converter crack

April 12, 2022, 02:08 PM

pauley

converter crack

i am pretty sure i have a crack around a weld on my converter that is spray fluid when i run it or lean on it. what is the best way to find the crack?

thanks ep

April 12, 2022, 02:17 PM

CHampshire

How about having it magnafluxed?

April 12, 2022, 02:28 PM

BD104X

Use a timing light... the strobe effect will let you see the oil sling from it. You wont be able to confirm exactly where its coming from but you should be able to confirm that its leaking before you pull it. Then your converter guy can pressurize it and put it in water just like a tire to pinpoint the leak.

April 12, 2022, 02:49 PM

SCDIV1

Pressure test it...but that has to be done out of the car of course..

A hose that fits over the snout and adapt it down to an air fitting.

Use a regulator and start at a low pressure \

Use a spray bottle with some dish liquid and spray the weld.....look for bubbles....

I think most converter builders have some sort of tester to be sure there are no leaks

I had a converter that cracked at 2 lugs

April 12, 2022, 05:00 PM

BG7X77

quote:
Originally posted by BD104X:
Use a timing light... the strobe effect will let you see the oil sling from it. You wont be able to confirm exactly where its coming from but you should be able to confirm that its leaking before you pull it. Then your converter guy can pressurize it and put it in water just like a tire to pinpoint the leak.

That's a great tip! Thank you! I hope I never need it!

April 12, 2022, 05:17 PM

TheBlueTruck

If it's leaking there is a crack in one of the welds on the lugs. It wont be hard to find. I had one crack a weld years ago. We found the crack and tig welded it. No more leak.

April 12, 2022, 09:16 PM

Bucky

quote:
Originally posted by TheBlueTruck:
If it's leaking there is a crack in one of the welds on the lugs. It wont be hard to find. I had one crack a weld years ago. We found the crack and tig welded it. No more leak.

That was my experience also

April 13, 2022, 07:27 AM

pauley

thanks fellas

i feel a lug is cracked as well. my plan is to lay a piece of card board under it and try to verify a location on the converter. i really like the timing light suggestion so i will try that as well. then once i get it out i will try to pressurize it and see what i see.

ep

April 13, 2022, 09:27 AM

BD104X

Mine had a pin hole in it that would only leak when it was running. I changed the seal & pan gasket thinking that was it and the leak returned. The timing light trick confirmed it was leaking from the converter itself, then my converter guy was able to pressure test & repair.

April 13, 2022, 09:57 AM

NortonRacing

Some pump around systems will pressurize the converter charge circuit.

April 13, 2022, 10:16 AM

Eman

If you wash it good with Brakekleen then spray foot powder around the area you suspect. The powder will show the trace of the leak. Timing light is a good idea. I've been a witness of the pressurize the converter with air deal. They make a fixture to hold the rubber plug in the converter so you can apply regulated air. When I saw it done there was no fixture and no regulator, don't try it.

April 13, 2022, 02:35 PM

pauley

foot powder sounds like a good trick as well. i just want to fix it in one take out so if it has more than one crack i would like to find them and repair while it is out. I have a new converter on the way but not sure how long it will take to get it. so i am probably going to have to run this one another week or so. this will be my spare so i need to fix it anyway.

ep

April 15, 2022, 05:57 AM

pauley

update for you.

was able to find a very small leak at the end of a weld on one of the pads. i put a piece of card board under converter to determine where leak was at. removed converter and stuffed the neck tightly with a air nozzle and some rags enough to pressurize the converter and started spraying each weld with soapy water. I had to take a propane torch and put some heat on each lug to get the crack to open up some until i found it.

how can a crack so small make such a mess. i was about to throw in the towel before the heat trick. i guess once it gets hot and under pressure it leaks worse.

how much pressure is in the converter just for future knowledge.

ep-i was going to do the foot powder trick as i feel that would have found it but i forgot to grab it from the house before i left to the shop.

thanks for the help fellas. this was a community find and i appreciate it a ton.

April 15, 2022, 09:58 AM

CURTIS REED

It's not just pressure, there are other forces exerted on it also. Lots going on when it's trying to move the car. Glad you found it.

April 15, 2022, 10:30 AM

SLICKSTER

Great job on finding your crack. I also had to tig weld up a crack at one of the convertor ears. Mine was easy to find but the heat trick you did was genius. Like everything else after the fact makes a lot of common sense. Thanks for sharing.

April 15, 2022, 01:31 PM

FTI

quote:
Originally posted by pauley:
update for you.

was able to find a very small leak at the end of a weld on one of the pads. i put a piece of card board under converter to determine where leak was at. removed converter and stuffed the neck tightly with a air nozzle and some rags enough to pressurize the converter and started spraying each weld with soapy water. I had to take a propane torch and put some heat on each lug to get the crack to open up some until i found it.

how can a crack so small make such a mess. i was about to throw in the towel before the heat trick. i guess once it gets hot and under pressure it leaks worse.

how much pressure is in the converter just for future knowledge.

ep-i was going to do the foot powder trick as i feel that would have found it but i forgot to grab it from the house before i left to the shop.

thanks for the help fellas. this was a community find and i appreciate it a ton.

charge pressure usually runs in the 50-120psi range.

-Dalton