Is it possible to mig weld a cast iron part?

I want to ghetto right my sways by mig welding some suspension washers to EG front LCAs, so I can bolt my sways to it... will the cast iron LCA hold if I mig weld it?

 

ive mig'd 304L SS sched 40 pipe to an HF manifold before. thats Cast....

oh, and i had a MIG with Flux (not gas) so if IT can do it, another mig (with gas or not) should be able to do it.

 

also, my father works for honda of america and got me some of their welding books, they say you can weld cast, but follow these steps

pre-heat (use your over or a torch, i used my oven)
weld
post-heat (i used my oven again)

 

i wouldn't suggest mig welding cast iron. Some people have success, but most do not. The only successful cases of mig welding cast i have seen have been on large farm equipment and by very skilled welders. Best bet would be to TIG weld it, and you should have lots of success there. Another great option is to Braze the cast iron.

There are several odd things about cast that you have to consider when welding or more likely brazing it also. It does need to be preheated; an oven works well, as does a propane torch. When you prep the cast, as in if it has a crack, and you are grooving the crack, you must finish the prep by using a stainless steel wire brush to get off the dust. it is sometimes described as an almost graphite type coating that can screw with the weld. it really doesn't need to be preheated, it needs to be brought back to room temperature slowly, as in 7 or 8 hours. Sand, fiberglass insulation, or lime work great.

From what i have seen 90% of the time, MIG welding cast only causes future problems. I have seen manifolds crack like crazy once they have been mig welded. After that, the cracks are contagious as people try to fix them with more mig welding. Mig weld is just too stiff for cast, causing it to crack.

depending on what you are doing, mig would be ultimately the last option. for the lca's, i would try and find someone local who can tig weld well. That would ensure that the LCA's won't break

You could braze it, but people around here seem to hate brazing. I trust braze with my life, and would do it without fear. Just some suggestions. But really, i wouldn't mig it. Too prone to cracking.

 

if you have more questions pm me and i have a bunch or resources on welding cast

 

thanx for the reply guys.

What's the pre-heat temp if I use the an oven?

 

full on, like 450