In Jay Leno’s recent restoration update video he explains how a rod went through the block of a 20.0 L four-cylinder powered 1913 Christie fire engine. Instead of throwing the block away his team decided to repair a large hole with Lock-N-Stitch repair system. Some reading this article might know about the process since the company was founded in 1990 but I had never heard of them. The repair process does not involve any heat but instead uses precise drilled holes in very specific steps and then inserting a pins with glue.
Jay begins talking about fixing the engine block at the beginning of the video.
Videos from Lock-N-Stitch showing the repair process.
The system also works on any size engine. Below are pictures showing a large repair on a cruise ship engine.
Source: Jay Leno’s Garage and Lock-N-Stitch
Stitching castings to repair them was started in England during WW2 when precious large machinery was damaged and had to be put back to work .Exactly the same method as shown here 🙂
Thanks Ron. After researching more I found a company called Metalock that was founded in 1953. Probably developed out of the work done in WW2. Here is a comparison (by LNS) of the differences between the two technologies.
I worked for metalock and in the field using there system much superior to lock n stitch I have never put a tapered pin in in 45 years no such thing!!!!
Where can I buy a lock-n- stitch kit for cast iron repair.
Hi Billy. You can request a quote for a kit on their website. I recommend contacting them to confirm what kit you need for your application.