President Lyndon B. Johnson's

1965 Glastron V-204 Gulfstream  Motor Cracks

Update: The 409 motor is now having the cracks repaired using the high-tech Lock N Stitch method. Check out this amazing cold counter-angle threaded method with C-series locks Click Too see examples on their website click here. Look at the example of the repair to the "Sea Escape" cruise ship block done on the damaged block in the ship's engine room. Lock N Stitch has been used to repair a generator stator housing at the Silver Lake hydroelectric plant and numerous other automotive and marine applications. This will absolutely work on every crack on this block. Look at the info on the locks. They have threads created by a special tap that creates threads angled upward. The top of the drilled hole is then countersunk for the crown of the lock with an angle opposite that of the threads. When the lock tighten they actually generate a force that pulls the metal together. Rows are installed that progressively overlap earlier locks. The final step is to grind the heads nearly flush. In the image below you see a lock with its "head" on. Once the locking torque is reached the heads are pre-designed to shear off, leaving the top of the lock still well above the surface.

 These are the 3 cracks in the valley of LBJ's 409

Crack A is short and simple

Here is crack B. A small portion is to the left of the coolant hole.

Crack C is similar to crack B, just shorter

This is the port side crack just below the deck. It is about 10" long. BTW there is the freeze plug. Do those things ever help?

This is the starboard side crack. It is a whopping 12" long.