| Author | Message | ||
     Schwiiing |
I'm in the process of attempting a repair to my wife's bike. Her front tire kicked up a piece of road debris that punched a hole in the bottom of the crank case on her Suzuki Intruder. I'm going to fabricate a patch to seal the hole. It's been recommended to me to use Devcon Titanium Putty to bond the patch to the crank case. Anyone here have any experience using this stuff? I'd like to know if there's anything I should know about handling the product / set up time etc. You know - any practical information not found on your standard set of instructions. Also, anyone with a line on where I can purchase the product for less than full retail would be a bonus. I've found it online (Grainger, I believe) for about $125 for an 8oz container. Thanks. | ||
| Jramsey |
If its not close to where the case halves join have it welded. | ||
| Reepicheep |
No idea, but let me know how it works. I visited a friend that owns a shop near Cincy, and he had a dirt bike hung upside down from the rafters with the primary open, tape and rags stuffed in it, and when I asked about it he showed me a 1 gallon container of JB weld and a pool of it in the hole in the case. No idea if it worked, but he was a very good mechanic. | ||
| Blks1l |
Never heard of the stuff, but an aviation supplier we use has it for $103.55 for a 1 lb. kit PN: 11410-1LB www.aviall.com | ||
| Sifo |
I used JB weld to patch a hole in a sprocket cover from when my Suzi broke a chain. While that patch didn't have to contain oil like a crank case, the patch never did fail over the years, and I have little doubt that it would have contained oil. If it were me, looking at the price of the Titanium Putty, I would probably give JB a try. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Surface prep is probably everything as well... | ||
| Ceejay |
I've used JB weld on gas tanks with good results. | ||
| 86129squids |
Yeesh, that's expen$$ive!! FWIW, I'd definitely try JB Weld or something similar- go have a chat with your best guy at the auto parts store. Also- there's probably a few forums for those Intruders on the interwebz... I always liked the Suzook Vtwin cruisers, until they redesigned them to look "fat"- the original chopper style was my fave. The early 1400'S even ran with a 4-speed tranny, pulled like a tractor! For a couple of years they built a bike with the 750-800 motor that resembled the tuber Buells- designated VZ instead of VS, IIRC. Would still like to find one of those... Good Luck! | ||
| Britchri10 |
FWIW: I once "fixed" a hole in an engine block w/about 8 Oz of JB weld. It was still running fine when I left the UK. JB Weld works well so long as you mix it & prep the surfaces of the hole correctly. If it breaks down, you have lost nothing. It it "sticks" you have saved a fortune. YMMV Chris C | ||
| Strokizator |
I'm not familiar with Devcon but it seems pretty potent. Depending on the size of the hole, I think I'd use it to glue a patch in place rather than have it bridge the gap. I've seen guys come out of the desert with coins JB-welded to their cases. | ||
| Sifo |
BTW, the hole I filled with JB Weld was about the size of a dime and I just worked it over the hole with no patch. Gluing on a patch would likely last for ever. | ||
| Schwiiing |
The object hit right where the cases join and knocked a hole on one side. The hole is "D" shaped with the straight edge about an inch and a half tall and about an inch across at the widest part of the curve - it's a big f'n hole. My plan is to make the patch about 1/4 inch oversized all the way around. The rep I spoke to at Devcon said to seal the edge w/ the putty (between the case and the patch), then cover the whole patch with the putty beveling the edges down to the surface of the case. This way, the patch is entirely encased in the putty. This stuff is designed to repair industrial pumps. It bonds at a molecular level. I asked the rep about JB Weld and he compared the uses to that of a hobbyist vs. a professional. My biggest challenge (at the moment) is determining if the piece of metal that got knocked out is still inside the crank case. I picked up a used borescope (pretty cool tool to add to the arsenal) and am trying to get used to understand what I'm seeing through it. There's lot's going on inside a crank case. Difficult to determine what belongs in there, and what doesn't. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
I've always heard great things about Quick Steel:  It's a staple product of AdvRider's on mega tours. I've seen several ride reports where guys rip holes in crank cases. Kneed some of this stuff on there, and be riding again later that day. Under $5 a tube too. | ||
| Slaughter |
You have to take it off anyways if you're going to properly clean and surface prep it - you may as well pay the $50 to have it welded and never worry again. If you were in the middle of nowhere with only metal-filled putty (like SLOW JB weld, not the fast) - you could do it but just weld it. Pull it and take it to the weld shop. I am betting on $50 | ||
| Cliffburton |
Try the Devcon Steel. Should cost less.You can buy it from Brownell's. I use it to bed scope mounts to receviers. 1 to 9 ratio mix. overnight set up. One other thing to think about. If you use titanium,how are you going to sand it? I've heard from a gunsmith it's tough stuff. good luck,Colin | ||
| Sifo |
If you use titanium,how are you going to sand it? I don't know this for a fact, but I've been told that titanium dust is quite toxic. | ||
| Malott442 |
I HOPE NOT. I service forklifts @ a paint production facility with Titanium dust EVERYWHERE, no dust masks required. | ||
| Sifo |
I heard it was one of the difficulties in the production of Ti bicycle frames. I didn't hear it from a manufacturer though, so it could be bad info. I would want to verify it before doing any work with Ti. I would hope that your business has already done that and found it to be safe. I still think "hobby" grade JB Weld would be fine for fixing a hole in a crank case. It might fail if you were trying to fix a mounting lug that had broken or something like that. There would be virtually no stress in the repair described by the OP. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
You don't say what year & model but there's a set of engine cases for a 800 on ebay right now. http://www.ebay.com/itm/86-SUZUKI-VS700-VS-700-INT RUDER-ENGINE-CASES-/200771609825?hash=item2ebeeba4 e1&item=200771609825&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessor ies&vxp=mtr#ht_1990wt_922 Also a 1400 complete motor for less than 200 dollars. FWIW I wouldn't even be thinking about glueing the cases other than a "get me home" bodge. If the patch fails & dumps hot oil all over your wife's rear tyre, the results may not be good. Just saying is all. | ||
| Ridenusa4l |
FWIW my buddy repaired the crankcase on his LTR 450 Suzuki quad with JB weld...worked like a charm! or see if that 1400 will fit in there  Jake | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Squids, I think you have the VX800 in mind. I rode one once, front end is much too raked out & the whole thing was too long, heavy & underpowered. | ||
| Schwiiing |
The bike is a 96 Intruder 800. I thought about going the new cases, or swapped motor route, but neither seemed a viable option. I tried the swapped motor on an old CB750. The used motor I purchased was crap. Sure, the company that sold me the motor would make good on it at no charge, but I was already into it for the labor of one R&R, now would have to pay all over again to swap for another used motor. There's no way to know what you're getting until you fire it up. Replacing the cases - I read through the clymer to get a idea of what that would be like. An entire motor tear down and rebuild is over my head. I'd have to pay shop rates to have someone R&R the motor, and do the tear down / rebuild. The fees in labor, alone, would exceed the value of the bike. I could buy another one for less. Fact is, she doesn't want another bike. Not even another of the same. We've traveled many-a-mile together on our bikes. It's been modified (ergos - seat, bars, controls) for her. She's quite attached to THAT bike. Besides, as it sits, it's worth nothing more than parts - if you can find anyone that needs 'em. I figure it's worth a couple hundred to see if it can get it running again. ...and, it's a pretty cool challenge. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
bryan you should go talk to jim and teh gang at jts... | ||
| Reepicheep |
Seems harmless to try. If it were me, I would prep the heck out of the case with brake cleaner. It may take a bunch of cycles to keep oil from drooling out. Then get a small piece of aluminum plate. Start with one machined edge for where the cases meet (since it is already straight). Then spend time with a dremel tool to make the rest of it a very close fit. Then smear the sides and outside of it with JBWeld (not JBQuick) and push it in place so gravity is pulling it straight down and out. Then add another patch over the top of that, and do the "smear and bevel" bit. I'd assume that if the cases do ever need to be split, you would just cut it back out or scrap the cases anyway. I don't know if it would work, but I would be interested enough in knowing that even if it failed it would have been worth the work just to know if it would work or not. | ||
| Schwiiing |
@Boogiman1981 - "jim and teh gang at jts"?? Nevermind... figured it out. Good call! (Message edited by schwiiing on June 06, 2012) | ||
| Oldog |
Brian He is referring to JTS performance, and Fireman Jim here on bwb... | ||
| Teeps |
I'm in the welding camp. When the original Honda SoHc 750's threw a chain it would bust a hole in the cases, big enough to extract a gear through. Welding was the only repair short of case replacement. There were many fabricator/welders that made good money doing repairs welding the cases. If you ever have to split the cases... well that's what die grinders are for. At that time a more sano repair could be done. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
sorry for confusing. when i saw that you're in sonoma i thought i'd suggest them. amazing guys truly amazing | ||
| Blk_uly |
I had a vulcan fifteen hundred that suffered a broken case at the drain plug right were the cases split. similar to what you described. I repaired it with Jb weld. It lasted till the bike was sold, 5 years and 60 thousand miles later. When I was in the navy, WE used jb weld to fix rusty 180psi steam pipe joints. Then took it to see without issue I have allot of faith in the original Jb Weld | ||
| Thumper74 |
Check with Pinwall Cycle. They're in Ohio and are a motorcycle salvage yard. There's also the Rice Paddy in Columbus, OH. Both should have a decent used engine for cheap. | ||
| Skntpig |
JB Weld for sure. I used some JB Weld in the intake tract of my S1 heads to shrink the ports. It's been there for 5 years without issue. The key is to make sure the metal is clean and I also took out pits with a dremel so it was dimpled like a golf ball. This way it has something to adhere to. I've also used JB Weld to fix a cracked head on a car and a case on a dirt bike. The great thing about JB Weld is that it expands and contracts at the same rate and temp as aluminum. | ||
| Aesquire |
Titanium dust is relatively inert. That's why they can use Ti for bone replacement bits. ( Lots of time machining titanium. Treat the dust as you would any non-heavy metal dust. Filter, avoid, don't worry. Heavy metal dust is another animal.) The resin used to bind it might be toxic in dust form, so some care should be taken. Now Beryllium dust is fatal stuff, and worst of all it's slow, incurable, and nasty. http://www.elcosh.org/en/document/560/d000542/bery llium-fact-sheet.html?utm_source=adwords&utm_mediu m=adwords&utm_campaign=adwords&gclid=CJSuoa_-wbACF aJxOgodTxRsWA One. Only one Bicycle company went to the trouble of making One Beryllium frame and showed off their high tech prowess by showing the complete bike at the trade show. It was stolen after the show by a NYC bike thief...who had, I'm sure no idea..... Beryllium is made, basically from semi-presious ore.... |
