I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust manifolds on a Cummins big truck
engine. Could it be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really have time to
shut down and replace them right now. It is made of cast iron.

--

Clif

Way back when I had my own machine shop I would braze cast iron because it
was the only way to save the piece. But today's technology has advanced so
much that there may be other stick welding rods capable of doing it quicker
than torching. Call a few shops handling Caterpillar like stuff.


"Clif Holland" wrote in message
news:Cs6jf.3134$to5.2902@trnddc04...
I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust manifolds on a Cummins big
truck
engine. Could it be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really have time
to
shut down and replace them right now. It is made of cast iron.

--

Clif

You can probably weld it with a nickel rod. Gouge
out a vee shaped area around the crack,and weld it
while its still hot. Run the truck after welding
and put a good load on it to keep the exhaust
temperature well up. This should get you through
to the next chance for a shutdown to replace it.


"Clif Holland" wrote in message
news:Cs6jf.3134$to5.2902@trnddc04...
I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust
manifolds on a Cummins big truck engine. Could it
be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really
have time to shut down and replace them right
now. It is made of cast iron.

--

Clif

Brazing us not likely to stand up to the high temperatures especially if
there is a turbocharger downstream.
Cast iron welding rod (Ni-Rod) would be the way to go. Preheat before
welding by running up the engine temp and then running the engine afterward
for post heat. If it is going to crack it will when the assembly cools
down. Peening the weld with a small hammer will help to stretch the weld as
it cools from a red heat.
There are a lot of computerised controls and sensors on modern truck
diesels. Keep the ground immediately next to where you are welding. Check
your manual for any cautions about welding on the truck.
Randy


"Clif Holland" wrote in message
news:Cs6jf.3134$to5.2902@trnddc04...
I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust manifolds on a Cummins big truck
engine. Could it be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really have time to
shut down and replace them right now. It is made of cast iron.

--

Clif

On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:34:42 GMT, "Clif Holland"
wrote:

I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust manifolds on a Cummins big truck
engine. Could it be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really have time to
shut down and replace them right now. It is made of cast iron.

No. Brazing won't hold up to exhaust temps, particularly on a diesel.

It can be stick welded with nickle rod, TIG'd with nickle rod, or gas
welded with "railroad rod" and ferro-flux. The latter materials are
hard to find but would be my first choice. I've welded some tricky
cast iron with that stuff: some exhaust manifolds, an ornate
treadle from an antique Singer sewing machine and an ancient sewer
pipe grate that a friend wanted to preserve and restore in the
interest of authenticity in an old house with a lot of history and
character. She was an interesting person.

"Don, I have this cracked **** pipe so I thought of you." Who
among us could resist such a maiden's dulcet murmur?

Ya never really puddle railroad rod; you kinda mush it together,
working with metal in a plastic state. It takes a bit of practice
and it's not as quick as stick or TIG, but I've found that the job is
much less likely to crack, either in the weld or in adjacent regions,
upon cooling. Twerks fer me, YMMV.

Hi Clif,

Not only am I interested in the repair technique but I am especially so
because I also have an old Freightliner with a Cummins 855.

Could you explain what the coupling is? Is it part of the manifolds?
Or does it go into the engine head?

Vernon

On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 01:33:40 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:34:42 GMT, "Clif Holland"
wrote:

I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust manifolds on a Cummins big truck
engine. Could it be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really have time to
shut down and replace them right now. It is made of cast iron.


Not sure of your setup - is the manifold actually cracked?
No. Brazing won't hold up to exhaust temps, particularly on a diesel.

My favourite repair on high nickel cast (whick most exhaust manifolds
today are made of) is preheat and tig weld with stainless wire, and
controlled cooldown.

It can be stick welded with nickle rod, TIG'd with nickle rod, or gas
welded with "railroad rod" and ferro-flux. The latter materials are
hard to find but would be my first choice. I've welded some tricky
cast iron with that stuff: some exhaust manifolds, an ornate
treadle from an antique Singer sewing machine and an ancient sewer
pipe grate that a friend wanted to preserve and restore in the
interest of authenticity in an old house with a lot of history and
character. She was an interesting person.

"Don, I have this cracked **** pipe so I thought of you." Who
among us could resist such a maiden's dulcet murmur?

Ya never really puddle railroad rod; you kinda mush it together,
working with metal in a plastic state. It takes a bit of practice
and it's not as quick as stick or TIG, but I've found that the job is
much less likely to crack, either in the weld or in adjacent regions,
upon cooling. Twerks fer me, YMMV.

This is a Big Cam Cummins engine. It has 3 separate heads and 3 separate
exhaust manifolds. One of the interconnecting sleeves is leaking. I was
looking for a quick fix on the engine to get by. If I have to remove the
manifolds they will be replaced with good ones, not repaired. Brazing could
be done on the engine. Welding probably could be but much harder because of
location. Looks like it's going to get some high temp expoxy for a temporary
patch.

--

Clif Holland KA5IPF
www.avvid.com


wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 01:33:40 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:34:42 GMT, "Clif Holland"
wrote:

I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust manifolds on a Cummins big
truck
engine. Could it be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really have time
to
shut down and replace them right now. It is made of cast iron.


Not sure of your setup - is the manifold actually cracked?
No. Brazing won't hold up to exhaust temps, particularly on a diesel.

My favourite repair on high nickel cast (whick most exhaust manifolds
today are made of) is preheat and tig weld with stainless wire, and
controlled cooldown.

It can be stick welded with nickle rod, TIG'd with nickle rod, or gas
welded with "railroad rod" and ferro-flux. The latter materials are
hard to find but would be my first choice. I've welded some tricky
cast iron with that stuff: some exhaust manifolds, an ornate
treadle from an antique Singer sewing machine and an ancient sewer
pipe grate that a friend wanted to preserve and restore in the
interest of authenticity in an old house with a lot of history and
character. She was an interesting person.

"Don, I have this cracked **** pipe so I thought of you." Who
among us could resist such a maiden's dulcet murmur?

Ya never really puddle railroad rod; you kinda mush it together,
working with metal in a plastic state. It takes a bit of practice
and it's not as quick as stick or TIG, but I've found that the job is
much less likely to crack, either in the weld or in adjacent regions,
upon cooling. Twerks fer me, YMMV.

Don't know if it will help in your situation but I have used furnace cement,
screen wire, sheet metal and clamps to make temporary exhaust repairs. You
can sometimes actually daub up the leak and wrap it good with baling wire
and daub more cement over the wire! Is there an epoxy that would withstand
the temperature? You can get the furnace cement in muffler repair kits at
some auto parts stores.
Don Young
"Clif Holland" wrote in message
news:sfrjf.1971$w74.1639@trnddc03...
This is a Big Cam Cummins engine. It has 3 separate heads and 3 separate
exhaust manifolds. One of the interconnecting sleeves is leaking. I was
looking for a quick fix on the engine to get by. If I have to remove the
manifolds they will be replaced with good ones, not repaired. Brazing
could be done on the engine. Welding probably could be but much harder
because of location. Looks like it's going to get some high temp expoxy
for a temporary patch.

--

Clif Holland KA5IPF
www.avvid.com


wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 01:33:40 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:34:42 GMT, "Clif Holland"
wrote:

I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust manifolds on a Cummins big
truck
engine. Could it be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really have time
to
shut down and replace them right now. It is made of cast iron.


Not sure of your setup - is the manifold actually cracked?
No. Brazing won't hold up to exhaust temps, particularly on a diesel.

My favourite repair on high nickel cast (whick most exhaust manifolds
today are made of) is preheat and tig weld with stainless wire, and
controlled cooldown.

It can be stick welded with nickle rod, TIG'd with nickle rod, or gas
welded with "railroad rod" and ferro-flux. The latter materials are
hard to find but would be my first choice. I've welded some tricky
cast iron with that stuff: some exhaust manifolds, an ornate
treadle from an antique Singer sewing machine and an ancient sewer
pipe grate that a friend wanted to preserve and restore in the
interest of authenticity in an old house with a lot of history and
character. She was an interesting person.

"Don, I have this cracked **** pipe so I thought of you." Who
among us could resist such a maiden's dulcet murmur?

Ya never really puddle railroad rod; you kinda mush it together,
working with metal in a plastic state. It takes a bit of practice
and it's not as quick as stick or TIG, but I've found that the job is
much less likely to crack, either in the weld or in adjacent regions,
upon cooling. Twerks fer me, YMMV.

In article Cs6jf.3134$to5.2902@trnddc04,
"Clif Holland" wrote:

I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust manifolds on a Cummins big truck
engine. Could it be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really have time to
shut down and replace them right now. It is made of cast iron.

Those two pieces will move relative to eachother by a good ways when
up to temp. You'll either have to remove them and reseal them properly,
or find something that can work as a high temp patch and remain
flexible. I don't know of anything that would work.
Braze will melt out, something higher temp will crack right away, and
a solid weld will likely crack the manifold again somewhere else.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net

On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:48:53 GMT, "Wayne Lundberg"
wrote:

Way back when I had my own machine shop I would braze cast iron because it
was the only way to save the piece. But today's technology has advanced so
much that there may be other stick welding rods capable of doing it quicker
than torching. Call a few shops handling Caterpillar like stuff.


"Clif Holland" wrote in message
news:Cs6jf.3134$to5.2902@trnddc04...
I have a leaking coupling between 2 exhaust manifolds on a Cummins big
truck
engine. Could it be brazed up to stop the leak. I don't really have time
to
shut down and replace them right now. It is made of cast iron.

--

Clif

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowl...electrodes.asp

http://w3.gsa.gov/web/p/hptp.nsf/0/8...6?OpenDocument


Preheat with a weed burner if possible

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

On Thu, 01 Dec 2005 00:14:16 GMT, "Clif Holland"
wrote:

This is a Big Cam Cummins engine. It has 3 separate heads and 3 separate
exhaust manifolds. One of the interconnecting sleeves is leaking. I was
looking for a quick fix on the engine to get by. If I have to remove the
manifolds they will be replaced with good ones, not repaired. Brazing could
be done on the engine. Welding probably could be but much harder because of
location. Looks like it's going to get some high temp expoxy for a temporary
patch.


Remember..you can bend your stick rod to fit into tight places. It
doesnt have to be straight G

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner