Jamie Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Hi folks. I recently bought a swb Frontera 2.2 petrol. It's the 3rd ive had over the years, and for the money, they're just the job. However, my most recent has a crack on the top of the exhaust manifold. Going on the Frontera forums, it's clearly a very common problem. I'm aware they can be welded, but could any welders out there tell me if the weld is likely to last? I've heard allsorts of welding stories on how to fix them. Most stating to drill a small hole just past the very end of the crack to stop it continuing. Along with using a "mini-grinder" to cut a small V shape in the crack for the weld to "key". I intended to do all this and give it to a welder to complete the job. I've been lead to believe that cast needs a special type of "cast welding rod". Is this true? I've also been told by a few people that "they" have welded their manifolds with aluminium weld, and also with the use of a mig welder. Are these 2 methods likely to be true, and efficient in the long run? Finding decent used ones from a scrappy is like finding an honest politician! And new ones are £200! Any constructive advice would be appreciated. Thanks Jamie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradders Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 You can weld cast iron, but you need to be a good welder. It's been many years since I attempted it but it's best to pre heat to prevent any further cracking. Drilling the end of the cracks is always a good idea and 'cast iron' rods are required. That said, £200 for a new one isn't bad (especially as the welds could fail again) and lets be honest, you would probably spend that on ammo/scope/shooting fees etc etc without even batting an eyelid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tackb Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 yes, stop the crack with a drill hole yes, vee the crack yes you need a special welding rod you may also need to peen the weld as it cools the cooling needs to be controlled as well It is possible to do a good repair but welding cast is a specialists job (and a pain in the arse) aluminium can be welded with a mig but it's also a pain in the arse ! both materials need to be spotlessly clean to achieve a good weld it may be easier to get a manifold from another vehicle that fits (all Vauxhalls engines were used across their range) then modify the downpipe to suit if reqd ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midas41 Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 The best way is TIG welding with a nickel copper based filler rod and generally you can get away without pre or post heating using this method. Ground out weld preparation is also recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Posted April 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Thanks for the replies folks. Called my local Vauxhall dealer. They wanted £300 for the Manifold and £100 for the manifold gasket!! Even the salesman laughed and said "that's the most expensive gasket I've ever heard of"!! So welding it is then.... Just need to find one in my area of Worcestershire/Warwickshire now..... Jamie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxshooter Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Don't buy from a main dealer they will bend you over every time! Cant your local motor factor help or perhaps exhaust supplier Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp Donkey Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Your local main stealer might want £300, but have you offered less ? They might haggle. Back in 'the day' I had a mk1 golf gti (still the best gti made) and some scummy bas turd damaged the dash nicking the stereo, my local stealer wanted over £400 at the time, I offered £200, a week later I fitted a spangly new dashboard. It's always worth a try Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJR Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Yes you can weld cast but it needs to be clean and cooling controlled ie slowly. Your problem is the weld area is already contaminated with carbon and near impossible to clean unless using specialised methods. Buy a new one and cry once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Posted April 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Yes you can weld cast but it needs to be clean and cooling controlled ie slowly. Your problem is the weld area is already contaminated with carbon and near impossible to clean unless using specialised methods. Buy a new one and cry once. Thanks for the advice. I see your point MJR, but even if I bought the genuine manifold, I wouldn't let any dealer "rape" me by paying £100 for a gasket! That's just madness! I've had a stroke of luck and found one at a breakers yard up north for £93 delivered. Has 3 months warranty, and is apparently the later stronger updated part. I suppose only time will tell if it lasts.... That's a job for me over the weekend.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxshooter Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 But how much did you pay for the gasket LOL MArk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Posted April 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 But how much did you pay for the gasket LOL MArk They range from £5 up to £30 for a new genuine GM gasket set. I won't be buying the cheap one, i'll go for a middle of the road pattern part one from motor factor. Jamie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caesium Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 How did you get on with this? I'm just about to weld mine up as mine also has a socking great crack in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeroz Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Surely you can go on ebay and find someone who's breaking one, they can't all have broken manifolds. Is it a Turbo diesel by any chance. If so have you thought about speaking to a turbo tuning specialist in your area. The decent firms like jabbasport who do vw & audi tuning make their own quality manifolds, they'll understand the metallurgical required for welding it better than your average garage. They may even be able to make suggestions on why it might it cracked in the first place and how once it's repaired you might be able to avoid it cracking in the future. Repair it properly then treat it with mechanical sympathy and it should repay itself time & time again. Bodge it with someone who doesn't know what they're doing & you'll end up paying more in the long run and have something that'll let you down.By that I don't mean you have to pay Vauxhall main dealer prices, I mean choose your mechanic wisely. ATB Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeroz Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 http://www.fronteraowners.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1918232&t=19182 Found this website and a guy on it is making new manifolds for petrol engines. They look quite good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR Chris Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybrock Posted April 9, 2016 Report Share Posted April 9, 2016 You'll probably need the hot spanner to warm the nuts up before you unscrew them otherwise there will be at least one stud that will snap off! I'd have a look at your local scrap yard for a manifold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWShooter Posted April 9, 2016 Report Share Posted April 9, 2016 http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-how-to/Pages/welding-cast-iron-detail.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 I,ve welded many a hundred cast iron lamp posts for my father in law. It involved welding a mild steel tube into a cast iron base. The tops were cast to cast. You need a decent stick set and a pure nickel rod. These aren't cheap, but work perfectly. If you can stick weld, you will have no problem with nickel on cast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadcenter Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 Local technical colleges are sometimes good for this. Find the welding / fabrication dept and speak to the instructor, they sometime like this sort of thing to demo / teach the students and are usually happy with a cash donation (beer money ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
264wm Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 There is another option, you can have it stitched, had quite a few blocks and heads done with this method, none of them ever failed. There was a company in Rochdale called Lokstitch, don't know if there even still going.I'm sure if you do a search then you should be able find somebody local.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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