean. Make up a strong copper sulphite solution and paint it on the area to be repaired. After a while wash off excess and this should leave a fine deposit of copper on the cast iron. Now tin carefully as for soldering and solder up the crack. This if done properly will not give trouble as that part of the block should not get above the boiling point of water and below the melting point of solder.
This was taught to me by an American welding engineer on a course I attended about 40 years ago. Good for cracked cast iron cooking pots, Kettles, and blocks with rods through the crank case. Happy Motoring."

I have seen a very similar set of instructions about soldering a crack in cast iron, only it said to rub a copper penny (real) in the crack to deposit copper then solder. It was in an older book, from the 20's.

In my misspent youth, I had success using a similar technique but using bronze welding. Look it up in your very old Funk and Wagnels.

 

[mshmodela]

JB Weld "high heat" works.