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Unit 5302 · 04-02-2006, 06:12 PM

Anybody know a good welder with experience and equipment to weld a 1963 Ford 427 FE?

The block was frozen and developed some hairline cracks about 25 years ago, and it's been sitting ever since. The cracks are, as mentioned above hairline in type, and they all seem to be located at the back of the engine (inside and out). There is no heaving present so it doesn't look like it was frozen too hard.

If you're interested in more story, read on.

My dad and I brought the block to B&A Engine located in Ramsey (moved recently to Blaine) Minnesota. They were able to hot tank and magnaflux most of the block and found a the hairline fractures that need repairing.

While the guy at B&A feels everything that he has found is certainly repairable, he wants to remove the cam bearings to get a better look at everything before proceeding. My dad gave him the go-ahead to look further into the block and prep it for repairs, but he's become increasingly upset with B&A. First, when we dropped the engine off on December 13th or 14th, he quoted 2 weeks or so. He finished most of the work on Thursday (March 30). While my dad told him that he wasn't in any hurry, 3 months is quite a while, especially considering that he didn't truly complete the magnaflux. Anyway, all that my dad was informed was that the block was ready to be picked up (Thursday) and despite asking several times, the person he spoke to didn't know anything about the block except that it was ready. When we got there, either expecting there to be no cracks or be irrepairable, everybody at the shop seemed to know that there were cracks, but they had not proceeded to complete the magnaflux job.

So I took off from work, and my dad and I rolled out there for nothing. He still needs to complete the magnaflux job. My dad okay'd the go-ahead to complete the job, and we said we'd pay for the repair, if possible. Anyway, when we were shown the cracks it was immediately evident that the block had been sitting after being cleaned for some time with NO protection. It had rusted pretty good on the inside and spots where the paint was damaged on the outside. The more my dad thought about it on the way home and overnight, the more pissed he got. What kind of an engine builder would let a cast iron block rust like that? My dad was also concerned that the guy at B&A indicated he thought the cracks could somehow extend to the cam bearing area, in which case, the builder said it was irrepairable. The estimate to weld the block was $500-600+ FYI.

So, anybody with a suggestion or an expert welder?

04-02-2006, 06:12 PM	#1
Unit 5302 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 5,246	Cast Iron Block Welding - 427FE Anybody know a good welder with experience and equipment to weld a 1963 Ford 427 FE? The block was frozen and developed some hairline cracks about 25 years ago, and it's been sitting ever since. The cracks are, as mentioned above hairline in type, and they all seem to be located at the back of the engine (inside and out). There is no heaving present so it doesn't look like it was frozen too hard. If you're interested in more story, read on. My dad and I brought the block to B&A Engine located in Ramsey (moved recently to Blaine) Minnesota. They were able to hot tank and magnaflux most of the block and found a the hairline fractures that need repairing. While the guy at B&A feels everything that he has found is certainly repairable, he wants to remove the cam bearings to get a better look at everything before proceeding. My dad gave him the go-ahead to look further into the block and prep it for repairs, but he's become increasingly upset with B&A. First, when we dropped the engine off on December 13th or 14th, he quoted 2 weeks or so. He finished most of the work on Thursday (March 30). While my dad told him that he wasn't in any hurry, 3 months is quite a while, especially considering that he didn't truly complete the magnaflux. Anyway, all that my dad was informed was that the block was ready to be picked up (Thursday) and despite asking several times, the person he spoke to didn't know anything about the block except that it was ready. When we got there, either expecting there to be no cracks or be irrepairable, everybody at the shop seemed to know that there were cracks, but they had not proceeded to complete the magnaflux job. So I took off from work, and my dad and I rolled out there for nothing. He still needs to complete the magnaflux job. My dad okay'd the go-ahead to complete the job, and we said we'd pay for the repair, if possible. Anyway, when we were shown the cracks it was immediately evident that the block had been sitting after being cleaned for some time with NO protection. It had rusted pretty good on the inside and spots where the paint was damaged on the outside. The more my dad thought about it on the way home and overnight, the more pissed he got. What kind of an engine builder would let a cast iron block rust like that? My dad was also concerned that the guy at B&A indicated he thought the cracks could somehow extend to the cam bearing area, in which case, the builder said it was irrepairable. The estimate to weld the block was $500-600+ FYI. So, anybody with a suggestion or an expert welder?