Has anyone used Muggy Weld rods on cast iron

[drifter]

Has anyone tried the muggy weld cast iron rods to repair a cast iron engine block or cylinder head?

[HDBD]

Having had issues welding cast this looks encouraging
https://youtu.be/kzbcVb2UymA

[drifter]

I would like to hear some feedback on repairing a block or head that repair the guy was doing was a LS exhaust manifold and I think it’s a lot fldiffernt then a block I myself have used a normal mig setup on a LS manifold without any issues

[ProPower engines]

I would like to hear some feedback on repairing a block or head that repair the guy was doing was a LS exhaust manifold and I think it’s a lot fldiffernt then a block I myself have used a normal mig setup on a LS manifold without any issues

Tube exhaust manifolds are a type of stainless steel.
There is cast iron manifolds which require a completely different welding process.
the type of filler material or rod if you will is specific to the type of repair you want to perform.
Stick welding takes practice and patience as well as there is machinable and non machinable welding rod as well.
Where appearance is important a UTP8 style rod will allow you to drill and tap through the welded area but the trick is go slow. Do not get too much heat in the welded area at a time only going 1/4 to 1/2 inch at a time before peening and cleaning the welded area before moving forward or it just makes it hard to clean up and machine later.

[motormonkey]

A LS exhaust manifold is some kind of steel. You can weld those all day long. Just to be fair.

[ProPower engines]

A LS exhaust manifold is some kind of steel. You can weld those all day long. Just to be fair.

Yes they are a stainless steel. Wire welding repairs can be done to both the cast and tube manifolds.
There is many other exhaust manifold systems that are stainless steel as well as they have been using this type of
exhaust system component since the 80's when cat's became mandatory and exhaust temps went through the roof.

[racear2865]

In my shop, weve welded much cast iron with Muggy. Took us awhile to get the technique, but once there, was good. We chip the coating off and use Tig. Just repaired a block this week that had a hole in the side
reed

[Sparksalot]

I haven't used Muggy Weld cast iron stick electrodes for cast iron repairs but I've had great success on close fitting cast iron joints with their 56% silver solder. In fact it's the most versatile of all of their products and it does great work on a wide variety of metals. It's not cheap but it can save your bacon on many jobs. It's great for joining dissimilar metals too.

Their website has good information on it.

[amcenthusiast]

In my experience, chasing a crack is the main problem.

As I understand it, the application of heat into a cold iron part; the expansion and contraction makes the crack grow longer.

...enter the process called 'Furnace Brazing' -the old school way.

The part itself is put into a furnace to preheat, then the brazing work is done to make the repair.

Another aspect of 'welding' cast iron is embrittlement, which varies according to the original ingredients of the iron itself and how it was manufactured.

-many types of cast iron; grey, white, nodular, ductile... each has their own characteristics to consider when making a repair or modification.

As I understand it, the typical/general problem is grain structure transformation which typically causes localized hardening.

Non-uniform temperatures will tend to produce a more trouble prone area of cast iron scar tissue (in the casting's grain structure)

Moral of story is you want to lessen the impact of applied heat (no matter who made the filler rod, or even what type of rod) by preheating the part.

The flipside is 'cooldown' -my general advice would be to say let the part cool down as slow as possible -immerse the repaired part into a container of sand if possible and leave it alone till it's 'cool to touch'... then you can do the finish machining work whatever that may be.

Sand is most compatible with iron, having a very similar thermo characteristic -that's why iron has been cast using sand molds forever -the sand and and cast iron swell and contract in optimal harmony & this is why a 'masonry block filler' works so well (the best IMO)

Really it's one more specialized type of welding -knowing all about repairing cast irons -as much about technique as it is for the filler rod.

Examine the damaged area first using your best magnifying glass available (I'd like to use a microscope if I could) -magnaflux?

It will pay off most of the time to find the end of the crack first and drill a small hole there to 'make a dead end' -to stop further crack formation.

...might try using the 'zoom feature' on a new school digital camera too, to examine the damage -there may be cracks you didn't see...

*Sometimes it might be possible to 'surgically remove' the entire damaged area and install a plug -threaded or pressed in like a 'freeze plug' - a 'cap' or 'inspection plate/cover'... when things go sour make lemonade?

-hope it helps, expect to gather experience from your metallurgy experiment, where the outcome is generally uncertain, for all the variables.

Here's a good article to read first: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... jd7AGAEa_Q

[1980RS]

Has anyone tried the muggy weld cast iron rods to repair a cast iron engine block or cylinder head?

Yes, I used it on my other 409 block with cracked water jackets 12" long. Worked great the block held 35psi on both sides for 3 hrs. so I think I am good. One thing is do not use one of the old Lincoln welders, takes too long and really hard to weld with. I used my tig welder that has the stick feature in and I can weld down to 55 amps with it and yes Muggy Weld works pretty good for me.