Sickening- Cracked Block - Repairable?

zyzzyx · Monday at 1:49 PM

Nice repair on the broken ear! Yeah, the freeze plug hole is not a candidate for drill & stitch repair.
Weather you use the Tig Tectic filler rod or something very similar I believe welding is your only option.
Have it welded and forget it. It's not in a high stress area. The area just needs to be V'd out and
preheated to around 250, then welded. Don't let anyone tell you any other "Hocus Pocus" B.S. It.s
a straightforward repair. Good luck and keep us in DaLoop!

F4R/T · Tuesday at 5:38 PM

Just find a experienced welder/ repair shop they will fix it right.. disappointing for sure, fixable you bet... nickel rods are what I’ve always heard also heard preheating the block before welding .. there is a process and it will be fine.

dspur · Tuesday at 9:39 PM

1 Wild R/T said:
Well... The company Lock and Stitch is just down the road from me, for years they have sold their repair kits & repaired equipment at their facility while also having a crew that travels worldwide repairing cracks on heavy equipment, ships & anything else where the owners were willing to pay the costs... But it looks like in 2025 the company was acquired by Wärtsilä & the new owners aren't selling the repair kits anymore... I had heard something about it earlier this year but now searches appear to confirm that.. Other companies are selling the original design pins, the drill guides don't appear to be available... Though honestly that wouldn't be hard to fabricate..

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254255897225

I just purchased this off eBay. Would have preferred the lock n stitch but oh well…thanks.

F4R/T · Wednesday at 6:06 AM

Good luck post the after carnage pic.

69Bee · Wednesday at 8:30 AM

1 Wild R/T said:
That is the real deal Lock & Stitch stuff... Which it seems is no longer available to the public.... Hopefully that will change... Cause it was the best stuff

Thanks for the info... I did a lot of looking and did fing a lock-n-stitch page of theirs (the new company) but no US contact info. I called them just now from my old PH# and they are still selling inventory on hand, by email basis only. Once it is gone, it's gone. I am thinking of selling too as it is too GD expensive to stay closed, and I still can't operate a friggin screwdriver yet with my hand after surgery...

not so famous bob · Wednesday at 10:33 AM

69Bee said:
Thanks for the info... I did a lot of looking and did fing a lock-n-stitch page of theirs (the new company) but no US contact info. I called them just now from my old PH# and they are still selling inventory on hand, by email basis only. Once it is gone, it's gone. I am thinking of selling too as it is too GD expensive to stay closed, and I still can't operate a friggin screwdriver yet with my hand after surgery...

to those that think you need a special bolt or the overlapping lock stitch ...not so , reg grade 3 cheap 1/4x20 bolts about 1/2'' long work well , 14 yrs as a race engine dont lie...
still working ...

69Bee · Wednesday at 11:30 AM

not so famous bob said:
to those that think you need a special bolt or the overlapping lock stitch ...not so , reg grade 3 cheap 1/4x20 bolts about 1/2'' long work well , 14 yrs as a race engine dont lie...
still working ...

You can fix yours however you want, BUT I prefer to do it the CORRECT way for my customers, thank you...

Geff McCarthy · Wednesday at 4:01 PM

0 i can top that...perversely.... When my Mother died suddenly age 60 from a ruptured brain aneurysm, my brother and I thought our Dad, a real car guy, needed a distraction, so I answered an ad on the b board at the O Club in RAF Lakenheath, UK where I was flying Super Sabres. It was a lhd 250GTE Ferrrari. We asked why a lhd was in Uk, they said it was probably stolen...We bought it and shipped it to Upstate NY, and Dad drove it around New England, selling lace tablecloths. It had circular dampers, aluminum body, 4 speed with Laycock o/d, and the most sensual motor sound ever....well, except for the sonic booms of his previous 300F. I have a distinct memory of driving riding in it in August heat and humidity, the Old Man had one of his numerous heart attacks, on my way to 'Nam. Anyway he sold it, and the local guy left it out, apparently with incorrect anti freeze and - the point of this long reminisence- the BLOCK FROZE. I don't know if you can weld up a 12cyl aluminium block, but...
I also have a photo of his 65 Dodge Convertible, almost sure it was a Hemi 4speed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dspur · Wednesday at 8:23 PM

F4R/T said:
Good luck post the after carnage pic.

Will do. Have found additional cracks in the same general area but will attempt to repair them all. I really want to save this numbers block if possible.

not so famous bob · Thursday at 11:09 AM

69Bee said:
You can fix yours however you want, BUT I prefer to do it the CORRECT way for my customers, thank you...

that's what the professional people that that repaired the pipeline engines used , <nation wide service , "where I got the Idea for the whole thing'' , like I said the hemi block I did it to was raced for 14 yrs , and still is holding to this day , I`m even wanting to buy it back ....jfyi

PurpleVcode · 2025-12-06T11:45:21-0600

dspur said:
Engine is out and as far as I know there were no previous leaks, but I did not drive it that much before beginning restoration. The engine was rebuilt before I got it and certainly seems to be in good condition otherwise.

Had not noticed this until I replaced freeze plugs, and after the plug was removed evidently it seemed to be obvious, or maybe got worse at that point. Engine had been painted previously so it was not noticeable. Noticed it right after I had installed the new freeze plug.

I really don’t want to get another block engine, etc as this is matching numbers and I have a good bit invested in it.

Competent advice from those of you with experience is very much appreciated.

View attachment 1956128

View attachment 1956129

Also, add block filler up to the bottom of the frost plug holes. Normal procedure at ARL Racing. They repaired many 426 hemi blocks back in the days when no replacement hemi blocks were available. They would repair hemi block with chunks missing!

PurpleVcode · 2025-12-06T11:48:47-0600

dspur said:
Engine is out and as far as I know there were no previous leaks, but I did not drive it that much before beginning restoration. The engine was rebuilt before I got it and certainly seems to be in good condition otherwise.

Had not noticed this until I replaced freeze plugs, and after the plug was removed evidently it seemed to be obvious, or maybe got worse at that point. Engine had been painted previously so it was not noticeable. Noticed it right after I had installed the new freeze plug.

I really don’t want to get another block engine, etc as this is matching numbers and I have a good bit invested in it.

Competent advice from those of you with experience is very much appreciated.

View attachment 1956128

View attachment 1956129

Nobody I see has mentioned block filler as well. The shop I used to repair my badly damaged numbers matching hemi block always uses block filler after extensive repairs WAY worse than what you have. Allyn Lee said that it was a backup to seal any missing internal cracks in the oil galleries. Fill the block up to the bottom of the frost plugs.

Sickening- Cracked Block - Repairable?

zyzzyx

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F4R/T

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dspur

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F4R/T

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69Bee

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not so famous bob

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69Bee

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Geff McCarthy

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dspur

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not so famous bob

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PurpleVcode

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PurpleVcode

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