Steering quadrant cracked..help

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

You mean like have one cast in bronze?

perhaps yours should be cast in gold or silver.

the machinist will know what you need when you take the part to him.
bronze would be an improvement over aluminum.
machinists CAN fabricate. showing part helps.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

You mean like have one cast in bronze?

perhaps YOURS need be gold or silver. ha ha ha

take part to fab shop and have one made or contact your local salvor or the original probably out of business manufacturer.

bronze would be better than aluminum.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by zeehag

perhaps YOURS need be gold or silver. ha ha ha

take part to fab shop and have one made or contact your local salvor or the original probably out of business manufacturer.

bronze would be better than aluminum.

If I spend all of my coin on having it cast in precious metals, then that means no new diamond necklace for you, sadly.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

If I spend all of my coin on having it cast in precious metals, then that means no new diamond necklace for you, sadly.

who wants diamonds???
just something to be stolen.

bronze works.

[jonnypaget]

Get two new ones

[wyb2]

Pretty sure that crack is due mostly to a less-than-perfect cast. If it was steering stress, it would have cracked at the tab where the eyebolt attaches. If it was circumferential stress, it would have cracked on the backside where there is less material (edit: or at the keyway). Also, stress cracks generally don't take 90 deg turns for no reason.

Bad cast should mean that you can weld it back together and it will be stronger than it was - where is was repaired. No telling if anywhere else is also weak until it fails.

[UNCIVILIZED]

I'd thought that in some metals, aluminum particularly, castings can be too porous to be welded, non?

[wyb2]

Admittedly my experience was with steel. Google seems to think it's possible:

Cast Aluminum Welding Repairs
How to TIG Weld Cast Aluminium - Hot Rod Network

But it does make sense that if the casting is too porous, it would cause problems welding. We are getting above my experience level.

Brazing can also make very strong joints in aluminum, but not sure how brazed joints hold up to corrosion, as it is 2 different metals. Can't think of any outdoor brazed joints off the top of my head.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by wyb2

Admittedly my experience was with steel. Google seems to think it's possible:

Cast Aluminum Welding Repairs
How to TIG Weld Cast Aluminium - Hot Rod Network

But it does make sense that if the casting is too porous, it would cause problems welding. We are getting above my experience level.

Brazing can also make very strong joints in aluminum, but not sure how brazed joints hold up to corrosion, as it is 2 different metals. Can't think of any outdoor brazed joints off the top of my head.

Welding cast aluminum for something like this is, imho, false economy. It's akin to gluing a wall onto a sand castle. A strong section surrounded by more weakness.

[Kamalolo]

Thanks everyone...we went ahead and ordered a new one from edson marine.