14ff, cast steel or iron?

[HOPPER]

The only way I know how to tell for sure is to take a small drill bit and drill a spot that wont hurt ant thing. Just drill it deep enough to get a chip if the chip is flexable it is steel and if its brittle or just dust its cast iron, if theres any dust at all its iron.

 

[rdn2blazer]

the older 14FF are "Ductile"cast iron, which is weldable. the newer version, 88' and up with the ribbed center section is also cast iron, but its "Gray" cast iron. not weldable. Ductile cast iron will weld ok to good with the right rod, but its still cast iron. still is nothing like steel. If your shaving the bottom for clearence and plating it, and turning the ring gear down, it should hold up fine IF you do it right. preheat the center section, have everything VERY clean and free of gear oil, no rust or dirt. You dont want any porosity in the welds. weld inside and out side of the plate. add gussets to the inside if there is room.

As stated above ^, Im 100% sure but if you can proove me wrong, have at it. Cast iron is way more cost effective then steel could ever be. Iron is cheaper to produce and manufacture, and is a very good product. steel rules industry but cast iron has its place for sure.

When I shaved my 14FF it made dust shavings from the sawzall. When I ground the cut off area to a smooth finish it groung fairly easy like cast does. When I tapped the diff cover bolt holes all the way to the bottom of the hole with a plug and bottom tap so I could run longer bolts for extra grip length for a little stronger application, the debris I blew out with air in the holes was dust. All the deburing I have done with a 90 deg. air grinder, and by hand has felt more like cast iron then steel. So yea, I put my money on Ductile cast iron.

 

[Masiony]

spark test says it is cast iron. so it must be nodular iron.

 

[blazin_blazer]

check this out..technical but good read! site has other good info also.

http://www.key-to-steel.com/default.aspx?ID=CheckArticle&NM=185

on crankshafts the big N cast into it stands for nodular, and steel cranks don't have the N, or vice versus, some1 chime in? but there is nodular iron and nodular steel, not to hijack, but is a nodular crank steel or iron?