Cast iron exhaust manifolds are notorious for developing cracks over time due to extreme heat and temperature fluctuations. Instead of spending a fortune on a brand new replacement, we show you how to save money by fixing it yourself with the right tools and techniques.
In this highly informative video, we take on the challenge of repairing a broken cast iron exhaust manifold using MIG welding techniques. Join us as we walk you through the step-by-step process of how to properly weld cast iron, ensuring a long-lasting and durable repair.
You will see the proper preparation and cleaning methods required before beginning the welding process. We also discuss the importance of preheating to prevent further cracking and ensure a successful repair.
Throughout the video, we provide valuable tips and tricks to help you achieve a strong and reliable weld. We cover important aspects such as selecting the appropriate filler material, adjusting the MIG welder settings, and maintaining proper welding technique.
Whether you're a seasoned welder or just starting out, this video is packed with valuable information that will empower you to tackle similar repairs with confidence. Don't let a cracked cast iron exhaust manifold slow you down - learn how to fix it yourself and get back on the road in no time!
Subscribe to our channel for more welding tips, repair guides, and DIY projects. Hit the like button if you found this video helpful, and leave us a comment with any questions or suggestions for future videos. Thanks for watching, and happy welding!
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You deserve 100k subs, I contributed.
Thank you so much for your support!
@@BrandonLund Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills with amateur welders like me!
As a machine for 43 years. The casting needed to be machined flat on the bottom, where it contacts the engine block. It was cast that way, and they never machine it flat, so they were out of parallel. And the stress that when you bolted it to the block ended up cracking it.
Makes sense
Agree hope the shop installing the manifold decks it out Nice and flat and ensures the head is also flat - along with a good new manifold gasket and tighten the stud nuts to the proper sequence and then check them again once the engine reaches optimum temperature - as you would be aware it takes time and patience - then it most likely will not crack again - I worked in the GM Holden foundry and most failures were due to machining not the casting - Regards
Manifolds are ground flat during manufacturing, it's very common for manifolds to warp in use. When we are repairing manifold exhaust leaks without cracked manifolds the manifolds are almost always warped, we have the manifolds machined before reinstalling.
Impossible that the casting was not machined. It may have warped while machining or moved while machining, but it is ridiculous to think that anyone would attempt to install a manifold as cast.
👌 100% it was milled.
I have had very good success welding manifolds and other cast iron parts using high nickel content rods. They were called "Weldall" 11% nickel. As mentioned here lots of prep and a very controlled cool down. You can bury it with vermiculite or very dry, clean sand. Leave it for 4 hours or more to cool enough to handle with welding gloves.
Thanks for sharing
You also need to Ping it as you welded
A whole lot of savings of both time and money. I can see someone doing this, following your directions, and making a repair like this permanent on something that is NOT covered by warranty!!! Great job, Brandon!!! As always, your attention to detail on prep work certainly instructs us to do the job right the FIRST time. Thanks for your sharing your knowledge and experiance. Be well, be safe, be Blessed!!!
Thanks 👍 hopefully this can help a few folks especially in today's economy where not everyone can afford surprise expenses like this
I would suggest after your tacks you recheck your alignment with an exhaust manifold gasket and see if it is in alignment with the bolt holes. Then do your full weld if you are satisfied.
I felt pretty confident that the way i checked for alignment was more accurate than a gasket.
I weld two or tree bolt and fix exhaust. Then welding. If not, olways was out of measure,anout 5 mm
@@BrandonLund My guess is that the block isn't dead flat where the exhaust manifold bolts in. If it's not, then this repair will fail eventually, as will the OEM replacement part once that arrives.
Brandonlund showed us all that the Manifold itself was not straight flat .... and like he says and I agree with him is that the manifold itself was not casted straight from the beginning .... also the manifold does not bolt onto the engine block but to the cylinder head.
also would have helped to leave it in the BBQ/heater and coverd 80% that's not being worked on, but that's my 2c and or how im ( also how the slyly one did his 300L6 ford modifying for NRA/racing, there's a gas-or-laser spraying welding method as well but so far i haven't been able to buy the tooling, Xray wise its supposedly invisible repair/fix afterwards but so-far i can't 3d-party verify that ) planning on fixing my 1970~ hemi/Dodge parts, ie heads and block ect
Good job! Definitely better clamped flat. I’ve repaired a couple with a high nickel brazing rod and a very wide v groove. I also had the benefit of having a spare head to bolt the pieces to during the repair.
Right on!
Good video. Shop owner /mechanic 45yrs. Old school gas brazed many broken manifolds over the years, many that lasted till the vehicle went to junkyard. Also welded with malleable cast rod, both methods worked well, brazing worked better on hard to reach areas like on the backside of your manifold. Alot of the success of the job depends on the install of the manifold back on the cylinder head, must start tightening from center to ends. I would sneek up on tightening bolts, just snug, then run engine to operating temp, then final tighten. Always by hand, no impact gun!😂❤
Old school, I like your heat cycling torque procedure , center out oc.
Spot on! 👌
I also Bronze welded with gas as well as this heats the surrounding area I always had a small root gap to stop hot cracking When completed I would heat up again to stress relieve Then cool very slowly After I would surface grind the mating surface Then torque down I never had one come back I think the Grinding was the important part of the procedure
Never tried this process, I want to see the break test to see how strong it is, Great Video, THANKS
Me too and you are welcome!
Dang fine job man!!! You’ve got that SIB process mastered. Hope the client returns the manifold so we can see how it holds up to some testing. Great job as always. Have a great weekend!!!
I'm super excited to test on it for sure! Have a great weekend buddy!
So much that you have to know when it comes to welding. It's mind boggling sometimes, when it comes to welder types, settings for different materials, wire or sticks to use, mig/tig/stick, adequate penetration, etc. etc. I have just enough ability to stick together non-critical parts(with a lot of grinding and paint), but I would never do work for other people, for fear that some injury might result. I admire your ability.
Thanks man. Honestly, most memory retention comes from failures and remembering what "not to do". I have a hard time remembering too what works best under certain circumstances so I jot things down when it works, but I ALWAYS remember when something failed so you have a little process of elimination going on also lol.
Thank you, Brandon. That was a great job. Any work that is well begun, is half done. That's the message all your preparatory work gives us. Thanks again friend.👍👍👍
I appreciate that! Thank you!🙏👍
I found/trash picked an old lava-rock gas barbecue out on the curb close to my workshop about 25 years ago and I use it to preheat cast iron parts before welding ever since. It works really good. I peen it right in the hot barbecue right after welding while still hot and then I leave it in the hot bbq for some hours. I jury-rigged an old electric clock motor on the propane pressure regulator connected to the bbq burner to reduce the heat very slowly. I really enjoyed that video! Turned out great! Greetings from Germany. I mostly use nickel silver (50% Cu, 10% Ni) brazing rods and an oxyacetylene torch for cast manifolds btw. because it has a very large viscosity range. At 900-920 Degrees C its like PlayDoh, at 980-100 C it flows like hot wax.
I really like your idea on the timer. I can see how that could come in super handy!
Thank you. Love to see skilled people do their thing..
Thanks man!
Thanks for the details and allowing the insight to your decisionmaking! This was a great opportunity to see the whole process and yet, not have to be in possession of a degree in metallurgy. 😎 Cool video, nicely done.
Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great job love how you explain in detail how you do it
I appreciate that
Nice work and attention to detail, hoping you get it back for follow up, looking forward to it.
Thank you! I hope so too!
You're right there are as many methods as opinions on how to go about this repair, fact is that part was not perfect when cast and I think it stands a better chance of not failing now then the replacement manifold, nice job
Thanks man!
Its refreshing to see someone who knows enough about what he is doing. I wouldn’t have done much different except clean around the edges of the weld path before welding. Thanks.
I appreciate that! Thanks man!
you are very good and knowledgeable, I believe with your welding skills, this will last for years. Thanks for a great video.
Thank you very much!
Reminds me the manifold i fixed for a customer on a 5 cylinder Colorado 3 months ago. The exhaust manifold was broke in 3 pieces and was held by whisker worth of metal left AND it had 17 other cracks. I drilled the end of the cracks, beveled everything with a die grinder and pre heated the entire thing with a #15 rosebud then brazed everything together with my oxy propane rig.
Nice! 👌
Great one! Brandon! Let’s hope it’s last until the customer gets his new one!👌👍
Fingers crossed Rudy!
Sure make me wait, the suspense is killing me lol, awesome video Brandon 👍😁
I appreciate that Dave! Fingers crossed!
Very nice, I think this could be a way for some of the folks on this channel who have enough experience to do something like this on the side. Seems like a design flaw could turn into a way to fill a need by providing a temporary repair until the replacement parts can be delivered to the dealerships. As always, a very nice job of explaining the process!!!
Thanks man I appreciate it!
Great job. You just have to find a way that works for you. Everyone that I talk to in the business has a slightly different way of doing it. There is no wrong way as long as it works and holds 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Very true!
That was great Brandon, should help with my drill press plate . Great job by the way
Thanks man! I appreciate it!
This was a great video. Thank you so much. I think I’ll run out and get one of those small spools of O 30 silicon bronze to run on my Miller 350
You are going to live it! Smooth as butter
Awesome advice and process!! THANK YOU!
You are so welcome!
From one Mainer to another Wicked Good Job, JeffinMaine
Thanks man!
That casting reminds me of a Ford 200cid 6 cylinder I had fixed in my 20s and then machined flat across the mounting surface. Only then did I discover the block was distorted and had I left the manifold unmachined; would have hardly leaked. I had to get creative with high temperature industrial boiler gasket material and high temperature RTV stacked in layers to finally fix the leak. Fortunately the engine was low power and the exhaust backpressure was never enough to blow past my gasket kluge. A turbocharged engine would be a different story. I only bring this up to suggest your customer check the engine block with a straight edge from front exhaust port to rear exhaust port. The might be a reason for the stresses in the manifold that is block related.
This is actually an excellent point. All along I've been thinking it's a manifold flaw when in fact it could be the block like you mentioned. I love our community! Thanks for sharing 👍👊
Super job if you have the correct equipment! And you do!
Yes! Thank you!
Nice work Brandon! Be good see what it looks like in a couple months!!
Fingers crossed! I'm real curious also!
It was nice of you to align the piece prior to brazing.
Thank you!
It's astonishing how well you can read the material so as to make a good diagnosis. Additionally to choose the right fix. Just enormous learnsome for which big thanks. If such a fix passes my way I know how to fix it too.😄. Greetz from Holland, Marcel Knippers. Ps genius how to use a light to look if the bolts are lined up. New to me😁. Awesome and magnificent fix!👌
Thanks Marcel! I appreciate your thoughtful comment! Have a great weekend!
Hi brandon, This was really a new and very interesting process of mig welding.(MIG BRAZING) this video and info is very interesting and helpful. Thanks for keeping us learning on new processes. God Bless you and your family.
Thanks Armando and God Bless. Have you had a chance to pick up / try out your new toy?
@@BrandonLund Hi brandon,as for my new toy, i haven't got hold of it. my brother in law sent me the video of the unboxing. i'm having hard time trying to send it to you. maybe the video format is not compatible with mine.it was sent via messenger. i'm trying to make even pictures out of it. (unboxing video) it made me more excited to get hold of it 'coz he even showed me picture of it already placed in the box they're bring back here. don't worry brother as soon as i can i'll send the pics to you. and post it in the group. Thank you God Bless.
You should be able to share over on the Facebook welding community page also (if you want to). God bless you brother!
@@BrandonLund hi Brandon, as soon as i get hold of the machine i'll make a better pictures and post it in our FB welding community. can you inform me if you recieved the email with pics i've sent you so i'll try to post it in our welding community. Thank you and God Bless.
Came across this video looking for tips and best practice. I'm about to chop one of my np205 transfer cases in half to make it into a "doubler" for a 4x4 truck. I will need to weld a cover to it to close it back up and keep it together... will be practicing this technique on some scrap metal soon before the big attempt.
I don't know if you have Facebook or not but I'd love for you to join our welding community and share pictures of this build. It sounds like a fun project facebook.com/groups/brandonlund/?ref=share
Nice job. 40 years ago as a young boy my dad taught me how to braze cast iron. Your method is faster and looks much stronger
Thanks 👍 I learned with brass filler on sheet metal at a very young age also. It's a lost art for many
excellent technique!
Thank you!
Nice repair !
Thanks!
Cool video, I didn't know you could run silicon bronze though a spool gun. I like to use a TIG nickel filler process on cast iron projects.
That's really good stuff too. I started using silicon bronze because in my crude testing experiments, it holds up a little better than nickle but you really cant go wrong with either.
Thats what I said when I heard that. I said " what? How do you weld bronze with mig welder?"
I had a auto cast iron exh. mnfld to weld one day. Asked my super experienced boss. He said, "Run straight polarity use 7018, stick." Sure enough, welded right up. Pre heated the parts by closing my truck windows, putting the parts inside...nice and warm. Only welded a few inches at a time (did a lot of hand peening). Worked great.
I know a lot of folks have had had really good success with low hydrogen rods but every time I have attempted it, it has always cracked on me. It could be my technique also. I tend to weld on the hotter side.
Great video
Thank you!
After it was cast it was allowed to cool too fast and it caused it to shrink up on the top, causing the stress and it did not last on the vehicle. The heating and cooling Cycles just exacerbated it. Little bit of soapy water also works for welding spatter from a MIG welder. I like the use of the siliconized bronze. It will still Flex enough to possibly even make a good permanent fix. I like that you're using a respirator with siliconized bronze because it can be toxic with enough exposure. Repair doesn't have to be stronger, it has to be a bit more ductile. The lack of the ductility of the cast-iron is what caused it to crack in the first place. That's why I like the idea of the siliconized bronze.
Spot on. I actually like silicon bronze for that reason over nickle 👌
Quick update: I just spoke with the customer. He said the manifold bolted up perfectly without any issues and it's being used daily.
Too me it looks like the "flaw" in the Manifold is the small hole directly across from the crack. Look at all the rest of the holes , large and allow expansion and contraction. The small hole appears to "Not" allow any expansion or contraction , the crack directly across from the hole is kind of a dead give away. Imo anyways.
Your probably onto something. I read in a forum that the small hole is used to align the manifold bolts to the head during assembly. Some mentioned opening this hole up like the rest to allow for expansion. Makes sense
Nicely done… now you’re making us all curious if it holds up. I’m always skipical bout welding or repair cast iron… will grade you when you make the later report 😂
Hahahaha thanks man! Fingers crossed :)
Nice weld looks very good.
Thanks 👍
Looks like you did a pretty good job there. Yes I have welded cast iron a few times, usually good results. All the fine points you covered were with peening the weld very time , just overall well presented.
Thanks 👍
I LIKE YOUR STYLE , WORKMANSHIP . GOOD JOB SIR
Thank you very much!
good job and video really nice welding. when they went to casting in mexico they have had tons of casting troubles including heads. your repair may last much longer than it did to start with unless the casting have gotten better i would leave yours on till it went bad. take care, be safe and well
Interesting! Thank you for sharing John!
You remember when I told you it was leaking and you didn’t believe me!!! Great video
Thanks again!
thanks for the advice! I am going to repair the driver side manifold for a 1964 barracuda with the 273 engine. A very unique manifold that are very hard to find these days. Luckily it's just the end ear and opening into the #2 exhaust port.
Glad to help! Good luck and please report back how it went!
it went well, already done. Because it was a small repair, and at one end of the manifold, I skipped the heating step and just did a couple small welds. Then gave it some cooling time, and proceeded with a couple more small welds. The manifold is almost 60 years old and it's made it this far. The mating surface is all filed down and ready to go back into action. Thanks again, good inspiration for my little fix@@BrandonLund
Awesome! Great to hear! Nice job! 👊
Repaired a cast vise, grind a land pre heat hot hot weld with 7018 peen the hell out of it and wrap it in insulation, never broke in like 10 yrs, Good vid!
Nice!
Good 👍👍👍 weldingtricks friend,I like your technic
Thanks 👍
In your setup, as one person mentioned using an exhaust gasket to make an alignment jig with all bolts. So you can bolt it down lightly with said gasket in place. As if it were on the engine. Heat it like you did. Weld and reheat while checking on the jig. But it looks good this way.
I never gave the gasket idea a thought. pretty good idea. If I get another I will probably have them supply one with the repair but for the record, they said it bolted up as thought it was a brand new manifold and and they are still using it.
@@BrandonLund Glad it is still working
Dude that's awesome! Yeah mine cracked too.
Thanks man. Yah they seem to be an issue. I wonder if this will result in a recall. I would think it would?
It's been a while since I commented last, I love how well done your explanations are no matter what kind of project you're working on! I've had some catch up to do on the channel, but I'm really glad I keep following you since you started this youtube channel!
I appreciate that Nicholas! I know how hecktik it can get with work and juggling everything. I appreciate your support man!
I made up a jig out of 3/8" thick angle iron and bolted the two pieces together on that using old manifold studs. I then put the whole thing in an oven for 5 hours. When it was at maximum temp . I put it in a vice with an Oxy/Acet torch pointing at it. I then welded it together with cast iron stick welding rods. When I finished I put the whole thing back in the hot oven for an hour then turned the oven off and let it cool over night. That manifold is now 21 years older since the weld and no sign of cracking. 😉
Nice!
Nice job
Thanks!
I just did one of these on a Ford 6.2 I used my weed burner to pre heat and radnor cast99 1/8” rod at 90 amps with a needle scaler to finish up then cooled down under the wood stove in the shop over night it was still warm to the touch the next day so I was happy with the slow cool down but I haven’t found the magic recipe yet to fix any cast iron it’s a crap shoot every time in my experience it either works out or it bust apart worse than before but you can’t know too many methods to repairs thanks for sharing this I have a spool gun in the shop also so maybe I should get a 2lb spool of that wire for just such a situation I don’t do a ton of cast but when I do I want the best results I can get
Thanks man! That repair method you mentioned is very good. I would do it the same way, except next time, try that silicon bronze wire. I think you will be very pleased with the results.
@@BrandonLund I will have to do that I haven’t used that silicon bronze but I got plenty of junk manifolds to play with and I’m really curious to see how it works on cast bearing housings I’ve done a few loader transfer cases with hit and miss success
Nice job Brother
Thanks!
I am wondering if there might not be an after market exhaust gasket that is thicker and a set of torque values to go with it? This might be a way to seal the casting better without putting excessive stress on it. After a hundred and thirty years of car making you would think they would have this same old technology ironed out, but I know, they just don't give a damn as long as their bonuses and big fat checks keep coming!!
Exactly! Like 50-90k isn't enough money for a new vehicle these days. It's insane!
Nice process ❤ would it have been better to put it back on the BBQ then into the sand. Just thinking of getting a longer cooling process. But this is definitely going to be bookmarked 🤙
It may or may not make a difference. The main part is that it cools slowly from whatever temperature it's and it's brought close to welding temperature at the start of welding. It probably wouldn't hurt though
Hey Brandon, well done man, nice job to. I am curious what it will look like in 2 months, I that the weld is in good condition and has not been torn, thanks for the tips. Have a very nice weekend, see you next week.
Thanks Christian and you too!
Well done mate - nice work just subscribed- Regards Down Under
Thanks for the sub!
@@BrandonLund Nice work with the video and the repair - cast iron in particular is delicate as you described - my father was a stainless steel fabricator and i was taught by him however he was a master and i only half as good - I’m a electrical contractor and marine guy guess we all have our long suits - love your work Regards from down under
I useded nickel rods when I wededed the manifold for my boat. I also heateded my manifold to a slight glow. Once I was done weldinged it. I burieded in a barrel of sand that I heated to about 500 degrees on my wood stove. That way it tooked about 3 days to cool off. I had no warping and the manifold never cracked. If you look into some of the antique guide books they mention welding cast parts while cherry red. As far as your manifold i highly doubt that it was cast with tension in it. Most likely had too much varience in thickness. And cooling when in operation is what i suspect caused the problem. As to using silicon bronze, I've never used it on an exhaust manifold. In fact, I've only used on ears for motor bases and bolt flanges.
Nickle works awesome for cast iron repair. I have a very detailed tutorial on the process. As far as strength, silicon bronze yields a better product in my opinion. Almost as strong as the original cast iron.
Thank you for sharing this,,,,,i know you’ve been really busy….
Thanks Chris. It's been crazy lately lol
@@BrandonLund ive been crazy busy too, im struggling to find a place that will weld the bow of my boat…today im gonna slap some flex tape and see what else might leak….but i dont think theres anything else…it has a bilge pump….its not like im gonna have a day trip. I just wanna see if theres another place that needs attention and its better than filling up my boat in the yard potentially damaging the trailer and boat
BRANDON I AM A 73 YEAR OLD CODED WELDER IN SA , I STARTED MY WELDING SKILLS AT AGE 9 YEARS OLD ,MY LATE DAD AND UNCLE WERE BOTH CODED WELDERS AND MY MENTORS !! I WELD ABOUT 150 CAST IRON MANIFOLDS PER ANUM AS MOST NEW MANIFOLDS HAS TO BE IMPORTED WITH MANY MONTHS DELAYS WHEN ORDERD ! I have over the years not have one Return or Failure For Years !! REGARDS from South - Africa 🌍
Thats awesome. What process are you using? Cast iron rod with flux?
We went through 2 of those small exhaust manifolds because of water being splashed up on them while driving in a heavy downpour . PLUS the tourqeing of the engine . They wouldn't even try a repair even for a temporary. I brought the broken ones home to try welding them sometime. They are laying outside and probably stay right there. Stay safe and let us know if this one holds for the customer for a little while. Fred.
They don't build things like they used to. Fingers crossed it holds
@@BrandonLund that's for sure Brandon.
prep it tack it heat the whole thing to 900c then weld with 7018 rods wrap in fire blanket slow cool no drama
I wanna see the follow-up! Entire repair looks quite good in every respect. So now how did it work out?? Is it still on the head? What's the story?
I just spoke with the mechanic that installed it. He said it installed just like a new one. No fitup issues. The customer was his father's vehicle and they are still running it. It's just as good as new.
@@BrandonLund Thanks for the update.
I have gas braised cast before also submerging in a dry media with temp control throughout the process! Protocol 47 years ago. The cracking can be result of uneven contact between head and manifold. Use some dye or carbon paper between joint for indicator.
Great information! Thank you for sharing!
Very interested to see how this holds up and what it takes to break it if you get it back.
I'm curious too!
Yeah man , that's nice break this going be good one guy's now let's watch the man show how it's done.
Thanks man!
In my opinion there are several different things going on in the failure mode of this part. There is a big temperature difference while engine is running between the manifold and the cylinder head as the head has water jacket and bigger thermal mass this gives different thermal expansion to head and manifold if the manifold is bolted down tight it is placed under compressive load during heat up and tensional load during cooling the thermal cycling makes cast iron a good choice but performs less well in tension leading to fracture that progresively fails .The poor design of the part , gasket choice, type of use, all play a part in the failure the manifold would have been machined flat from manufacture I think that this is as good as a repair as could be done thanks for posting
That is correct, the manifold wasn’t made with “tension in it” it was cast and allowed to cool appropriately, then machined flat to appropriate specifications. It has tension in afterwards because of the heat of the engine being to much on the outside edge (opposite side from machined face) there for that side shrinks more than the flange face, it might be a bad or cheap design but maybe it’s like that because of space/size constraints, that being said this is a good repair and the only others think that might benefit this repair is to have the machined face skimmed again
@@theshauny I think you have a very valid point about the heat on one side of the manifold in larger engines the mainifold is somtimes split with expansion joints with a piston ring type seal Cost is always first with automotive manufactures so as long as it lasts warrenty period they dont care
Very well said!
I started using silicon bronze tig about 6 years ago on cast, haven’t looked back
Those who have used it know 👌. I agree with you 100%
Your observation that it was cast wrong seems 100% on the money. I bet if you did a long term follow up the new one cracks as well and they would be better off using this piece for the long term.. PS. I think you are the only KZhead channel that does real world MIG Brazing. So that makes you Unique and cool!!!
Very interesting I wasn't aware I'm the only one doing this. That is pretty sweet. As far as the manifold, I'm curious how flat the flanges are from the factory. It almost acts like they warped when cooling after being casted and when they get bolted to the head, it's under tension until it snaps
@@BrandonLund It could very well be that the block is also slightly warped from a previous overheating event. This is an aluminum block, right?
I welded the cracked exhaust manifold on a Geo Storm. Ran it for some time to preheat. Grooved the crack with a die grinder. Held up for the three years after that when I sold the car.
Right on!!!! 👊
I'd want to know if the customer just ran with it, how long it would go if / until the fail, having another from the dealer ready at hand. Thank you for sharing the process and the future update 🤗
We may find out. I bet they run with it until it fails. I will report back for sure
I had a very difficult time using some nickel rod/dissimilar metal rod from lincoln. base was oil soaked so probably didnt help, cleaned it as well as I could. Pretty sure it's still out there connected. I held the torch to it on low heat for another half hour, then covered it in a blanket, as far as I know it's still holding.
Thanks for sharing! 👍
Really nice explanation.I could not see what Yeswelder you have. Can you show that? As I am in search for a new ho.e welder setup
Thanks man. This one. Probably my favorite of the Yeswelder lineup yeswelder.com/products/yeswelder-ywm-211p-double-pulse-aluminum-mig-welder?ref=BRANDONLUND
Thank you for the tips. I was a pipefitter so working with metal isn't anything new but we didn't weld cast iron pipe. I've had a hard time repairing cast iron skillets that are warped on the bottom or spinners as they are called. I can get the warp out no problem but they crack as they cool. Preheating and the sand cool down might just be the answer. The value of the skillet seems to matter, cheap crap never cracks while valuable skillets don't stand a chance. lol How do it know?
I know right LOL. I have welded a few skillets because whenever I weld cast iron as a demonstration, there is always someone that says the only reason it held is because its cast steel i'm welding I'm surprised no one has suggested this is cast steel LOL
@@BrandonLund There is always some internet pecker head that knows everything thou he's never moved out of Mom's basement. If they ever have sex it will blow their minds. On these skillets, some are from the 1800s so if anyone in all that time ever heated it too fast or unevenly the bottom can warp. Collectors won't touch a spinner but I'm sure they are repairable where they'll be new. I've built a simple jig that will flatten the bottom but you need to be mindful of the pressure you're putting on it. I'll heat it with a rosebud and tighten the jig as it relaxes. The iron will be red hot and I'll heat the entire bottom but 50% don't survive. I think with a better job of preheating and the sand it just might work. Heck I'm retired and just playing but it's a challenge now! A challenge is when you spend tons of money to save a $50 skillet. lol
Great job Brandon, You have very good patience then it comes to fixing things. I have a question can you use oxygen to weld? I bought some tanks that I was going to get filled with c25 but I was wanting to know if I can use this gas for anything before I take them in to be filled. Thank's and keep the videos coming.
You could use it with torches but that's about it. Your local welding supply store might even give you a credit on the gas. It's worth a shot.
No but you can us c02 and it's cheaper than argon
I have new race engine block. It was damaged in shipping where the main cap was hit and broke two relatively small sections off halfway through the bolt hole. They sent me another block free of charge so just for the heck of it I was thinking of repairing this one. I figured rather than try to attach the two small pieces I would be better off grinding it all out and lay bead over bead until the block can be machined flat and two new holes drilled and threaded. Thoughts on this?
Strength wise the testing I've done proves it to be pretty close to the original cast strength. Only problem is, it will never be as strong as the original. So if your using it as a race motor, I probably wouldn't chance it, but for a street / pro street setup it would probably be ok.
That's a job done the best possible way, quite impressive, and I noticed that doing things the right way has finally become somewhat of a trend. It needs to be said though, that this level of precision is only possible in the west, the US particularly, as you have super easy access to all the right tools relatively cheap. Anyway, from personal experience I'd say this repair will possibly outlive the engine, unless the manifold material is of poor quality/contaminated. I've been into the custom car scene for many years, and modified quite a few chassis, and as you can imagine I've seen my share of unspeakable horrors!😂 I'm of the idea that you can do pretty much anything if done right, for example I once welded shock mounts on the lower A arm tension struts, as the client didn't have the means to afford a full MII conversion, and that was the only position available since hydraulic rams were now in their place, of course they weren't cast, but it's usually not advisable to do for different reasons, stress being one of them. Anyhow, I followed a similar method to the one you show in this video, with an overkill amount of prep work, and the old car is still being used regularly to this day after eleven years. Very nice set up btw, having the welding rod on the gun seems like a pretty smart trick when you work on diffrent materials constantly, it's amazing how much tools have evolved in the past ten to fifteen years, and how easier it makes it for us to work properly. It makes you appreciate the great metal workers of the past on a different level.
It sure does! Very well said brother!
A very interesting and informative video. Do you have to have hot sand too or is the blanket insulating enough ?
Thank-you! As long as the sand is dry you are all set. It can be room temperature
I've welded many cast iron pieces. Preheat, nickel rod, peen weld during process, finish weld out, slow cool. Welds always pull metal. Should plan on lapping manifold flat after
I've pretty much stopped using nickel since I tried silicon bronze.
I have had best luck with o/a and brazing. No hardening of the base metal at all. Other option is to heat up cherry red weld with o/a using cast iron as filler. All other methods seems to produce hard and brittle base metal around the weld.
Definately cant go wrong with brazing 👌
Great job , will definitely try this method , was the mating surface machined afterwards ?
Thanks man! Nope i just welded it with the flanges clamped flat to my welding table and the customer is still running it leak free
Because of the way you took the stress out of the manifold before welding it (brazing, sorry), I'm sure this repaired piece will never fail. Just a hunch. I'd like to see the owner buy a replacement manifold and leave it in the box, to be returned someday.
I toyed back and forth to match up the crack or keep the flanges flat. Because I welded it with the flanges flat (no stress) I think your assessment should be accurate but we will see :)
Craziest thing cast iron I welded was a cast iron water well pump that was in about 10 pieces. I tacked the puzzle pieces together without grinding much to get the fit then ground out metal and welded it back up a bit at a time. I did it at lunch where I work so I had the use of large torches and a rotisserie for pre- heating. I got it to not only hold water but hold air pressure as I leak tested with air. A little at a time, about a week of lunches. I used stick with nickle rods.
Right on! Nickle is good stuff. I started using silicon bronze only because it tested a little better than nicle but you cant go wrong with either. Nice work man!
@@BrandonLund I use silicon-bronze at my job when I have to fill some holes in cast iron to re- drill when they whoopsie. It works good. There I use torch.
@michaelszczys8316 oh nice! It's good stuff for sure 👌
i made a booboo machining 454 mptprhome exh manifold , and strate steel MIG welded with prep and heat ... held over a year . yours will hold BETTER than original , especially if resurfaced , shaved
Steel mig welding will work too but I think your right, the silicon bronze is mor forgiving and stronger.
Not sure what metal ford duratorq ex manifold but i welded it with regular mig set up.,. been fine
Nice!
You did an awesome job man. Question: why not stick weld it? Could you if that's all you had with the same process you did?
Thanks man. You could 100% stick weld it. I chose this process simply because it produces a lot less heat in the part but you could easily stick weld it using some nickle
I've seen that before at the toe of the weld. Do you think that's because of the heat making the cast more brittle over time plus the repair which causes alot of heat?
For sure. Almost all repaired cast iron, if it's going to clack will almost always crack at the toe.
You mentioned you were going to do 2 passes over it,, did you? Thanks for the video !!
I only did 2 passes on one side because i couldn't get the groove as deep as i wanted because i had to use a die grinder, which gave me a wider groove. The other 3 sides I was able to get deep but not wide so I was able to fill it up in one pass.
Repair Looks Great 22:09 @Brandon Lund
Thanks man!
Over on the Barham Engines channel they frequently get manifolds that are warped and have to machine the gasket face flat. I think rather than try snd keep it flat during welding its probably easier to let it warp and then machine the face flat again.
But when you don't have a milling machine you have to do it this way.
Brandon, very nice job. question: for pre-heat, is you barbecue propane powered? do you think a charcoal briquet type barbecue would work? why or why not? thanks in advance.
Yes it's propane, I know charcoal will also work. I've also seen it done with charcoal and a blower to make sort of a crude forge. That works well also
castoline 1204 works very good
I've heard that before. I need to give it a try
Not too bad, cast can be an absolute Ahole to repair and no one gives a guarantee, you did well. I have worked day and night shifts on a very large casting only to have it crack, we had guys keeping the casting hot while welders worked, this lasted for 72Hr 3days, still it ended up cracking, the customer was willing to give it a go as a replacement was months away and many hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is important to know what type of cast you are dealing with as some casts cannot be welded, Sil Bronze might be your best hope in some cases.
I've had real good luck with this filler
I enjoyed your video. Many ways to skin a cat. Much love from Canada
Thanks for watching!
Looks like an opportunity to sell fully welded custom replacements with a continuous base flange instead of that delicate design. Ordering laser or waterjetted flanges then using heavy box tubing etc could be a moneymaker.
I never thought of it this way, but you got a great point! 👍