624H JD Cracked Transmission

you got some good advice already; try to do it clean if you can, or the result will be unrelable at best.

to add my own experience: have had good results with cast iron using austenitic stainless steel electrode.

An alternative to welding may be brazing ..........you do not have to actually melt or pool the cast iron............the brazing rod has a built in flux............ensure that you get the correct rods, as there are many different types of brazing rods.

The casting will still have to heated to a high temperature, which may cause problems with warping...........also follow previous points on cleaning..........this is essential.

I've seen ads for a product called Heat Dam. A putty that you build up around the area you are heating. It probably draws some of the heat out of the metal and disperses it.

Yep..........you got in one. I remember using something like that many years ago............but my memory fails me..........seniors moments are coming at an increasing rate.

You are screwed. There is no way to relaibly weld cast iron, the welding process will introduce stresses which will cause further cracking. Maybe EPOXY!

............but of course Devcon, ideal for this sort of repair..........you can file it, drill it, machine it......

Cannot recall the one for cast iron..........just google it.

Consider an alternate process such as metal stitching / metal locking (Google "metal stitching"). Even if this only prevents further crack growth, you'll have stability and the basis for being able to epoxy or otherwise seal the area. Here's an example company (I have not used their process, nor do I have any connection with them - but their site was readily available and readable): http://www.locknstitch.com/Metal_Stitching.htm. At least some companies provide this sort of thing as a service, and will come to the field to do the repair for you, I believe.

Absolutly... As I read this I was going to send the same link. This sounds like a perfect candidate for stitching. You will have loads of shavings left in the case that will need to be flushed out very carefully if you don't have access to physically wipe them out.

I thought of that too..........but.........the crack is on the mounting holes..........there may be insufficient material on the flange to be able to carry out metal stitching effectively.

Also I didn't hear about drilling the end/ends of the cracks to stop them from growing.

Disassemble, hot tank, prep crack, preheat, weld or braze, stress relief heat, slow cool, reassemble.

Weld by the style you are most able. I've even used a welding torch and gold coat hanger. The cast metal is the big variable. Some cast welds well, other cast iron is not weldable. Impurities and heat stress will not let you weld it as is and survive.

Sorry it is the nature of cast iron.

Brad

I files a crack out once on a dozer and used a small chisle to drive a shoe lace in the crack. Just like calking the boards on a boat .

I used these rods to build up on the rear diffrential where it goes in the rear hanger, which was worned down a good 3/8". It was a smooth flow weld and didn't transfer very little heat to the cast iron, you could laid your bare hand on it as soon as you got done welding a pass. didn't have any problems on the buildup. I'm going to do transmisson this week. I'll like to thank you all for input. Will let you know what the out come is.

When you finish your welding procedure, clean every thing down with a product that will remove as much of the oil residue as possible. Any questionable areas will now be ready to accept silicone rubber. The rubber will seal any small areas that may remain. It will not contain pressure, but will seal well otherwise. If there is a seeping of oil from some place, you can but a small dab of silicone directly on the area, and just use your finger to mix the oil and silicone. As the silicone starts to set, the oil will be sealed inside the pan. Good luck. Thanks for replying, and keeping us involved.

Just letting you know the out come on the transmission. I used the Cronacast 211 cast iron rods which perform very well, I would weld about a inch at a time an let it cool for a few minutes and grind out any pin holes,kept doing this until I had a good soild weld. The rods never showed or attempted to crack unlike nickle rods. I've been doing welding for a very long time,but not much cast iron. If you have a tough job I feel like this is the rod for the job,YOU WELL PAY DEARLY FOR THEM,But in my case they were worth it. SO far I haven't seen any sign of a leak,but only time will tell .

Thanks Again PS no preheat to weld

Sam

Glad that things worked out well for you. Thanks for letting us know. Have a good new year.

Greetings.

Find someone who knows how to Thermite weld and see if they can fix you up.

As far as I know the Chinese still weld their railroad tracks together with Thermite welding.

Check with Lindsay Publications they have several books on Thermite Welding

You could look it up and do it yourself if you feel confident.

Oly