# cast aluminum welding??
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [June 18, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128 "2007-06-18T20:40:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SVT3945](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SVT3945)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128/1 "2007-06-18T20:40:33Z")
can anyone hook me up?? can this actually be done??
There is a pin on the backside of the belt tensioner on my boat. The pin holds the tensioner in place so that it cannot rotate, only problem is that it sheared off on my tensioner. Im wondering if someone can weld something in place that I can shape with a file so I dont have to replace the whole tensioner.
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### Author:  [@Violator](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Violator)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128/2 "2007-06-18T20:41:53Z")
yes it can be welded.
Dons Welding on Transit in Depew handles jobs like this all the time.
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### Author:  [@SVT3945](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SVT3945)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128/3 "2007-06-18T20:45:35Z")
any idea on rates?? new tensioner cost $100 beans
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128/4 "2007-06-18T23:32:15Z")
cast aluminum is a pain to weld because of the air that is usually trapped in the casting. Most any welding place is going to want at least $50 to fire up the TIG torch. If I new one is only $100 I would go that route
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### Author:  [@Carnut](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Carnut)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2007, 6:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128/5 "2007-06-19T06:05:10Z")
I would buy a new piece. You can try and have it welded for half the price but you may only get half the life out of it. At that rate you are more than welcome to bring it by and I will let my welder look at it and see what he things. Aluminum is his specialty.
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### Author:  [@SVT3945](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SVT3945)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128/6 "2007-06-20T20:19:40Z")
[quote=“Carnut,post:5,topic:31128"”]
I would buy a new piece. You can try and have it welded for half the price but you may only get half the life out of it. At that rate you are more than welcome to bring it by and I will let my welder look at it and see what he things. Aluminum is his specialty.
[/quote]
Thanks I appreciate the offer but seeing as how its a major part on my boat I decided to buy a new one. So $82 later the new one arrives tomorrow.
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### Author:  [@LAFENGAS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LAFENGAS)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128/7 "2007-06-20T20:24:37Z")
cast aluminum doesn’t weld very well at all. Sure the two pieces can be welded and it “looks” good visually…but you it’ll be very brittle and it’ll fracture at the edge, where the heat affected zone and original cast zone meet.
If it’s something that will see absolutely no stress…you’ll be fine, but if its something that has already broken it likely see stress gain.
fyi.
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### Author:  [@Carnut](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Carnut)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128/8 "2007-06-20T20:25:33Z")
[quote=“SVT3945,post:6,topic:31128"”]
Thanks I appreciate the offer but seeing as how its a major part on my boat I decided to buy a new one. So $82 later the new one arrives tomorrow.
[/quote]
For that much you can’t go wrong. :tup:
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### Author:  [@BrockwayMT](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BrockwayMT)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/cast-aluminum-welding/31128/9 "2007-06-21T15:05:44Z")
anything cast is a bitch to weld. You need to preheat, peen the shit out of it and slow cool to try to minimize what lafengas said.