One of those days

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User]
edited November -1 in HUDSON
I got the 232 engine back together on my run in stand last night. The rear main seal still leaks, I have not figured that one out yet. However, that is now a minor problem. I discovered the block is cracked about a quarter inch below the head surface on the distributor side just to the right of it. A tiny stress crack, but it leaks. I tried to weld it with my mig welder, but did not fix the problem. I will try again today, but figure this is now a parts engine. That is a shame, because it runs like a top. Good oil pressure, does not get hot on the stand, and answers the throttel well. Oh well, I am learning a lot about assembling these engines I guess.

Comments

  • MikeWA
    MikeWA Senior Contributor
    If thats the only problem, it might be worth it to find the oldest, craftiest welder in your area, and see about getting it welded by a pro. There are ways to weld cast iron, but it takes a pro. Also, look into a process whereby you drill a hole at the end of the crack, tap it for small pipe thread, put in brass pipe fitting, then drill another hole that overlaps about one third onto the plug you just put in, and so on til you've filled the whole crack. Then grind them all off. Kinda laborious, but it's something you could do yourself. I've seen it done on long cracks caused by freezing, and it not only works, but it looks kinda cool as well. I'm thinking it's called metal stitching, but I'm not sure.
  • super651
    super651 Senior Contributor
    alexa wrote:
    I got the 232 engine back together on my run in stand last night. The rear main seal still leaks, I have not figured that one out yet. However, that is now a minor problem. I discovered the block is cracked about a quarter inch below the head surface on the distributor side just to the right of it. A tiny stress crack, but it leaks. I tried to weld it with my mig welder, but did not fix the problem. I will try again today, but figure this is now a parts engine. That is a shame, because it runs like a top. Good oil pressure, does not get hot on the stand, and answers the throttel well. Oh well, I am learning a lot about assembling these engines I guess.



    Alex, I had the same thing on my 55--308 block only longer and wider than your 232. and i installed a product in the engine 2 years back it stopped and has not returned. ( it did not plug up the radiator or the heater core)

    E-mail me your address and i will send you the Fix in the Mail,at NO-CHARGE.

    Drop the SIXrbennett37@sbcglobal.net. Thanks Rudy.
  • rambos_ride
    rambos_ride Senior Contributor
    I've had engines that I have torn down before that have had brass floated into the crack - it seemed to be ok and didn't leak... has anyone done this type of fix before with success?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Alex



    Darn is the word I think of, as I know you have been very attentive to the details... Like Rudy says... get yourself some stop leak and run it in the engine. Bars Loc has worked for me... anything with a metal fragments type of base should work too.



    When I was on the farm it was an odd year we didn't get a crack in an implement engine. Grand dad ran the engines until they got hot ... sometimes reducing the coolant to get extra hot, then used the old arc welder to repair the crack... usually not very pretty, but almost always successful.



    Good Luck
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    We have a product here called "Irontite" which is very good. You put this is and run the engine for a prescribed period, and get it good an hot, then drain out and leave dry for a week. The resultant that forms hold the leak indefinitely. One of our club members runs Hino deisel buses, and they are pretty bad at cracking heads. After the third one replaced he just uses Irontite, and has had no problems.

    Geoff.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Thanks for the advice and sympathy, guys. I will try some type of addative next. I tried welding it with my mig, ground that off and tried a stick welder. Ground that off and put JB weld on it... waiting for that to dry a couple days. I ran the engine and got it "warm" before I welded and that did not seem to help. I made the leak worse. I am concerned that the head bolts are putting separation pressure in this area, crack is about a quarter inch below the head line and below a headbolt and runing horizontal to head.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    At some time in the past the coolant probley froze and cracked the block. Have seen it lots of times. We used a product called water glass most drug stores have the stuff. Drain the antifreeze and refill with water run engine untill hot and add the stuff. Water glass is sodium solicon. I did see can of stopleak block sealer at the Car Quest store the other day made of the stuff and it had some copper or brass in it to.
  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Senior Contributor
    The water glass treatment works! We "fixed" a badly leaking aluminum cylinder head on a V6 Bronco II years ago. It's still running! It's important to make sure the water jacket is clean and free of antifreeze as Alex stated. Good Luck, Dave W.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Alexa-I had the same problem with a 308 that had done a valve job on. It was about a 3" crack about 3/8" below the top of the block on the left side about 6" from the front of the block.I tried 2 or 3 "stop leaks" an finely had it "cold welded" ( stiching ) , a row of overlaping tapered plugs.( $ 150.00 ). It still seeped just a little at a couple spots along the repair. I then tried some of the stop leak thet you run the engine a while then drain and let it air dry a couple of days. It still seeped a little. I drained the water and as a last resort, wire brushed the area and spread a thin layer of JB Weld. This was several months ago and as far as I know it hasen't leaked. Norm

    .
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