Welding steel to cast iron head?

I wouldn't heat it on a dare! Bolts? Blind rivets? Marine-Tex---good s*it Maynard!

The guy delivered the rebuilt Ranger 3.0 cast iron head the other day and my mechanic started to install it..and noticed that on one of the rocker towers..something had been broken off..evidently long ago. The rebuilder claims he wouldnt have rebuilt the head "If it was busted when I got it"..but frankly...its an old break. Nothing clean and new looking about it.

It forms one side of a "groove" in the top of the casting that holds one of the rockers in place and keeps it lined up.....sorta like this:

_ _ _ l l-------l l but looks like this l l------l\

The head is finished but for that. So I stuck it in the mill and cleaned up the busted side and cut a .187 x .75 flat that I can weld a bit of steel to. It only keeps the rocker from spinning away from the valve. One side of a deep "groove" with a bolt hole in the middle of it to hold the rocker bolt.

What is the prefered way to attach that bit of steel to the side of a cast iron head? Braze? High Nickle silver solder? Tig with stainless? ???

The piece that I have to attach is .187 x .75 x 75.

I do have some 3/32 dowel pins I could install and then braze/weld/whatever the "plate" to the cast iron head, but I rather think its over doing it. It only keeps the rocker from turning away from the valve.

Any suggestions? Ive made the "plate", Ive milled the flat, filed everything to fit perfectly...I just need to know the suggested best way to attach it to the cast iron head.

Thanks for the advise

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

I think that should have been "If I noticed that it was busted when I got it", or perhaps "If I cared to notice that it was busted when I got it".

I thought the normal prescription was to weld with nickel rod -- but then, that's after you strip the thing down to nothing.

Is there any way to bolt something on, and sidestep the need to braze/weld/solder? That'd certainly be the least risk.

I'd do it with JB weld on a bet -- but only if I were betting against the JB weld, and the payoff would fund the work of fixing it when it broke.

How about a threaded hole and a bolt.

Here are pictures of my problem child.

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

Maybe instead of trying to weld the head, you could find a way to attach the plate to the lifter instead. You didn't say what it's made of, but fsking up the lifter would be way cheaper to fix than fsking up the rebuilt head.

Check the photos I just posted...

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

I'd vee the tab and TIG braze with silicon bronze or other non-fuming bronze rod. It's easy to do, requires no pre/post heat, and will put very little heat into the head.

Bob La Londe wrote: How about a threaded hole and a bolt.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I say "amen" to Bob's suggestion, AFTER looking at the pictures carefully. What is depicted that argues against his idea?

Or drill a hole in the middle of the tab and plug braze it (can you do that?).

There's certainly lots of surface area there if you could get something that'd bond across the whole face where the tab and head mate.

The hole in the center of the "tower" and the fact the valve cover nearly touches the sides of the "towers"?

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

Very good suggestion.

I think...think Ive got some silicon bronze. I know Ive got phosphor bronze ..quite a bit of it. Bad choice or ?

If its a bad choice..Ill pick up some silicon (assuming I dont have any) when Im down in LA this week.

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

Unfortunately..thats not an option, based on how it all works. But thanks!

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

That's where I get lost, how does this rocker cover hold oil in???

I bet the rocker will be just fine without that tab. Cover the surrounding area the best you can and weld it, can't get that hot to warp the head, just do it fast. The right rod... got me.

BTW did a great job matching it up.

SW

Indeed. The hole in the center is an option, as is high temp silver solder.

But putting a slight grove on the sides and running a tig bead down each side does sound easy to do.

Silicon or phosphor bronze?

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

Never having brazed with TIG, I'd try that first on a scrap head to see how it turns out for me.

Failing that, I'd use four small flathead screws and Loctite 271.

Yup. You could use a countersunk screw, but there's not much meat there to thread a fastener into. You could do something like #4 screws (countersunk, of course) into the sides -- but I only suggest that because I have a master's degree in engineering, not because it actually has a chance of working.

Glue & screw may actually work -- I've seen screws + epoxy do amazing jobs. After you ruin ten prototypes, of course, but who counts?

Oh I know! Put it on with a #10 countersunk screw and JB Weld. Go ahead and go all the way into the stud hole. Then clean up the stud hole with a milling cutter followed by a tap. Do y'think that'll get me my consultant's fee?

Since that is just to keep the rocker in place, why don't you just mill it down further on the head then drill and tap for two bolts, one over the other, and bolt a piece on the side of the block rather than screwing around with welding?

Jim

Y'know Gunner, if you'd have just paid the guy to do the whole job he would have found some wonky way to install the lifter, then he'd have glued the valve cover on so you'd never have to experience the pain of seeing it.