Topic: Big Crack! How to fix it?

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Pulling in front of my house today the side of the bike (dist. cover I think?) caught the corner of the porch. I just got the bike so it was a newbie mistake. The cover is smashed in a little, and the mounting area has a half-moon crack. It doesn't affect the bike at all yet (but I think rain would get in now). Any opinions on a fix?

[PJ]

Yikes bro, that's not good. It looks to have damaged the top half of the case. There is no oil behind there but the points are, water could be a problem. I wouldn't try to force it back or beat on it as it will probably break. Not even sure who to take it to. How good of a motor was that? sorry man...

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Good motor, I cant imagine this would require a new motor just for that if there's no fluids in there. The points have been replaced with a Dyna III. I was thinking remove the cover, have a shop spot weld the crack, then use a body hammer & dolly to shape it back so the new cover will seal. Then have the shop run a bead along the crack. I'd probably leave it that way to remind me to not be a moron, or I could use a dremel to smooth out the weld.

I rode the bike a few hours, no problems at all. Until water gets in there I'm thinking its just cosmetic damage at the moment.

[754]

Tack it & pound it back?

 Its not a fender, its a casting.

 as you push it back it will probably break, then you can use JB weld to hold it together.

 proper fix, involves welding..

[Frankencake]

DYNA III?  first bike?  just put some sealant goop on the crack and call it good.  there's not much adjusting to do so getting the timing cover off often is not an issue.  Run it.  one of us will fix it when we get our hands on it after you sell it.  Remember:  rubber side down.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Tack it & pound it back?

 Its not a fender, its a casting.

 as you push it back it will probably break, then you can use JB weld to hold it together.

 proper fix, involves welding..

Tacking it would be welding. If I run a bead right out it's not going to budge. Aluminum is pretty soft, if it's tacked up well I can't imagine it won't shape up with my hammers & dollies. I wasn't planning on pounding anything.

[754]

Yeah, hammer & dolly might fix the cover..(have not seen the non-pounding hammers yet )

But what about the case?

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

DYNA III?  first bike?  just put some sealant goop on the crack and call it good.  there's not much adjusting to do so getting the timing cover off often is not an issue.  Run it.  one of us will fix it when we get our hands on it after you sell it.  Remember:  rubber side down.

Come on, elaborate a little. What's wrong with the Dyna setup? I'm not going give up & sell it. That's not really very encouraging.

Give me a little credit, it's my first bike but I'm determined. Check out this '49 Chevy build. It was my dads & I knew zilch about cars when I drove 4,000 miles to pick it up. I had a lot of worse incidents during that build, but ended up building a 396 from scratch by myself, and did a nut & bolt chasis rebuild. Taught myself to weld while I was at it.

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/journal.php?action=view&journalid=43515&page=19&perpage=5&reverse=

Here's a couple more pics to check out.





I don't mind a little razzing, I expected it just starting out. But don't assume I'm going to flake out.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Yeah, hammer & dolly might fix the cover..(have not seen the non-pounding hammers yet )

But what about the case?

I just mean I can have a light touch. I won't just try to wail on it and call it good. The case is good, check out the above post with new pics. It has to be shaped back to get a good seal to the new cover. If not by some kind of force what do you think should be done?

I don't think I know it all, but I want to be active it trying to fix it, not just begging for help without trying to figure it out.

[jx25]

i'd say if you've got a plan go for it, otherwise silicone is pretty water proof.

[PJ]

You can try, in fact I probably would to. If it breaks then a good machinist can cut it square and try to weld a piece of aluminum in. It wont be pretty but it should work. Got any friends with a TIG welder? It can be fixed just probably not many guys are gonna want to tackle it because it may all go wrong.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

You can try, in fact I probably would to. If it breaks then a good machinist can cut it square and try to weld a piece of aluminum in. It wont be pretty but it should work. Got any friends with a TIG welder? It can be fixed just probably not many guys are gonna want to tackle it because it may all go wrong.

thanks for the encouragement. There's a metal shop right down the road that does aluminum, so I'll hit them up. I'm a patient dude, so I think a soft touch & steady hand should get it at least to where it will seal. Agreed though, it won't be pretty. Too bad, that cover was about the only cherry piece of chrome on the bike. IT COULD BE WORSE THOUGH! I'M HEALTHY, thank God!

[HavocTurbo]

At risk to your seals I would heat the crap outta that and slowly try to reform it.

Yes 745, before you start I know it's a casting. 

I wouldn't use ANY impact on that thing at all. No striking or pounding of any kind. Just straight heated applicable force.

And even if it does break you can always have it welded into place.

[cafe75-550]

Even if you heat it the piece will likely break when you try to push it back into position. Maybe not, but probably. If you know a shop that does aluminum welding, thats the place to go. It's a pretty easy fix with a TIG welder, especially since you have the piece. Shouldn't have to worry about machining anything, its not exactly a precision fit area, the cover just has to bolt on well enough to seal out the elements. Once the welding is done you can fit the cover and clean up any high spots with a file (carefully).

You could probably get by with some JB weld if money for the welding is a problem. Welding it is the permanent solution, but if you need it fixed faster/cheaper than that for now it would work. I know of at least one guy that knocked a hole in his oil pan and used JB weld to put the broken corner back on (not a CB). Worked for a very long time, although I wouldn't personally recommend it for parts that see oil.

Nothing wrong with the Dyna 3. Its not the best out there, but its less hassle than points. I have an ancient Dyna 3 on my bike, it has never caused me any problems. It actually came with the parts bike I bought, I had to switch it over when the generic solid state ignition (Dyna knock off) on my bike crapped out. It had likely been sitting for years, but it fired right up. Your Dyna 3 appears much newer than mine too!

[RRRToolSolutions]

Hey, don't get discouraged. It won't be a problem for the right welder. This GT750 I'm restoring now had a huge chunk missing from a previous owner's chain failure. The eBay seller didn't mention it in his auction, but I never worried about it - I had used a local shop before and knew Bobby could fix it.

Regards,
Gordon

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

See I'm listening! I'll go get a couple tack welds just in case & use a torch and some pliers to try to move it. If it breaks then I'll hand it over to a good welder. Looks like you already found one Ilbikes, that's nice work on that case.

[Alan F.]

Personally I'd take the cover off and tap the chunks loose with a screwdriver handle. then with JB weld I'd put the largest pieces back in place and toss the smaller pieces.  While it dries I'd hammer and dolly the cover back into shape or hunt down a finned cover (they're thicker and actually seal well)  When the JB is cured, sand it smooth on the outside and spray a little gray touch-up paint. 

[754]

Do what Alan said,

its not IF it breaks, its ALREADY broken.. pushing it back will probably make them come right off. which is not so bad, hold them in place and JB them.

 if weding, be very careful where you ground, and it will put a bit of heat into it... best done with motor our.. JMO

[KB02]

+1 to the last two posts.

[Alan F.]

Besides, it's your first bike as you said.  This may not be your only mishap.  Many of us have dropped bikes in the garage, or the driveway, or had someone back into it, or simply pull over to the side of the road to put one's right foot down...only to realize there is a 6" deep pothole in that very spot.... oops...   And then there's that inevitable gas pump nozzle ding....  or that patch of sand in a corner....  or those wet leaves....  Falling tree branches...

In short, just fix cheaply and forget it.  Dump the rest of the money you'd have spent getting it welded into some nice gear, and have a great riding season.

Thanks KB, how's your build going?

[gregimotis]

+3

You can always come back and do it right later on if it starts bugging you, but there are surely other more important things which need attention - like side covers, or carb rebuilds or... whatever.

[Damfino]

I thought this was gonna be one of those 'Phil McCracken' jokes.......I guess I just made it one!  

[Frankencake]

DYNA III?  first bike?  just put some sealant goop on the crack and call it good.  there's not much adjusting to do so getting the timing cover off often is not an issue.  Run it.  one of us will fix it when we get our hands on it after you sell it.  Remember:  rubber side down.

Come on, elaborate a little. What's wrong with the Dyna setup? I'm not going give up & sell it. That's not really very encouraging.

Give me a little credit, it's my first bike but I'm determined. Check out this '49 Chevy build. It was my dads & I knew zilch about cars when I drove 4,000 miles to pick it up. I had a lot of worse incidents during that build, but ended up building a 396 from scratch by myself, and did a nut & bolt chasis rebuild. Taught myself to weld while I was at it.

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/journal.php?action=view&journalid=43515&page=19&perpage=5&reverse=

Here's a couple more pics to check out.





I don't mind a little razzing, I expected it just starting out. But don't assume I'm going to flake out.

There's nothing wrong with the DYNA ignition.  A lot of folks find them to be superior.  The reason that I said to seal it up is that it rarely requires adjustment.  I was razzing you about us fixing it.  I like the JB weld idea but the proper way would be to have it welded.  Nothing is wrong with either fix as they are both permanent with welding being the only way to re-bond metal to metal. (obviously)
Sealing the ign. from moisture is pretty important just to keep rust off of your crankshaft.  I'm not sure if the DYNA's are water proof.  Sorry for the razzing.  I was just feeling frisky last evening.
I'll tell your a story to make you feel better:  My 750 had a bent center stand when I got it.  When it was used it would wobble but it would stay up on level ground.  I had it up on a lift on it's center stand without a wheel chock to change the oil.  I walked past it on the way to get a drain pan and apparently the breeze of my moving was too much and down it fell off the lift in to a pile on the floor.  It landed square on the alternator housing and cracked it.  I think it broke a mirror too.  I changed the oil by draining it out on the floor through the crack.  Pissed?  You bet!  Luckily, I was at a shop where the owner had fantastic TIG welding skills.  A few hours later I rode home with a battle scar.  I even remembered to put oil in it.  I straightened the center stand that week.----ss

[Really?]

I could find the blackhead to pop on that shine!

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Thanks dude, hell you were just razzing me. Hopefully everyone has a story like that, otherwise I'd feel like a doofus. Or more of a doofus.

I thought about it and decided it really needs to be welded. The cracked part isn't just cracked, it's bent too. So I'll probaby have someone with a TIG run a bead along the crack, then use JB weld to fill in the dip caused by the bend. Then I can file the epoxy & TIG bead down, paint it, and call it roses. I'll grab a new cover when i see one.

thanks guys, i'll post pics when I get it done.

DYNA III?  first bike?  just put some sealant goop on the crack and call it good.  there's not much adjusting to do so getting the timing cover off often is not an issue.  Run it.  one of us will fix it when we get our hands on it after you sell it.  Remember:  rubber side down.

There's nothing wrong with the DYNA ignition.  A lot of folks find them to be superior.  The reason that I said to seal it up is that it rarely requires adjustment.  I was razzing you about us fixing it.  I like the JB weld idea but the proper way would be to have it welded.  Nothing is wrong with either fix as they are both permanent with welding being the only way to re-bond metal to metal. (obviously)
Sealing the ign. from moisture is pretty important just to keep rust off of your crankshaft.  I'm not sure if the DYNA's are water proof.  Sorry for the razzing.  I was just feeling frisky last evening.
I'll tell your a story to make you feel better:  My 750 had a bent center stand when I got it.  When it was used it would wobble but it would stay up on level ground.  I had it up on a lift on it's center stand without a wheel chock to change the oil.  I walked past it on the way to get a drain pan and apparently the breeze of my moving was too much and down it fell off the lift in to a pile on the floor.  It landed square on the alternator housing and cracked it.  I think it broke a mirror too.  I changed the oil by draining it out on the floor through the crack.  Pissed?  You bet!  Luckily, I was at a shop where the owner had fantastic TIG welding skills.  A few hours later I rode home with a battle scar.  I even remembered to put oil in it.  I straightened the center stand that week.----ss