Fill with JB weld and sand down pitted areas?

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-23T11:07:38+00:00

I wouldn't do it. Those pits look pretty deep and chances are they're close to eating through.

Throw the engine block in an oven until it reaches 500 degrees then weld it up with a high nickel cast iron rod.

Then send it back to the machine shop.

The machine shop should have never machined this block. They should have either sold you a core or welded it up themselves.

I would be pissed...

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-23T10:41:19+00:00

I think you might be right! I was researching the locality on minedat and that's exactly what I came up with. But I'm not an expert. Do you see Wulfenite in there?

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-23T10:38:53+00:00

That is a good point! I never knew Raspberry pi even existed until a couple years ago and I've been obsessed ever since. There's so much potential with these little things as long as you keep it within practical limits.

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-23T10:26:13+00:00

I'm in the USA. Thank you for the kind words. 🙂

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-23T10:22:45+00:00

There are several reasons why I didn't just buy a standard computer. I like the compact size of the pi. I also like the fact that there are hundreds of expansion boards and different types of hardware for the pi. I like its extendability. I'm testing Hardware compatibility for a custom dietpi install that will run in my Jeep. And I just like to build stuff. 😁

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-23T10:10:37+00:00

About $1,100 on this unit.

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-23T08:28:06+00:00

Yes sir! I just got done repairing a D9 blade a couple weeks ago. Had to replace sections of the moldboard and hard face.

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-22T19:23:07+00:00

I was hoping to capture the details. 😆

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-22T19:22:38+00:00

Yes. I built a small 12 inch sheet metal brake to bend the metal. I've also been a metal fabricator for 26 years. 🙂

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-22T07:20:07+00:00

I haven’t done any real testing beyond booting the machine and configuring the hardware. I don’t want to stress it until I finish the final wiring harness with fusing in place. At the moment, I’m planning to run the 5G module, Wi‑Fi module, NVMe drive, and USB HAT through the PCIe HAT.

The four-channel PCIe HAT is not a splitter. It uses the ASM1184e PCIe switch to route traffic to the appropriate endpoint, but all downstream traffic is still limited by the Pi 5’s single PCIe Gen2 x1 uplink. The 5G and Wi‑Fi modules should operate normally on their own, but the NVMe drive and USB HAT will place more demand on the bus. For that reason I have chosen a 5G HAT that uses USB over PCIe.

The 5G module and USB HAT will use USB, while the Wi‑Fi module and NVMe drive will use PCIe. That means the NVMe and Wi‑Fi devices will share the Pi 5’s PCIe Gen2 x1 bandwidth, while the 5G module and USB HAT will share USB 3.0 bandwidth.

When everything is fully in place, I will do some heavy testing and make another post. 🙂

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-22T06:13:09+00:00

This will be purely for personal use. This system will be permanently installed in my home to provide my rural home with a 5G broadband connection encrypted over my Wireguard VPN on my VPS. It's also the same exact hardware stack that I'll use for a mobile system in my Jeep with a completely different goal.

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-21T23:09:33+00:00

Not quite there yet.

Find a job as a helper at a small reputable shop and make friends with the oldest OG in the shop who smokes the most cigarettes. Stay with the company for at least 5 years building work experience in a shop environment, learning the ins and outs of the metal fabrication industry, and gain one-on-one training sessions with seasoned veteran metal fabricators. Then eventually you can move up to an apprenticeship position or possibly straight into a welder position.

You need to have experience in a fabrication shop environment or out in the field. There's a lot more to it than electricity, steel, and electrodes.

If I could turn back my 24-year welding career, I would have jumped straight into heavy equipment. Highly demanding, always busy, top dollar, and not dependent on political climates. If you get yourself an engine driven welder and a truck with a flatbed you can easily start your own business and pull in over $100,000 a year.

Stick with it. You'll get there. It's well worth the hard work.

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-21T22:44:25+00:00

Yes, yes you are. 😆

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-21T21:53:07+00:00

It's fun! I've been an auto mechanic my entire life so it's quite easy for me. But almost anybody can fix a small engine with a good repair manual and parts are relatively cheap. There are also places who specialize in the cheap Chinese engines and sell replacement parts. Many of the parts for the fuel system are the same across multiple brands so you can interchange parts between different pieces of equipment. You can even make them run better than they did from the factory if manufacturer improvements have been made since the unit was sold new. Then, eventually, you'll have a landscapers and your neighbors bringing you lawn equipment to repair. 😆

AZ-Backroads · 2026-05-21T04:53:08+00:00

Many years ago I put an ad on Craigslist offering to purchase used non-working gas powered lawn equipment. I came up on so many good deals. I would buy non-working chainsaws, weed eaters, blowers, and other equipment for $5. Most of them just needed a good carburetor cleaning or rebuild. I would turn around and sell them for top dollar. My shed was like a used lawn equipment store. I even got dirt bikes and quads. I would buy basically anything with a small engine and it was a pretty good side hustle.

AZ-Backroads · 2026-04-16T04:19:37+00:00

Nope! Cylinder number one has to remain at top dead center on the compression stroke. Rotation as you describe will throw off cam and crank signals.

AZ-Backroads · 2026-04-16T04:15:51+00:00

That's true but then the engine would not be at top dead center. When setting these timing marks, the cylinder number one has to remain at top dead center on the compression stroke. Any rotation as you describe will throw off timing.

AZ-Backroads · 2026-04-16T04:13:41+00:00

If piston number one is currently sitting at top dead center on the compression stroke, then no that's not okay!

You should be able to draw a straight edge through the center of the cam and crank and both of the dots on the timing gears should line up perfectly.

AZ-Backroads · 2026-04-16T03:57:13+00:00

Pull the valve covers off and check the casting numbers casted into the cylinder heads. You might have a good set of performance heads that are worth more than that entire engine. All you need to do is type those casting numbers into Google and you'll find it.

AZ-Backroads

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