Topic: Plastic side covers...how to fix ?

[grcamna2]

Whats the best type of adhesive material to use to fix my side covers on my Honda
CB350K4 ? The plastic is cracked & fractured & the next time I remove them.....well,
you know.I want to try to strengthen them from the inside; the outside still looks
good.They fractured from the inside of the plastic & the paint is still intact to the eye.
The push in tabs are good & strong.

[70cbk0]

I glued cracks with Crazy glue, then used Bondo for plastic fenders on cars. Worked great, and seems to be holding fine. I put some of the fiberglass mesh on the inside to strengthen the area around the tabs that were cracked. Has been painted and ridden for 6 months, no cracks. Mine were fairly rough as well. But they look amazing now. Some people on here who really know bodywork might chime in.

[Really?]

You can pick up a plastic welder or you can use a two part plastic resin and fiberglass sheet. You can find the two part resin (I use the one for ABS) at AutoZone or something similar.

[bluesmoke69]

Nice work on the side covers.

[trueblue]

http://www.qbond.net/pg_1/pg_1.htm
I have used this stuff on plastic paneling on cars and such, never used it on a bike but I can't see why it wouldn't work, it is freaking awesome

[RustyJC]

I've used a 2-part product called VersaChem Plastic Welder with success so far.  Apply to the inside of the side cover on both sides of and inside the crack.  IIRC, I picked it up at O'Reilly's Auto Parts.

Rusty

[grcamna2]

Srust58,
    I like that work you did to the inside of your covers;That is the same kind of thing I need done to mine...can I send mine to you ? how much will you charge ?..........
No,seriously, I want to ask you if you can give me the name of the epoxy you used & the high density filler.I need to do this job before things DO degrade any more than they already have.I am in an area (E.Pa.) where I don't think there are any O'reilly's
but I can find other stores...Advance,Autozone,etc.
I want to know if you can send me a PM to give me a step by step procedure of sorts;this will be my first go at this job & it is getting colder out.I like to ride year-round,or any time there is no ice on the roads & I may have to pull these covers off in the cold.... I sure do like the way yours came out and it even saved the paint job !

[Really?]

The resin I was speaking of might be this.  It has been a while but I remember it has a pinkish/purpleish background.

http://www.permatex.com/products/automotive/adhesives_sealants/epoxies/Permatex_PermaPoxy_5_Minute_Plastic_Weld.htm

This is generally what I do.  Others may vary.

1. I lightly sand around the cracked area.
2. Sometimes I will take my dremel and run it down the crack just a bit.  Do not go all the way through.  Some will stop drill a hole at the end of the crack.  I have done this twice and never more.
3. Wipe it down with acetone.  It may get a bit sticky, no worries.
4. Mix and spread the resin.  This stuff dries fairly quick.  Keep in mind 5 minutes, they are not kidding.
5. While it is still sticky, I will press the pre-cut fiberglass sheet into it a bit.  Where gloves during these steps. The idea here is totry and get it into the fibers.
6. I will mix and spread more resin over the top trying to push it into the mesh a bit.
7. Let it dry good.
8. I have gone back over it with a dremel to make a tad prettier and fit as needed.

I have done many cracks, created tabs and filled holes this way.  Brownie (see sig) is loaded up with this stuff - She is a queen of plastic.  If it breaks again, it wont be where you repaired.

This is quite easy actually.  Just practice on something if you think you need to.  No need to send it off to anyone.

[grcamna2]

Thanks TipperT,
                          can I use it in colder weather...set up & all ? I live in an Apartment & I work out of a storage locker w/ no electricity.I could try to take it into the apt.,but my
neighbors may catch a whiff & be slightly put off.
                                                                                      Bill

[Really?]

I don't know what temperatures you are speaking of.  Stop off at the store and read the back of the package.

It stinks a bit but I never thought it was that bad. 

Most of this you can do prolly anywhere (i.e. park...).  If you decide to use a dremel, you can do that in the apt.

[BeSeeingYou]

Sent you a PM grcamma2.  I have not used the stuff TipperT mentions but other epoxies I have worked with don't have a big odor problem and in the small quantity you need it should not be an issue.  Cool temps will just slow down the cure time.  The fillers are West System Epoxy brand and I doubt you will find them at auto parts stores.  They are most often used in boat repair and building so if you have a West Marine store (big national chain) you will find everything you need there.  A large hobby/model building store may also be something to check out. For the filler you need at least the same amount by volume as resin, probably more, to make a thick peanut butter like paste.

[70CB750]

I use JB Weld resin and have only good experience with it.

[Really?]

I finally found the information I first got when I started doing this years ago.  I did not use the Prep All, I used Acetone.  It also has exactly what resin I use but the background might have changed a bit.  It has pictures!

http://www.angelfire.com/oz/tes/Plasticfix/PlasticFixSite.html 

[grcamna2]

Thank you  Friends..TipperT, I most certainly appreciate that link you included;it gave me
EVERYTHING needed for a great repair.I will now go looking for supplies.
I was wondering if I can substitute lacquer thinner for the "prep all" ?

[Really?]

I do not see why not.

[Danno]

Bill you can also sand the area a little and use epoxy putty to reinforce it but I personally also like to use the glass mat

[grcamna2]

Thanks for that Danno,
            I was thinking of the glass mat when I went "hunting around" from place to place around here(this place, I just moved here & its tough to find places that will help!) & I stopped at 2 body shops & 1 of them had the glass mat...kind of like fibers sort of lightly
put together.I was remembering what the man in this section used w/ his pictures & it had the fiberglass(?) weaved cloth,so I was doing what I could to find that.I did find a sheet of it ! & also went to NAPA & they had one package of that purple colored looking paper on it like TipperT mentioned;it is the Versachem & they told me that it is very good.
I brought it home & prepped the surfaces as TipperT mentioned & applied that stuff & put the precut cloth down(tough to cut & keep it from unraveling) & then squeezed some more of that 2 part epoxy into it; that stuff literally dries in about 4 - 5 mins. MAX.I had to keep mixing more up continually & apply it in many stages.I think if there was a boat place anywhere close around here I would have bought just a starter set of the 2 part? boat type resin like that man did earlier in these posts;it seemed to soak into the cloth alot better.I got 'em back on my bike & for my first attempt,I hope they will survive me working on my bike on & off through the winter in a cold storage locker.

                                Thanks, all you good people for helping me do a task that I had never attempted before;I would always replace them for others & myself in the past.
This is a wonderful forum & all you folks sure do have LOTS of positive energy;
it is VERY refreshing,let me tell you.

[Really?]

It gets better looking the more you do it. Now you see where the Dremel comes in. If it breaks again, it won't be the repair. It will be the plastic somewhere else. Glad it satisfied you!

[faux fiddy]

I glued cracks with Crazy glue, then used Bondo for plastic fenders on cars. Worked great, and seems to be holding fine. I put some of the fiberglass mesh on the inside to strengthen the area around the tabs that were cracked. Has been painted and ridden for 6 months, no cracks. Mine were fairly rough as well. But they look amazing now. Some people on here who really know bodywork might chime in.

There are some kits that use a sort of powdered plastic that you put in a seam and then immerse it with something real similar to crazy glue.

I sheved a side cover project when my dad went in the hospital, thought maybe pull it down and look. Thanks for the thread, and maybe cc  it to the project shop?

I have a tab off a 350f cover, and had a whole corner blown out with cracks in three directions. Each piece warping in a different direction to where it was sprung.  My plans for any kind of clamping the thing together changed while the epoxy was setting up without the thing wanting to stay together. Quick thinking I  used a short  bungee cord to rap around the perimeter and hold the corner together.  It wrinkled the poly fabric on the inside a bit, but the crack pulled together pretty good on the painted side for as bad as it really didn't want to.

I'm using regular clear epoxy, duro or whatever that comes in the twin hypodermic tubes.  SOHC "Kong" once suggested a second layer of epoxy needs a soap and water wash first,  so no problem. I don't recall why, maybe he'll chime in.

I'm using a spare to roughly  shape the missing tab, Maybe i'll lay up some epoxy today.  The mounting slot needs more work, but it's no longer a missing piece.

I might just touch up the area where the new skewer is going to be when I find one. I like the original paint sparkle and fade and patina as much as is there left, and  touch ups add character.

BTW anyone got an orphan skewer for a 350f side cover?  I was looking for big screws otherwise.

[grcamna2]

Fiddy, I know what you mean by trying to keep the original painted surface as long as possible...it does give it that vintage character & the repairs also show that it's been cared for.I was able to repair my side covers from the inside(this time)and I need to be careful in the cold weather.

[BeSeeingYou]

Fiddy
After epoxy cures it has a chemical blush that needs to be washed off before applying more.  Soap and water is fine and you need to sand it after washing off the blush for good adhesion.  You can apply overcoats before it has cured and not have to wash or sand.

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

I just heard about some guys using acetone and ground up leggos. mix it till its a paste then press it into place. You might melt your cover in that spot if you use too much acetone. Meth chloride also works well to melt a crack in an old cover.

I have new un cracked covers if you want.

[grcamna2]

Frank,
           Thanks for offering,now that I got started on the right track w/ all this help on the forum I'll just keep repairing mine.I want to ask you;what kind of side covers are those "ribbed" ones on your Avitar? CB750K ?

[faux fiddy]

Fiddy
After epoxy cures it has a chemical blush that needs to be washed off before applying more.  Soap and water is fine and you need to sand it after washing off the blush for good adhesion.  You can apply overcoats before it has cured and not have to wash or sand.

A friend who used to lay up carbon fiber for aircraft was looking at it with me and suggested I got in a hurry with prep and need to sand a bit before doing any more.  Not sure what I was thinking.

[grcamna2]

Yeah !