[Shop-talk] Ancient furnace with cracked manifold

Mon Nov 8 11:58:08 MST 2021

I think cast iron can be brazed much more easily than welded.  I had it
done once on an old car’s exhaust manifold for which a replacement was
either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.  Worked fine for me.

On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 10:33 AM Ian McFetridge <shop-talk2 at mcfetridge.org>
wrote:

> It might also be helpful to have a CO detector rather than just an alarm,
> like the below that allows ppm of CO to be monitored for trends, changes as
> it heats and expands, etc.  It's a shame the AirThings detectors don't have
> CO since they also monitor particulate matter,  CO2, VOC and radon.
> https://www.trutechtools.com/Defender-CA6150
>
> Best,
> Ian
>
> On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 12:00 PM Jim Stone <1789alpine at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks, guys.  (And, thanks for the “CO” correction.  I guess just too
>> much talk about CO2 in the news these days.)
>>
>> I will confirm this tonight, but my guess is that there is no one around
>> who could handle the job if my brother-in-law doesn’t know anyone.  (He is
>> a local with deep, deep ties to the area.)  I will discuss it again with
>> him and my daughter and we’ll try to find a safe solution.  If I can, I
>> will persuade them to just bite the bullet and replace it.  Truth be told,
>> it is really the boyfriend’s house and he has spent a small fortune on
>> things that show, like the kitchen and bathrooms, but been more stingy with
>> something like this that he can’t see.  I may just have to try to convince
>> him that this is more important and, failing that, patch it and then keep
>> working on him.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>> On Nov 8, 2021, at 11:29 AM, Jack Brooks <JIBrooks at live.com> wrote:
>>
>> It needs to be replaced, but in the interim an important question is
>> whether the crack closes up when it gets hot.  I had a split manifold on a
>> car that was not visible.  I could clearly hear it when cold, but closed up
>> as the manifold heated up and expanded.  When it was finally replace, the
>> crack was clearly visible.
>>
>> This, being and older home, is likely somewhat drafty.  This is not bad
>> right now.  Regardless, if they continue to use it, additional CO monitors
>> would definitely be a good idea.
>>
>> I suspect high temp goo might work out, but prepare for the worst.
>>
>> Jack
>>
>> *From:* Shop-talk <shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net> *On Behalf Of *Jim
>> Stone
>> *Sent:* Monday, November 8, 2021 8:18 AM
>> *To:* Pat Horne <patintexas at icloud.com>
>> *Cc:* Shop Talk <shop-talk at autox.team.net>
>> *Subject:* Re: [Shop-talk] Ancient furnace with cracked manifold
>>
>> Thanks, Pat.  You are correct that a replacement is unavailable.  The
>> furnace is just too old.  As for having it welded, I should add that my
>> brother-in-law - who lives nearby and is an engineer with tons of local
>> trade contacts - looked at it and concluded that trying to remove it for
>> welding was not a good option.  Surprisingly, he did not tell her to
>> replace the system immediately, which was surprising as he is someone who
>> generally errs on the side of caution in matters like this.  It has been a
>> while since he looked at it (they have owned if for a year but not lived in
>> it do to other extensive renovations) but I will also call him to discuss
>> it.
>>
>>
>> On Nov 8, 2021, at 11:05 AM, Pat Horne <patintexas at icloud.com> wrote:
>>
>> Jim, you hit on most of what I was thinking. At a MINIMUM I’d add a
>> second CO detector.
>>
>> I assume a replacement manifold is unavailable. You might take your
>> photos around to some welders to get their opinions & prices.
>>
>> The cost of repairs or replacement are nowhere as dear as losing someone
>> to a faulty furnace.
>>
>> Peace,
>>
>> Pat
>> Pat Horne
>> We support Habitat for Humanity
>>
>>
>>
>> On Nov 8, 2021, at 9:58 AM, Jim Stone <1789alpine at gmail.com> wrote:
>> My daughter and her boyfriend have bought a turn of the century house
>> with an ancient coal-fired furnace that was long ago converted to natural
>> gas.  It works fine and they’d like to put off replacing it for as long as
>> possible while they invest their money in other parts of the house.
>> However, the furnace has a cast iron exhaust manifold that is cracked
>> pretty badly and it scares the hell out of me.  Following are some
>> screenshots from a video she sent me, starting with the overall exhaust.
>>
>> <Screen Shot 2021-11-08 at 10.19.11 AM.png>
>>
>> You can see the top of the manifold in the lower right.  Here is a side
>> view:
>>
>> <Screen Shot 2021-11-08 at 10.12.34 AM.png>
>>
>> The orange goop was applied by a furnace tech they hired, who said he
>> really shouldn’t have touched it at all but did what he could.l. However,
>> here is a shot just below the goop:
>>
>> <Screen Shot 2021-11-08 at 10.13.09 AM.png>
>>
>> And, a shot from the other side:
>>
>> <Screen Shot 2021-11-08 at 10.27.00 AM.png>
>>
>> As you can see - assuming the photos come through - the manifold is
>> totally shot, although it feels solid and doesn’t appear to be in danger of
>> falling off.  In theory, it could be removed and taken someplace that does
>> cast iron welding, but I suspect that would be a royal pain and not
>> guaranteed to succeed.  She has a CO2 detector in the basement, but I will
>> be visiting her next week and want to try to do more.  “More” might be
>> trying to convince them to bite the bullet and replace the system
>> immediately, but I have also thought about treating it like an automotive
>> exhaust system and trying to patch it to get them by for a season or two.
>> What are the group's thoughts on something like JB Weld High Heat putty (
>> https://www.amazon.com/J-B-Weld-8297-HighHeat-Degree/dp/B007PP26RI/ref=pd_bxgy_2/138-6104268-8394138?pd_rd_w=nQ3PU&pf_rd_p=c64372fa-c41c-422e-990d-9e034f73989b&pf_rd_r=2F076DNFFJBZ1G9PK3TY&pd_rd_r=623d1e00-f712-4380-897c-474fe9ee6337&pd_rd_wg=1YSqH&pd_rd_i=B007PP26RI&psc=1)
>> and/or their high heat wrap (
>> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N582CBY/ref=emc_b_5_t)?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Jim (and Sara)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>> Shop-talk at autox.team.net
>> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
>> Suggested annual donation  $12.96
>> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk
>> http://autox.team.net/archive
>>
>> Unsubscribe/Manage:
>> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/patintexas@icloud.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>> Shop-talk at autox.team.net
>> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
>> Suggested annual donation  $12.96
>> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk
>> http://autox.team.net/archive
>>
>> Unsubscribe/Manage:
>> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/shop-talk2@mcfetridge.org
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>
> Shop-talk at autox.team.net
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation  $12.96
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk
> http://autox.team.net/archive
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/berry@kerch.com
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://autox.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk/attachments/20211108/7444f8be/attachment-0001.htm>