I have an intake manifold with a crack in it that I need to get welded. The crack is out in the open on the water crossover near a fitting that can be plugged. The manifold is clean and off the car. Any leads would be appreciated.
Can anyone out there weld cast aluminum?
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JB Weld can. It would probably hold up ok on an intake but you would really have to get the surface clean and it wouldn't be the prettiest.
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What is it off of? I feel like for the cost of having someone weld it you could pick up one second hand
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Gotcha... was thinking jeep intake. JB weld x2.
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I've never tried this , but it looks pretty cool, might be worth a try .
From Web site: Alumaloy is a fluxless aluminum repair rod and is very user friendly. Alumaloy will solidify stronger than the aluminum you are repairing.
www. alumaloy. org/ LINK Broken by request from owner - KNOXRENTS
www. alumaloy. org/aluminumrepair.htm LINK broken by request from owner - KNOXRENTS
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[li]Butt Joints - Broken Rakes Ends are beveled and brought together. Follow tinning procedure, stroking both surfaces of the joint (with tinned groove) with Alumaloy.[/li]
[li]Lap Joints - Parts can be tinned and slid together while rod is still molten, or a generous fillet of rod can be applied to the edges of the lap joint, making sure of tinning by running a stick through the molten area.[/li]
[li]Mitered Joints - (in Windows, Doors, Screens & Frames) Material is solidly jigged. A neutral flame is played over the joint area until Alumaloy will melt when drawn across the joint. Make sure of tinning action by running solid end of rod through rod deposit. After tinning, the joint may be built up and finished as desired. These joints are stable in the presence of humidity and have remained in perfect condition after many years of exposure.[/li]
[li]Aluminum Repair - (change design of aluminum, match patterns and dies) The section to be worked is cleaned by filing or grinding, then tinned by heating the aluminum to a temperature that will melt the rod when rubbed on. When tinning, the Alumaloy rod should be kept out of the flame, letting the heat from the aluminum melt the rod. Build up with a soft flame. Pre-heat the entire match plate of the die to approximately 600 degrees F facilitates the operation.[/li]
[li]Aluminum Welding - (white metal with Alumaloy) Clean plating or scale from surface to be welded. .V. out fracture and set job up solidly. Pre-heat generally with neutral or acetylene flame. Just heat directly until parent metal starts to melt, then dip rod in and out of molten puddle to desired build up.[/li]
[li]Stripped Threads - Drill old threads out over size so when new fillet is added all drilling and tapping will be done in Alumaloy. This will make it easier to work with and will increase strength. After drilling, heat base metal from bottom of hole up. Tin rod into wall of hole beginning at bottom and work up. Fill hole, cool, drill and tap as needed.[/li]
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Found this post about Alumaloy:
I used it in the past but more recently I have tested sodel 68 and sodel 480 which are similar competitive products. Other manufacturers would also sell comparable products. sodel 68 has a melting point of 735 F and is best welded with oxy- acetylene torches with a carburizing flame (excess acetylene 1700F flame). It has a tensile strength of 40,000 psi. Sodel 480 is flux core and 68 requires a flux. These products can work very well and require cleanliness as formentioned and good heat transfer to the part being welded for fusion.(therefore the carburizing flame). The weld is very strong but tends to get brittle next to the weld. The flux is corrosive and the weld can corrode quite rapidly and therefore should be cleaned with a brush and boiling water before any grinding mixes the flux back into the weld. Mig or tig aluminum welding are superior and can be tailored to the alloy being welded. The rods you mentioned have been supplied by various manufacturers with similar properties for years and were commonly used by body shops years ago before the mig and tig became popular and can produce good results especially on some pot metals.
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Thanks Steve! I think I'm going to try the Alumaloy as I have a propane torch. The guy I got the intake from told me about the crack and said it didn't leak, but it was covered in thread sealer. I think I'll get an aluminum pipe plug and use the Alumaloy to 'weld' it in place since I don't need that fitting. Thanks again for the link.
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I saw that you can buy smaller quantities from Ebay. Might want to have a MAP gas torch , they burn a bit hotter.
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Post the repair pics, would be cool to see the final repair.
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Post the repair pics, would be cool to see the final repair.
I agree - sounds cool! -
If it doesn't work out I can weld it.
-Brad -
oxy acetelene
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Takes a ton of heat to weld aluminum as it is such a good heat conductor.
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Sorry that didn't work out for you, I was really hoping it would work.
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