engine and drivetrain Tip: Cracked water jacket repair

[eurotrash]

A while back I saved an s14 block from the scrap heap.  It has water jacket cracks in two places, and one was pretty gnarly..a PO had tried JB Weld with no success.  but hey.  Its an s14 block.  Worth investigating. 

 

After looking a Locknstitch.com, and actual welding.. I stumbled onto Castaloy.  I had seen the Alumaloy product over the years, but not a derivative for cast iron.  There was little info on the internets, and I was timid, but I sprung for a few sticks, bought a small MAP torch, and went for it.  

 

I used the Dremel to clean up the cracks, and trench them a little. I was able to get the big one to flatten out almost all the way.  Then I used a coarse wire wheel to clean the area, and then went for it.  

On the larger one, I took three go's at it to get it built up. Grinding in between. And I learned not to be shy with the heat, for good pooling. And 

In the end, I think its going to be good.  Considering that the material is rated to well beyond the pressure and temps of a cooling system, this should hold!  

 

All in, torch and sticks, it cost 120$ and I have a several sticks left.  Now hopefully the block checks out ok at the machine shop.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2016 by eurotrash

[jimk]

Good job.

Those breaks look to be caused by water frozen in jacket because they in outer jacket membrane locations.

[eurotrash]

Certainly.  No anti-freeze in a track car.. Blew out one plug and split the block. 

 

[Preyupy]

It obviously got frozen at some point,  I wonder what internal damage there is?  I would worry about the long term viability of that repair once heat, pressure and vibration are added to the equation.  The cost of building a engine using a questionable block is quite high.  If it checks out on a static pressure test after your repair that is just the first step.  There are also other issues when you try and use a S14 block with a M10 head that need to be delt with.  I absolutely would not build an engine for a customer using that block, and I seriously doubt I would take the chance on it even for myself.  It all comes down to what kind of risk taker are you?

[eurotrash]

 

I'm the kind with big ambition, great moxie, and no real money to just piss away on frivolous things..I have my built M10, after all.  That, and no one will come off with a good block because they have gotten greedy and see $$$$$ with the current status of the M3 valuations.  Particularly, a local friend, collector and multi-millionaire, who has multiple M3's (including the one that recently broke the internet), and multiple palleted engines.  A real "friend".  To quote him, "This shit is gold, I'm not selling".   - the absurdity is that he has absolutely no need for the minuscule amount of money a motor offers when compared to his net wealth.  Another quote from his staff, "we never pay more than $500 for a used s14.."     I hove hooked him up with fairly priced unusual parts and pieces several times over the years, and when I ask him to sell me something.. that is what I got.

 

It's rather insulting, really. 

 

rant over. 

 

So yeah.  I gotta do what I gotta do.  I will have it checked out before investing any further. 

 

Edited June 23, 2016 by eurotrash

[Preyupy]

I'm just saying that even if it passes a pressure test right now, I would not risk the $$$ you would spend to actually turn that boat anchor into a running engine.  I do not believe that repair will stand up in service, especially if you make any kind of real HP. 

 

Maybe a really cool S14 wine rack?

Edited June 23, 2016 by Preyupy

[TobyB]

Byron, from growing up with farmers who froze their engines pretty regularly,

I'd chime in with, "it might work".  It just depends on how it froze and what that broke.

 

The outer jackets tend to be pretty light and non- structural in the places like that.

 

Many an International 766, 1066 and hay stacker got lockstitched back together when I was a kid,

and it worked.  And the pressure and vibration on a turbo diesel pulling 6 bottoms 14 hours a day isn't trivial...

 

That said, I agree, I'd ONLY experiment on my own stuff, and I would NOT throw a lot of money at that engine-

it'd be an experiment.

The lockstitch was all they used when I saw it done...

 

t

 

[avoirdupois]

I like the idea of experimenting - as long as the experimenter is prepared for possible consequences, including a large expenditure of time and materials.  Its what some of us call hobbys.  It is only with the onset of a gray hair that the notion of "try try again" has been eclipsed by "not worth the effort."  Like opening a box of chocolates or watching Dusty Rhodes after a few Schoenling Little Kings --  you never know where one experiment leads.  

 

I have not experienced frozen block disease although I have dealt with one or two unforeseen stress cracks and blocks that failed to contain piston rods - creating unintended crankcase ventilation.  Mostly as "very youthful" experiments, a couple of blocks were saved from Davy Jone's locker with the use of Gray Marine Tex.  (How this differs from JB Weld, I do not know.  But, it seemed to work on the rolling test beds quite well.)   Mind you, this was when innovation was encouraged probably due to lack of direct adult supervision.   With the benefit of hindsight, I would have stitch welded or at least brazed the blocks as needed. 

 

 

http://www.ahmperformance.com/crackrepair.html

 

 

Edited June 24, 2016 by avoirdupois