Well I wasn't even half way done with the grinding I had to do today and I hit a water passage on the bottom of one of my cylinders!!! The hole is very small. Is there any way that this can be welded shut and hold? Or is it just a waste of time to try? I guess there's not a chance it's an oil passage and not coolant??

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Riccioli Performance Motorworks

--RPM Racing--

-Currently building first ever engine. 383 with Super Ram plenum and runners, Edelbrock lower intake, Bosch 24# injectors, AFR 190 heads, MSD ignition.
-Will be installing Baer Brakes
-Will be installing full Spohn suspension in rear
-Art Carr 700R4 trans??


Attention Everyone!!! I will be changing my name on the message boards to HardcoreZ28 sometime in the near future. Just wanted to let everyone know.

 

Everybody's worst nightmare...

There are techniques for welding cast iron; I'm the wrong person to ask about that though. I know next to nothing about welding. Actually, ede is probably a better esource on this than me.

Go ahead and finish all your grinding. If the block has enough core shift that you went through in one place, you may hit water in others too. Then get all of it welded after you're done.

Check with people who work on marine engines; people let their boat motors freeze all the time, so those guys get lots of practice fixing castings.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

Yeah a marine shop might be a good idea, but I'm a little leery about the welding cast iron process. First of all you have to heat the block to 700-900 degrees.....won't that distort all of my machine work?? Then who's to say through all the heat cycles it will hold the weld and not pop a leak in a few months??

 

YOu might be able to Tig weld it without heating the block too much by using a silicon-bronze rod. It is not as struturally stable as cast iron rod but it will certainly hold the water pressure.

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1984 Z28 (L69) monochrome tangerine orange with IROC decals and hood
1987 IROC wheels with Goodyear GSC's
305 from 87 IROC with 1994 LT1 cam (203/208 .450/.460")
performer intake with holley 600 (#1850)
Qjet is in the works
dynomax cat-back
non WC T-5 with 0.73 5th
3.27 nine-bolt

 

damn!

 

sorry to hear about your block. hard to believe but it's not the first time i've been wrong. did you have the blocked UT checked for core shift before you started? it happens but most people don't poke holes in the water jackets when they clearance the block. for welding it you can send it out to professional shop the does casting repairs or find some one locally to fix it. without seeing your block if i were doing it i'd use nickel tig, silicone bronze tig, or steel mig to fix it with. i'd have it PT inspected too before i used the repaired block. after the repair i think i'd put some block filler in to strengthen it and seal it. i'd replied sooneer to you but was away all week end.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

Sometimes you can drill and tap for a plug.