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2.25D - is it a crack in the engine block ?

Hmmm. It looks a nasty crack.
Presumably caused by a frozen block at some time and gone unnoticed hidden under exhaust?
I'd be concerned about other damage so far unseen.
You may be able to stop the leak with a superfical sealant but it would have to withstand the pressurised cooling water.
Much will depend on how the crack was formed but cast iron is not easy to repair because it is a crystalline material and the crack is likely to grow.
 
Had a crack like that on my 1st landrover engine fixed it with holts radweld , when I sold it on it was driven from UK to Yugoslavia with no problems with engine .
You have nothing to loose trying Holts or K seal .
 
That looks nasty, it may seal for a while but cracks always grow, the heating and cooling, the vibration and corrosion swelling in the crack will make it bigger. The probme is it could grow very slowly for a while or quickly, there's not really any way of knowing other than marking it with dates and checking every month. The work to repair it - block out, pre-heat (muffle) weld is more than changing the engine. There's nothing to stop you using it for while, I think the block will go for scrap once it fails but you could get a while out of it before the inevitable.
 
Yes it is, and my diesel was the same way when I bought it. It isn't really worth repairing as you would be better with a new block, but you can keep it under control for a good couple of years by using the engine block sealers while you look for a replacement. A 200tdi or 300tdi is the way to go.
When you do finally get rid of it, sell the exhaust manifold, sump, injector pump, alternator bracket, oil filter housing, head complete and sell the rest for scrap because you will get half way to the new engine, and some of these bits are expensive new.
 
You could always try metal stitching for a reliable permanent repair. Easy to do albeit a little time consuming. Depends how much you like originality.

gill
 
As said above if you want a permanent repair look up metal stitching saw it done on a tv program not too a hard job for a good diyer to have a go at.
Or use k seal it fixed a head leak for me on a corsa might last a while but it is a large crack and i would be worried it would let go at some point normally miles away from home.
 
I have doubt over the metal stiching technique being anything other than a crack stopper.
The first hole drilled on/beyond the crack is the classic conventional method used to stop crack creep in cast iron.
I don't understand the effectiveness or purpose of drilling the entire crack and screwing steel pins into it.

What does it do?
I cannot comprehend how wedging screws into a crack improves/reduces the stress in the casting at all.


Just saying.
 
erubus said:
You could always try metal stitching for a reliable permanent repair. Easy to do albeit a little time consuming. Depends how much you like originality.

gill
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I looked into stitching mine. You need to buy the correct screws to do it as they have a reverse undercut, then the counterbore tool, drill guide and sealant, so unless it is a difficult casting like a boat engine it just isn't worth the outlay. http://www.locknstitch.com/metal_stitching.htm
You could do a compromise by tapping a few holes along it and grinding off the bolts just to keep the crack stable when heated, then chase along it with a high nickel bronze rod with a gas torch, but you have to hammer this as you go or it will crack again as it cools - not easy, and not a guaranteed fix.
If the bores are worn or she is smoking then she is near the end anyway.
 
Thanks, everybody.
I will try then to see if someone can metal stich it, but I understand it's no guarantee, as there could be cracks much deeper and not visible on the outside. It's a pity, as I reparied the engine 3 years ago, and just now I replaced the gearbox with reconditioned one. I think, I would prefere to stay with the orginal spec, but switching to 200tdi seems tempting (however I am afraid there are not so many people here in Poland who can do that properly)

andy
 
I forgot you are in Poland, if you have time to strip it it can be welded but it is very skilled, there is very little call for it now but if you are near a shipyard you may be able to get it done. I've had cast iron blocks welded 30 years ago in the UK but now I wouldn't know where to go. The whole block has to be heated in an oven then welded with special rods and cooled very slowy, the other place that still may do it are oil field equipment repairers.
 
i remember seeing it on a program too, salvage squad or wreck rescue something like that. they took it to a specialist, made the crack bigger, drove fillets in, peened them, stitched it.
 
Think it was car sos on a very old flat head side valve engine .
from memory think the guy worked in a railway engineering company.
 
Kernow64 said:
What's wrong with K Seal? ;)



Wally, I think this is what you meant - people will give you the benefit of the doubt and are unlikely to throw stones at an old RR! ;)
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Whats wrong with you lot i sealed a crack in the head of my jeep cherokee a friend had a cracked block in his landy 2.5td
 
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