A.H.M. Performance has the in house capabilities to repair most cracks without welding. We can repair cast iron and aluminum. Welding cast iron is a flip of the coin and most times it does not seal water. We use the Lock-N-Stitch system for our crack repair services and we have a very high success rate. This really comes in handy for those poorly winterized boat engines that have externally cracked blocks from freezing. We do not even have to disassemble the engine most times and this is a big cost savings.
Please check out the Lock-N-Stitch website for more information on their crack repair system. The tooling is not a cheap investment for us but we do not do anything short of first class and our customers expect that of us.
If your local shop can not handle these tasks, please call us to see how we can help you.
Pictures and pricing info will be up very soon.
An ugly crack. Most would give up and cry; not A.H.M. Performance!
We have a picture of a small block Chevy marine engine that was brought to us for a repair. It was not winterized properly and it cracked. Freeze cracks are tough to repair because they tend to push the material out as well as the obvious fracturing. In the past, the engine would have probably had someone try an unsuccessful weld or epoxy patch job or had another block machined and had the internal parts changed over. Both ways would cost a lot of money and time.
This engine, aside from the cracked area, is perfectly fine and was not in need of a rebuild. If you look closely at the picture, you will see a crack that stretches horizontally for about 6 inches and then makes a downward turn about another 4 inches. Approximately a 6" x 4" section is almost completely pushed away from the rest of the block. We can fix this block using the Lock-N-Stitch method for a permanent and watertight repair. Welding is not needed nor is it recommended for cast iron.
After stitching, the repaired surface is smoothed over and repainted to become hardly noticeable. This crack repair cost the customer around $500. This may sound like a lot for a common Chevy engine but when you take into account that this engine was repaired while still assembled, you can start to see the savings. Another machined block would cost about $600, you would spend about $150 on marine gaskets and teardown of the old engine, parts cleaning and assembling the new engine would be another $500 or more. At this point, a $500 crack repair looks like a real bargain.
We have repaired many less common engine blocks and heads and saved customers hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. Crack repair is not one of the more "glamorous" jobs that we do but when it saves an expensive engine, you will be thankful that we can perform this task.
Remember to ask your local shop if they use the Lock-N-Stitch method of crack repair and, if they do not, send it to us so that your repair can be done properly.
Remember what Nancy Reagan would say: Just say NO to crack!
Crack is repaired and all is right in this boat owner's world.
5.7 Mercruiser (Chevy) Engine
Another View of the Cracked 5.7 Mercruiser
Cracked 5.7 Mercruiser is cracked no longer!
A 3.0 GM engine that was in a Volvo-Penta boat.
Another View of the Cracked 3.0 GM
Repair In Process
A Closer View of the Repair Process
Top Crack Is Repaired
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