How to Repair an Engine Block
By Shenron on Jul 07, 2010 with Comments 0
It is easy to get replacement parts for new or few years old vehicles, but what if you have an old vintage car, boat or any other older model of the vehicle. To find replacement parts for older makes are relatively difficult. For those fixing the engine block is a tough task because they have to do it on their own with existing parts without having any replacement.
Remember, if you are an amateur and have no or limited knowledge about the cars, contact any professional mechanic or specialist instead of doing it yourself. Hiring a professional for this job is expensive and time consuming.
Welding and Engine Block Repair
Most of the time when you receive any damage or crack to your engine block, the first thing comes into the mind is welding it. But that thought is wrong, welding cannot be the right decision to repair the engine block instead it can further worsen the situation for you. Welding on engine block does not long last; it is helpful only if you have tiny holes in engine block. Professionals have devised other ways to repair engine block.
Metal Stitching
Metal stitching and metal locking are same. They are given different names on different places. At some regions it is called as metal stitching while in others it is named as metal locking. Metal stitching is famous method to repair the engine block without welding. Cast iron is used in the formation of engine block. It needs high temperature to weld effectively, you can weld it at home properly with ordinary welding machines. There are certain specific techniques that are used to weld the cast iron.
Metal stitching kits are available in the market on very affordable cost and contain all the required material which is required to stitch the crack on engine block. These kits provide you with quality repair work and metal stitching. It is a matter of few minutes to stitch the crack on engine block with the help of kit. The stitching pins used to stitch the crack in engine blocks are composed of copper or zinc plating, tapered rods, threaded rods, and dowels etc.
There are different types of stitches involved in the repairing work of engine block. It is up to you that which type you choose to repair your engine block. There are some stitches that have shoulders. These shoulders let the stitches to be knocked in the crack deeply to prevent the thread to expose at the surface. Some stitches come with pre-defined break off slits that break off at the set torque. They are usually used with torque wrench.
Some kits may require using epoxy or sealant to put in to the crack. However, this is not required from all the metal stitching kits. Repairing engine block may be a tedious process, but it is easy to do.
Filed Under: Guides/DIY