Repair 7

How to Weld a Cracked Engine Block

If your engine block develops a crack, it is possible to weld it. However, experts recommend that if you have a crack in your engine block, you should choose a different method of repair, such as metal stitching, because deep cracks can buckle quickly and the welding repair is only a temporary fix. However, if you have no other option, then you can easily weld a crack as a short-term repair.

Instructions

1

Evaluate the crack. If its a complete crack, then youre much better off not welding it and using another method to repair the engine block or even just getting an entirely new engine block. If the engine block has a relatively shallow crack or if it has a hole or a divot, then welding would be a more appropriate solution.

2

Prepare the block for welding. Make sure that all components that could be damaged by the heat from the torch are out of the way and that the engine block is supported properly with cinderblocks. Use clamps or vises to force the two pieces together so that there is a definite seam for you to weld. Make sure that the damaged parts are squeezed together as much as possible before you begin.

3

Put on a welders apron, welders gloves and a welding mask. Turn on the torch. Move from one side of the damaged engine block to the other and make a caul seam that seals the crack or divot. Make sure that the parts being welded are flat and that gravity wont make the molten metal drip before it hardens again.