Cat 725C S/N:B1L00199 #1 cylinder had both exhaust manifold studs broken. Took apart everything to start extracting, and saw cracks underneath where the manifold sits. I can’t find any other cracks anywhere. Should I be concerned?
That wont heal itself. For the manifold to come tight it will open the crack more and a loose connection will break the stud and cause the gasket to leak. Can't say how long it will last, but will probably need a new head eventually. Pieces breaking will take out the turbo charger also which will cost even more. Maybe Nige will tell you what parts are needed to do the head. Your head will probably not meet core criteria so will cost lots more. Not sure what model engine you have but, better start shopping around. Simon C
Are there any, at least temporary, repairs I can do? What would cause this?
There is an outfit over in Twin Cities somewhere that welds and repairs cylinder heads. I haven't used them myself, and I don't know if that is a good idea, but it does exist.
Not sure what caused it. Maybe it got a bit warm. Seen many other cracks, and sttripped or damage thread holes but yours is a bit different. Send a picture to the cylinder head welding repair place for a quote or yeah or neah. Hope that helps. Simon C
All you can do is ask a machine shop at this point. Expect the worst but hopefully a machine shop can do something that will last permanently.
Boss man approved grinding out the cracks, which were just on the surface, and JB welding it. Seems to be working fine so far. We'll see.