fix this (cast iron)

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callmefence

Keyboard cowboy
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Fencemans place...central Texas
Little Deere belongs to the landlord often a pasture I rent.
'm a very good welder. But don't know cast iron. It's pretty major surgery to get this off the tractor.
I'm wondering if I can do the preheat by torch?

Any advice much appreciated

Fence


 
I don't think I would try it even if I had the rock box off. That top link attachment point takes a lot of abuse, especeilly if ya back into something with an implement.
That's a big chuck of iron, all bolted together and I don't think you would ever get a good preheat with it still on the tractor without burning out some gaskets or seals.
 
I would try drilling and tapping and lag screwing some course thread bolts using Locktite bearing retainer if the broken bit is in one piece. For light duty work it might hold up.

Ken
 
wbvs58":17d7lwaf said:
I would try drilling and tapping and lag screwing some course thread bolts using Locktite bearing retainer if the broken bit is in one piece. For light duty work it might hold up.

Ken
My thought also if you don't have a real welding machine shop around with the feller being about 80yrs old that knows cast.
 
what tater 74 said ive done this a few times but not on a stress point like that ,but im no pro ! an cast can be a pain to drill ,this will also cause weak spot ive watched pros weld 50 ton loader arms. by blowing a deeper cut with high air preasure
on stick welder then grinding for a good day then laying bead after bead. and it held ! but they were pros at it !
 
I'd do the "major surgery". If we were in the desert I'd try to put some sort of girdle on it and try to bolt/weld it together. How did that happen?
 
M-5":1ibcif47 said:
wbvs58":1ibcif47 said:
I would try drilling and tapping and lag screwing some course thread bolts using Locktite bearing retainer if the broken bit is in one piece. For light duty work it might hold up.

Ken
My thought also if you don't have a real welding machine shop around with the feller being about 80yrs old that knows cast.

:) gotcha


Kingfisher":1ibcif47 said:
I'd do the "major surgery". If we were in the desert I'd try to put some sort of girdle on it and try to bolt/weld it together. How did that happen?

The owner speared a bale of my hay to move it up by the house so his grandson could shoot the bow he got him for Christmas. He dropped the bale while moving backwards and I think probably turning.
 
definitely have to take the assembly off!.. this is a job that should be done once, but done right

I think it's the Eagle 88 rod (or 180) that's a high nickle rod that I've used for this kind of work... definitely have to gut EVERYTHING out of it, V notch it out until there's pretty much nothing left, HEAT HEAT HEAT, then start filling it up.. Might help if you had a brass or copper pin to put in there saves you some grinding later and keeps things aligned.

If you had a coal forge or something you could braze it.

Is this one of those JD's made in India by chance?
 
I'm pretty sure that piece is cast steel, if so you can weld it with 7018, pure cast won't stand up to the abuse that part of the tractor takes. Take a grinder to it see what the sparks look like. Pure cast the sparks will come off and fizzle out in about a foot and look like a sparkler. Cast steel w the sparks will come off about 3 feet and have a light sparkler effect. if you can take a pic of the sparks I may can tell you what it is. good luck.
 
rollinhills":2z8in4n5 said:
I'm pretty sure that piece is cast steel, if so you can weld it with 7018, pure cast won't stand up to the abuse that part of the tractor takes. Take a grinder to it see what the sparks look like. Pure cast the sparks will come off and fizzle out in about a foot and look like a sparkler. Cast steel w the sparks will come off about 3 feet and have a light sparkler effect. if you can take a pic of the sparks I may can tell you what it is. good luck.

Maybe, but looking at a zoomed in version of the photo, it sure looks like a cast iron break. Also looks like maybe a poor casting job or a break that came after cracks had appeared. See the red rusted areas? Generally means that area had been cracked for a long time before the break actually happened.



Before doing any heating, welding or drilling, you'll want to find a picture of that housing and know what is on the back side of that break--underneath. Some of those housings have oil passages drilled in them.
 
One way to do it if you decide to try is to get a container large enough for it to fit in and pack it in sand. Heat the whole container on a stove or a fire pit. This will spread the heat evenly over the whole piece. Use a set of tongs to handle the piece. Make a pass and return it to the sand. Repeat as needed. Its a slow process. You still have to use the rods built for cast. You also need to put it back in the sand to let it slowly cool at an even pace.
This process will also work welding a piece of cast to steel. I have done this a couple times using this process but not on a part that would require as much strength as that part so it would be a last ditch effort. I honestly don't think it can be fixed.

Using a torch to heat does not work very well as the cast does not transfer the heat evenly. The whole piece has to be very hot or the cooler part of the part will draw the heat away from the weld area and the piece will crack.

Practice before you start. I used some fence spears to get the hang of it.
 
Grind both pieces to form a v to weld in. Pre heat with torch well everything in ping it with a pointy hammer. Then wrap it with either a heat blanket or if you pull it off pack it in warmed sand. The problem with welding cast isn't in welding but with the different metals in cast cooling at different rates so the blankets or sand Help slow and make the cooling even. You can also weld cast with nickel or stainless rod. Since getting the tig machine I just use it with stainless for most cast unless really thick.
 

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