aluminum block cracked 1

[ronjo]

How do I repair an aluminun engine block crack? A threaded mounting boss is cracked in half, with the half that cracked off missing. How do I reassemble the idler pulley mounting bolt to 1/2 of a female threaded hole?

 

[evelrod]

Find a shop with equipment and talent suitable for aluminim welding ( should not be difficult, there are many). The broken boss can be built up with weld and reground to the original contour then redrilled and tapped for the original bolt or cap screw. I think you will find this perfectly satisfactory and even cheap, too.

Welding and retapping stripped threads in aluminum is often easier than using inserts. Only when you are welding large areas, such as broken cylinder heads (like in half, duh, been there, done that!)or when reconstructing complete combustion chambers,etc., will you need to do any normalizing or heat treating.


Rod