Farmall Cub

Success = not giving up??? Are the final drives on Cubs Cast "iron"? or cast steel? I have welded since I was a kid (now 46) and for a few years as a job. I apparently don't know diddley about welding cast iron because 2 out of 3 times I failed. First attempt was a Ford engine block with a cracked freeze plug hole - kept chasing the crack and ended up at the oil pan before i sold it for parts. Used stick welder with 95 nickle rod, preheated and peened as it cooled, even drilled a tiny hole at the end of the cracks. Second attempt was a Farmall Cub front casting, same technique and same results...It cracked again in little places. Bought a new casting. Third attempt was a final drive flange on a Farmall Cub where it bolts to the axle housing...Ground everything to a bevel leaving just enough of the break to aid in aligning all the broken pieces (lots of pieces) then clamped it to something flat. I remember keeping it clamped and welding it on one side then unclamping and welding the flat side a little at a time to prevent warping. Used my wire welder with standard wire and 75/25 gas. Ground then flat filed welds flush after the repair. SUCCESS After painting, you would never know it was welded and have used the tractor for years...no cracks no problems. Go figure??? Thats my experience for what it is worth. Any thoughts on my experience?

Dig a hole in the yard--build a fire in it -- heat the casting in the HOT ashes -- weld it --throw it back in the ashes and cover it with ashes then cover it with dirt for a few days to let it cool slow and even.

Stainless rod is the way to go by my limited experience.

I feel lucky I just take it next door and say Al this needs fixin. He does it or says let me have Johnny do it. Al is retired and Johnney is his son and still working. I am blessed

Sounds like I need to let one of you guys repair my cracked final for a spare!

I stumbled across this old post on welding. I do a lot of welding and you can chalk this up to blind luck if you want but I had a final drive bust into a lot of pieces right around the axle tube flange right side (not that it matters). I have a 250 amp mig welder set up with 70 series wire and 75/25 gas. I wasn't sure what type of cast it was so I figured I'd just try it since it was already trash. I V'd everything out and clamped it or bolted it all back to the tractor. Then tacked it all together good and pulled it back off as an assembly. Seems like I clamped it to a piece of flat stock where I wherever I was welding at the moment and finished welding it. I had to build up and fill in a lot of holes. I don't remember getting crazy with the heat but I didn't take any special precautions normally necessary with cast iron. It turned out great. I even ground the welds flat and with a coat of paint you'd never know it was ever broken. It's been a decade ago and hasn't rebroken.

On a side note I have since done some research on stainless wire and ordered two types to try to repair a severely damaged and somewhat rare head...wish me luck and Gods grace

I use only certainimum welding rod for cast iron. Need to follow the process, grind it out, preheat with torch plus it burns out any oils. I drill holes on both ends of the crack so it can't continue. Then get the sand box ready or old welding leathers to cover the welds so it cools slowly. You can also draw it down with the torch letting it cool slowly.

I've had good luck heliarc'ing and brazing cast iron. If the piece will fit on my old gas grill, I use it for the preheating and blankets & sand for the post heating.