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Need advice on how to go about plug welding diff breather holes.

handloader90

handloader90

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Hey all,

I have a D60/14BFF. The Dana 60 was already missing the breather tube piece so I tapped the hole for NPT. The 14 bolt had the factory fitting in the breather hole, I drilled it a little bit until it came free and then I tapped that hole for NPT.

I want to close up the diff breather holes on both housings and drill and tap my diff covers (they're both 3/8" thick or so) and run my line/bellow from there.

Now I want to plug weld the holes and wanted to know the best method of doing so. On the 14 bolt I will have to take all the guts out due to the location of the hole on the housing.

*Should I use MIG or stick?
*Should I clamp a piece of aluminum to the bottom of the hole (inside the housing) to control the weld to make sure that it doesn't protrude past the part of the hole in the housing?
*How do I go about heating the housing up and to what temp.?
What about post heat?

With the Dana 60 I might be able to get away with leaving the guts in due to the hole being pretty close to the front/face of the housing.

To my understanding the housing material is different between the two, Dana 60 being cast steel and 14 bolt being cast iron. So pre/post heat wouldn't be needed for the Dana 60?
 
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I don't have the answers to your questions. But I'm curious, since it's tapped for NPT, why not just run in a solid plug? Wouldn't be as strong as plug weld, but would still structurally fill and seal the hole, no?
 
I currently have NPT plugs with teflon ran around the threads screwed into both holes. I just want to eliminate them and the holes and permanently plug them up. I'm trying to stay away from JB weld and any other "quick fixes".

It would be easier to just throw some JB weld or RTV on the pipe plugs and throw them in the holes.
 
There's really no reason to pull the guts. Just cover everything in tin foil. Make everything nice and clean, jam a bolt in the hole and cut it off flush. Then just rosette weld it to the case.

I wasn't aware the Dana 60 was cast steel. If that's so it will weld with regular wire no problem. A small preheat to cook out any oil is all that's needed since this isn't structural.

On a cast iron pumpkin the proper way is with nickel rod/filler/wire. There's really no reason to go to that extent here though. I would just weld it cold and peen it with a punch and call it a day.

I've welded on lots of housings BTW. Seen it done wrong, seen it done right.
 
I cannot confirm that Dana 60 housings are in fact cast steel, just something that I remember hearing.

Thanks for the guidance on how to go about this. I was going to gut the housing and plug weld starting at the bottom and work my way up until the hole was completely filled.
 
I would do it with a mig. Hold welder pull trigger done.

This is welding a hole shut. I have done this a bunch it is a very simple operation. But since you already have plugs I would zip the tops off and weld them in
 
blazinzuk said:
I would do it with a mig. Hold welder pull trigger done.

This is welding a hole shut. I have done this a bunch it is a very simple operation. But since you already have plugs I would zip the tops off and weld them in
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What is the method you have used when doing this before? I'm looking for all options.

I've thought about drilling both holes larger but to the same size and tapping them. Put pipe plugs in both holes and if I decided that I ever needed to use them I could throw an adapter in there to bring the size down for a smaller barbed fitting.

I'm real anal about how I do things :pimp:.
 
I use my mig welder turned up hot. Clean the area ( make sure to use steel plugs ) start the weld on the housing on mover around the perimeter of the hole grind smooth inspect for any pin holes or porosity. Done. I don't do anything special at all
 
The only thing you might run into, is oil getting drawn up into the weld if you were to weld an open hole.
 
blazinzuk said:
I use my mig welder turned up hot. Clean the area ( make sure to use steel plugs ) start the weld on the housing on mover around the perimeter of the hole grind smooth inspect for any pin holes or porosity. Done. I don't do anything special at all
Click to expand...

Not to contradict you but in theory and personal experience the hotter you weld improperly on cast iron the greater the chances of it cracking. A cold weld that's just enough to seal things up and stick would be optimum IMO.


PS: OP I think you may be vastly over thinking this. If you're really hell bent on doing it the 100% correct welding process way either go get Ni-rod for a stick machine or nickel filler for a TIG or braze it.
 
Stomis said:
Not to contradict you but in theory and personal experience the hotter you weld improperly on cast iron the greater the chances of it cracking. A cold weld that's just enough to seal things up and stick would be optimum IMO.


PS: OP I think you may be vastly over thinking this. If you're really hell bent on doing it the 100% correct welding process way either go get Ni-rod for a stick machine or nickel filler for a TIG or braze it.
Click to expand...

Over thinking is right. It's a very small non structural weld. Hot cold mig tig stick it's really not gonna matter. It's just not
 
I seriously would not bother welding the holes. If they are already pipe thread, I would pick up a couple of socket head plugs, put some teflon tape on them, screw them in tight and forget about them.

They are not going to leak, and if you are worried about them backing out, a touch with a welding stick will lock them forever.

Years ago, I welded a thick plate on the bottom of my Ford 9 inch since it never came with a drain plug.
Drilled and tapped a hole in the bottom and screwed in one of the aforementioned plugs.
It fit slightly countersunk, and never gave any problems. Once or twice I had to scrape some wood out of the hole from dragging over stumps before I could back the plug out to change the oil, but it never leaked or fell out in over 10 years of hard running.
 
I thing someone is just asking for trouble my self .

and way over thinking it .

only reason 1 see to plug off is for placement of a axle truss maybe :dunno: even then just plug them with pipe plug and sealent.
 
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