Cracked engine?

Formerly car engines were cooled using plain water. Antifreeze or coolant as we use today did not exist. Frozen water expands and thus engines cracked if the water was not drained in time.

Various methods have been developed with varying success to repair the cracks.
In Australia an engineer had developed a technique to repair cracks in engine blocks permanently and even invisible. It is this technique which is further developed in the workshops of Bart Holland and now is used to repair cracks if parts are not available anymore.

How does it work?
The most important is the determination of the location and the length of the crack with a special contrast fluid. Inserting tapered threaded plugs at the both ends of the crack then stabilizes the crack. Between them further plugs are fitted into the crack, each other into each other till the crack is filled up. The soft-metal plugs are pneumatically crushed creating a strong seal.

It is even possible to seal a hole in an engine block as attached pictures of a Riley engine from the 50’s show.

It is a comforting thought that cracks in an original engine could be repaired.