Need advise on welding cast iron head?

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Background:I have an old Farmall M tractor that has a crack in the cast iron head.  It is in the combustion chamber.   There is no one in my area that welds cast iron heads anymore, Portland is the closest and that's 6 hours away.  I was told it would cost as much to have the head welded as it would be to find an a head that is good.   I have welded cast iron on farm equipment before with nickel rod and have had good success.So, I'm not out much if I weld it and it doesn't hold.  What I need advise on is the type of rod to use and what welding method.   I have access to oxy and a DC welder.  I was going to use Nickel 55 rod on the DC welder, but have also seen cast iron rod that can be oxy welded.   I'm looking for advise on which would be the best.   I have the capability to pre/post heat the head also.Thanks,Bob
Reply:If you have to take it apart to fix it and it don't work then it comes back apart to try again correct?I myself would get the replacement head and just do it once and know that all is well and there are no worries about failure at the worst possible time.......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:fusion welding with acetylene might work.
Reply:A bare used head that has been cleaned and magnafluxed is right around $700.  Then add the valves and everything else I would be close to $1k.  That's why I want to try and do it myself.Bob
Reply:Bob can you post pictures?
Reply:I have had great success with a product called alumaseal it has been around for years....I assume its getting water in the oil ?If you don't want to go that direction Ni Rod 99 (TIG) is what I have used with good results...The pre heat and post heat is the part you need to pay close attn to....Good luck  Last edited by B_C; 02-12-2015 at 01:06 PM.  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:The preferred method would be to strip EVERYTHING from the head, including valve guides, valve seats, studs, basically anything that wasn't cast as a part of the head. Then you make a nice U-groove where thr crack is. Put the head in an suitable oven and slowly heat it up until it's red hot (yes, literally glowing red). Pull it out of the oven while covering as much as possible to keep it hot, O/A weld it, either using a powder welder (correct name?) or cast iron filler rods, I think Kastweld 111 is the name of one type. Either pack it in insulation or put it back in the oven for SLOW cooling.Once it's cool it's ready for re-machining of the gasket surface, new valve guides, valve seats... There's a reason it's expensive to have a cast iron head professionally welded.Exactly where is the crack? Pictures? There may be way better "simple" options than hitting it with the arc welder as it seems you were planning on. Once you try one method you've probably made any other method impossible, so don't get ahead of yourself... Let the research take it's time. I'm not sure if "metal stitching" as with lock-n-stitch products is suitable in the combustion chamber, but take a look at it.
Reply:Many automotive machine shops would pin it instead of welding, you might inquire about that, especially since it is in the combustion chamber.
Reply:Check out a product called locknstitch.Miller 180SDLincoln weld pak 180Hobart 250ciMill Lathe
Reply:Nickel-silenium smaw. proper pre and post heatHF 98233 Stick/TigHF  95136 PlasmaEastwood TIG200Eastwood MIG250Damn, I cut it twice already and it's still too short!
Reply:Originally Posted by mnrjohnsonCheck out a product called locknstitch.
Reply:I attached a pict, hope you can see the crack. It starts on the bottom of the head, runs about 1/2" there and then down into the combustion chamber about an 1 1/2".  The machine shop told me about "LockNStitch", but he referred to it as a temporary patch.  I don't have any experience with it. I've seen them repair heads on YouTube with LockNStitch.Bob Attached Images
Reply:If its done correctly locknstich is a permanent repair. i have a cylinder head that has a locknstich repair. If i remember correctly it was  repaired 4 or 5 years ago and no problems so far.Millermatic 200Miller 330AB/PTrailblazer 4J
Reply:I would think you could find a used head for less than $700.
Reply:Originally Posted by Welder DaveI would think you could find a used head for less than $700.
Reply:Originally Posted by GrinshaIf its done correctly locknstich is a permanent repair. i have a cylinder head that has a locknstich repair. If i remember correctly it was  repaired 4 or 5 years ago and no problems so far.
Reply:It has been said more than once already but, LOCK N STITCH process will fix that crack without the aggravation of trying to keep cast iron properly stabilized while undergoing a welding process. I know a NHRA Super Stock racer with a 900+ HP 426 Hemi that has $30K in his " vintage cylinder heads " and Lock n Stitch is part of the program. Lock n Stich will also do cast iron welding as I recall.
Reply:Got the head all cleaned up and going to take it to another machine shop to look at it.  He said they have done quite a bit of LockNStitch and it has worked very well.Bob