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Engine Mechanical TopicsDiscussion for motor builds, cams, head work, stripped bolts and other engine related issues. The good and the bad. If it goes round and around or up and down, post it here.
So just checked my crank shaft runout and its perfect went to reinstall cam plate and found a crack in my engine case for the fastener that holds the cam chest cover was going to fill hole with epoxy and run a threaded stud with 16 point fastener like I did for the dowel pin hack for cam plate but Im concerned with piece breaking free and destroying my engine
what are your thoughts or products you would use ?
This can be welded by a talented individual if you can find one in this day and age. I had a substantial hole in an old Norton crankcase filled in by a true artisan many years ago. Maybe it's better these days to go with one of the Belzona products (google it). The melting point of aluminum is extremely sharp, so the odds of turning your case to scrap is fairly high.
Boiling it down, I suggest checking in your area for some serious talent. If you can't find a capable person, get a look at the details on the varous Belzona products. I'd like to think you'll find something that will hold things together. Best of Luck, this clearly sucks!
This can be welded by a talented individual if you can find one in this day and age. I had a substantial hole in an old Norton crankcase filled in by a true artisan many years ago. Maybe it's better these days to go with one of the Belzona products (google it). The melting point of aluminum is extremely sharp, so the odds of turning your case to scrap is fairly high.
Boiling it down, I suggest checking in your area for some serious talent. If you can't find a capable person, get a look at the details on the varous Belzona products. I'd like to think you'll find something that will hold things together. Best of Luck, this clearly sucks!
I saw belzona products I dont know about that mesh but Im sure they got something a couple people told me to use the original JB weld since that area dosnt support anything structural or stress related other said to break it off completely I figured the studd and epoxy would work and I still believe it could but I want a bulletproof product otherwise Im going to worry about it for the rest of that bikes life if I had 2-3 grand laying around to make taking to motor part worth it I would but thats not an option right now
My other thought is brake the piece off and drill that deeper and insert a heli coil ? Thanks to covid-1 budget is non existent so I have to come up with a permanent solution that didnt involve big money keeping in mind this fastener location only holds the cam chest cover NOT the cam plate
First off, I would use something like a dentist's dental pick, to see if that scab of metal moves at all. If you then use a spacer to imitate the thickness of the cam cover, tighten the screw as normal to whatever lb in torque and observe if there is any flex around the crack, a dial test indicator would be useful here otherwise you are relying on the Mk 1 eyeball. Then I would use a dye penetrate like Ardrox.
After using the cleaner, use a cotton bud in the screw hole directly under the crack and then spray the crack itself with the dye penetrant to see if that crack actually goes through the boss into the threaded screw hole. Any dye appearing on the cotton bud will confirm that this is the case.
If there was zero movement, and no penetration of the screw hole, I'd weigh up how old the motor was and consider how long it has survived (presumably) with what could be a surface casting flaw, (and most of all, if I felt lucky) and probably carry on with the build.
If the casting flunks any of the above then a qualified aluminium welder would be the man I would be looking for to fill the screw boss before drilling and re tapping.
First off, I would use something like a dentist's dental pick, to see if that scab of metal moves at all. If you then use a spacer to imitate the thickness of the cam cover, tighten the screw as normal to whatever lb in torque and observe if there is any flex around the crack, a dial test indicator would be useful here otherwise you are relying on the Mk 1 eyeball. Then I would use a dye penetrate like Ardrox.
After using the cleaner, use a cotton bud in the screw hole directly under the crack and then spray the crack itself with the dye penetrant to see if that crack actually goes through the boss into the threaded screw hole. Any dye appearing on the cotton bud will confirm that this is the case.
If there was zero movement, and no penetration of the screw hole, I'd weigh up how old the motor was and consider how long it has survived (presumably) with what could be a surface casting flaw, (and most of all, if I felt lucky) and probably carry on with the build.
If the casting flunks any of the above then a qualified aluminium welder would be the man I would be looking for to fill the screw boss before drilling and re tapping.
its clean through if I throw some compressed air into the fastener channel it comes out so no need for dye . Motor only has 7K miles its for all intensive purposes new so yep going to have to make a choice and its going to depend on what I have access to given the circumstances
Chamfer the crack with a die grinder, use vice grips to pull it back into place and epoxy it. maybe after that hardens, rough up and clean the area, remove the vice grips and a second coat of epoxy covering a bigger area.
Last edited by fat00boy; Mar 28, 2020 at 08:53 AM.
Chamfer the crack with a die grinder, use vice grips to pull it back into place and epoxy it. maybe after that hardens, rough up and clean the area, remove the vice grips and a second coat of epoxy covering a bigger area.
what do you think is I were to pack the tread area with epoxy and use compressed air and a studd to compress the epoxy into that crack Im thinking between the threads and the crack plus the studd never having to be removed it would hold firm Im just trying to source the right product belzona has a max temp of 390 I dont see how that could hold up to engine block repairs but guys use itOtherwise if anyone know a master aluminum welder in the jersey / nyc area Ill pay him to come do
it I cant move the bike
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Cracked case repair Input please !!
