We fix casting cracks somewhat frequently here in the shop. You MUST drill a hole at the end of the crack to prevent it from continuing to split later down the road. Grind a "V" at the crack so the filler has a place to go and a lot of surface area to fuse to. Do the inside of the casting as well if the welder can get into it, ensuring plenty of penetration from both sides. Clean the area good enough to lick, preheat (I believe we do 400*) right before it's welded back up. Grind the excess weld enough for the crossbar to fit in. If you do all of this there is a good chance it will not split any more. It is still a gamble being a high stress part, but I've never heard a customer come back that has had their casting break after we weld it this way, some of those parts have been under a lot of stress. Most places do not know how to stop the split with drilling out at the end of the crack, and some welding shops don't even know that cast aluminum needs preheated, so make sure you verify the process they use to weld it. I'd say it's worth a shot. I had a tiller bar split 1/2 way down it and still holding up after over a year.
**edit**
Just want to note that I'm not trying to dismiss Matt's comment, I'm just saying if prepared and welded properly, there is a good chance it will hold up.
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