Aluminium Welding in Durban

Cracked or broken aluminium parts can usually be repaired rather than replaced. CRS Group welds aluminium cylinder heads, manifolds, housings and castings at our workshop in Mayville, Durban, and machines the repair back to size in the same shop.

Call 031 209 3168 or WhatsApp a photo of the part to 084 511 5929. Parts are accepted by courier from anywhere in South Africa.

Aluminium cylinder head with corroded water ports rebuilt by welding at CRS Group, Durban
Aluminium cylinder head: corroded water ports built up by welding, ready for skimming.

What we weld

  • Aluminium cylinder heads: cracks, corroded water ports, damaged combustion chambers
  • Inlet and exhaust manifolds
  • Engine blocks, sumps, timing covers and bellhousings
  • Gearbox and pump housings
  • Broken lugs, mounting ears and brackets
  • Cast and fabricated aluminium machine parts

If your part is not on the list, send us a photo. We will tell you whether it can be welded.

Close-up of a welded water port on an aluminium cylinder head before skimming
Close-up of a rebuilt water port before the head face is skimmed.

How we weld aluminium

Aluminium needs a clean, controlled weld. It carries heat away fast, and oil or corrosion left in a casting will ruin the joint. Our process:

  1. Inspect. We clean the part and find the full extent of the crack or damage.
  2. Prepare. The crack is ground out to sound metal and the casting is cleaned and pre-heated where needed.
  3. Weld. We use argon arc (TIG) welding, which gives a precise, clean weld on aluminium.
  4. Machine. Sealing faces are skimmed, and threads, seats and bores are re-cut so the part fits as it should.
  5. Test. Where the part allows, we pressure test the repair before it leaves the workshop.
Two welded water ports beside the combustion chambers on an aluminium cylinder head
Welded ports next to the combustion chambers.

Welding and machining under one roof

Most aluminium repairs are not finished when the welding stops. A welded cylinder head still has to be skimmed flat. A repaired housing still needs its bore or threads re-cut. CRS Group has been repairing castings and reconditioning engines in Durban since 1977, so the welding and the machining are done by the same team, without the part moving between shops.

Repair or replace?

A correctly repaired original part can be the more economical option. A new replacement may be of lower quality than the original, and a second-hand part is of uncertain condition. Not every part can be saved, and we will tell you honestly if yours cannot.

Other repairs we do

Questions we get asked

Do you do aluminium welding near me?

Our workshop is at 16 Saxon Avenue, Mayville, Durban. We take work from across Durban and KwaZulu-Natal, and we accept parts by courier from anywhere in South Africa.

Can a cracked aluminium cylinder head be welded?

In most cases, yes. The head is welded, skimmed and, where possible, pressure tested. Some heads are too badly damaged to repair, and we will say so before you spend money.

Do you do mobile or on-site aluminium welding?

No. All aluminium welding is done in our Durban workshop, where the part can be properly cleaned, pre-heated, welded and machined. If you cannot bring the part in, courier it to us from anywhere in the country.

How long does it take, and what does it cost?

Both depend on the part and the damage, so we do not quote a standard price or turnaround. Send a photo by WhatsApp to 084 511 5929 and we will give you a quote and a time for your job.

Get a quote

Get a quote