Cast Iron Bellhousing...

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Here is a cast iron bellhousing from a 1941 Hudson that has (Had) a crack in it..You don't find these everyday..I really did not want to touch it but stupidity wins every time..Got very lucky with it as it was a really good ("Clean") casting..No pre heat..No post heat..Just a little grinder work and some 309 filler..Pic 1 is the housing..Scarey Huh?...This thing will never pass Tech at the dragstrip..Pic 2 and 3 is the prep work..Pic 4 and 5 is the repair..All is well now and the customer wanted to give me a BIG hug..I told him to "Stop right there...there is no need for that.."...I get all the fun jobs.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:nice, would you grind the weld flat so if painted it would look as no repair?Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:zapster   great job on the bellhousing . excuse myy ignorance ,. but what is 309?                                 Laurance
Reply:Thats really wingin' it there zap. I hear that some cast is more weldable than others, but is there a way to know if its gonna work and not crack as it cools, without actually gettin it welded up?[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:309 as in stainless steel I would imagine.. I have a crack in the frame of my bandsaw and some 308L filler laying around, would that do any good?
Reply:Originally Posted by roadkillbobbnice, would you grind the weld flat so if painted it would look as no repair?
Reply:Did you  stop drill the crack, that is drill a small hole at the end of the crack to prevent it from spreading?
Reply:Originally Posted by jones6780Did you  stop drill the crack, that is drill a small hole at the end of the crack to prevent it from spreading?
Reply:Nice looking repair, 625 inconel works well in odd applications like this as well.
Reply:Good lookin' repair, Zap. I bet you were still a little apprehensive on something that would probably be near impossible to replace. I know I would have been.                                          MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:what welding process?  I presume tig since that is the majority of what you do, but it looks like mig.  if it is mig, what shielding gas and what settings.  Details...details.  great repair.
Reply:Nice job ZAPif it didn't crack when you finished you should be goldenBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Originally Posted by Scott Youngwhat welding process?  I presume tig since that is the majority of what you do, but it looks like mig.  if it is mig, what shielding gas and what settings.  Details...details.  great repair.
Reply:Originally Posted by laurance Dzapster   great job on the bellhousing . excuse myy ignorance ,. but what is 309?                                 Laurance
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterPic 1 is the housing..Scarey Huh?...This thing will never pass Tech at the dragstrip...zap!
Reply:thanks.
Reply:i would of drilled the end of the crack with a 1/8 bit then weld it to avoid the crack from spreading in the weld then covering it with fiber glass  insulation to maintain the heat slow the cooling processbut it is an awesome job looks really cleanLincoln Power Arc 4000 Thermal Arc Fabricator 252 iThermal arc 186Thermal Arc 26 tigTweeko 200 amp spool gunHobart AirForce 400WP-17V-12R
Reply:Originally Posted by zapster  I made sure that the grinding from both sides met up with each other Both welds from each side met each other in the middle..
Reply:Originally Posted by denrepStrange that Hudson, with its leaking dirt-collecting oil clutch,  used the most open housing of all, isn't it?Good Luck
Reply:Originally Posted by zapster . . .You will not make round 2 if you need to put a clutch in it..
Reply:After looking closer to the pics it appears that in pic 4 and 5 there is a couple of cracks.In the fourth pic look closely at the fish eye where you broke arc. Looks to me what appears to be a crack. In the 5th pic if you look at the bottom side of the weld at the toe on the right side of pic it looks to be a small crack. Do you ever die check this stuff when you get done?
Reply:zapster     still a great job . Man ,there should be a post on how many ways there is to weld cast iron  I,ve never heard weldin cast with stainless . wow!                                             Larry
Reply:The car is running fine and the owner is very happy.Yup they look like cracks but nope they are not..And no we don't do dye testing.We do the "Ding" test.Way too scientific for your average welder....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I understand the ding test. We always welded lifting eyes on crusher wear metal(manganese) w/ stainless stick. After the weld was finished I'd hit the eye w/ a hammer. If it didn't ring like a tuning fork, break it off and try another one. Never had one pull out of the manganese if it would ring.                                       MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Thanks for posting up useful stuff for discussion, Zap.I've had cracks in the same place when doing test welds on gray cast iron with 309 stainless using TIG.  (Cracked along the fusion zone, where weld bead meets the parent metal).On same test coupon (an old, hacked up cast iron automotive intake manifold), I had no cracking problems with Aluminum Bronze A2, or with Nickel 55, both run using TIG (and no flux of any kind.)I would have loved the 55 or 99 for that matter but we don't do this on a regular basis and I was not going to buy 10 lbs for doing this for someone just off the street..It was a shot in the dark and I hit the target.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.