Can a hole in an engine case be fixed?

Hi everyone, please excuse me if this topic is mentioned somewhere else on this site but if it is, I can't find it! Anyway, here goes, I have just scored an non-running 84 XJ550 with a hole in the engine case that covers the clutch. The bike came with a spare engine and unfortunately the same engine case has a very tiny crack in it. Parts are hard to find here in New Zealand and I want to know if these engine cases can be welded? I hear that some engine cases have magnesium in them which means that they can't be welded. Has anyone had experience getting a case cover from an XJ550 fixed? Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

It shouldn't be impossible, talk to someone who is used to aluminumwelding, it can also be soldered.

 

What caused the hole?

 

If its just the (removable) clutch cover, replace the cover. If part of the cases that is not "structural" some good epoxy (JB Weld) works wonders, I have saved many a case that way. If you want to have it welded....most welders will want it stripped clean, which means tearing your motor down completely. Always try the simple and easy fixes first...

 

I have used the metal putty available at most car shops to repair with no issue each time.
Clean it up to 0 oil, rough it up a bit, apply the metal putty and let it dry... file it back... away you go!
Cheap too.

 

Agree with DrewUth JB weld is great . Make sure it is clean apply and let it set 24 hrs it can be sanded smooth after wards. Just make sure you use JB Weld ..not JB Quick....The Quick set up in 5 minutes is fine for plastics , but not as strong on metal. My HiPo VW Beetle 1776 has an aftermarket Aluminum engine case the oil pressure sending unit case cracked ...fixed with JB Weld 5 years now. Another product is Liquid Steel it is a stick cut a link off roll in your hands kneed and spread over crack , it will get warm sets up fast and can be ground down. Can be found at most automotive stores.

 

Yea the liquid steel stuff is like my #2 choice, that stuff is great. I like JB a bit better because it is thinner initially so it flows into cracks and crevices better.

 

Even though he is on New Zealand , still should be able to find both ..

 

What part of NZ are you in?

Clutch cover is pretty common to have a hole in, normally where the bike is dropped and the brake pedal smacks into it

Early XJ600 cover fits them as well but it should be an easy fix by either welding or JB weld or similar

 

I would not do that myself, I would suggest taking it to a machine shop...

 

holes range in size from tiny to really big. do you have the piece that fits in the hole?

 

Hi MN-Maxins, the bike was parked and sitting on the side stand. When the car in front tried to leave it's parking spot it accidently pushed the bike over. I worked with the pervoius owner for years and I remember him telling me about the incident a few years ago.

 

Hi Kickaha, it's really god to know that an early XJ600 clutch cover will fit. When you say early, what years do you mean? I am in Christchurch, the city that rocks.!That was a little pun on the earthquakes here!

 

Please post a pic of the hole.

Gary H.

 

My, aren't we forward?

 

.
I should've said that different.
@DannyBoy1798: Please post a picture of the hole in the engine so we can determine if jb weld is suitable. All better now.

Gary H.

 

I'm just down the road in Rangiora so I know all about the earthquakes, go see Lloyd Austin, Austin Aluminium welding, I will have a cover I can loan you until you get it fixed if you need it

 

Hi Kickaha, thanks for the offer and I may take you up on the loaner cover. I'm picking up the bike in the morning and dropping off the cover to someone over the weekend who should be able to weld it asuming that it can be welded and it doesn't have magnesium in it. Do you have any other XJ550 parts like a four into one or side panels? The bike is close enough to do a restore however I'm undecided as to what I'm going to do with it. I kind of like the idea of changing it around a bit but I'll get it going first and take it from there.

 

Hi Gary, I'm picking up the bike tomorrow and then dropping off the cover to someone who will tell me if he can weld it. Hopefully it doesn't have magnesium in it as aparantly that makes the part fizzle away when heated to a high temperature. If this guy can't sort it I'll post a picture.

 

Hi Polock, no the previous owner doesn't have the piece. I think it''s more like a punch-through hole from memory. I "may" have someone who can fix it and I'll update the forum when I find out

 

I repaired a clutch cover on the trail once with some quicksteel from a tool pack and a piece of beer can. That fix is still in place!

 

Hi Big Swede, I'm dropping the cover off to someone today to see if it can be welded and hopefully it doesn't has magnesium in it. If it can't be welded, is there some special type of soldering or are you talking about regular solder used to join wires?

 

Alumiweld is a brand of alloy brazing rod. It sort-of works kind of OK-ish most of the time. Surface prep is extremely important when working with that stuff. I would not trust it to hold on anything beyond cosmetic repairs though.

Clutch covers are pretty cheap. Just find a used one and move on.

 

There is a guy in Chch who has a mould and can do them in fibreglass or carbon fibre

The only 4-1 I have I need but you could use it to get one copied

 

Castomag 45802/45803 is for welding Alu/Mag, take a look at castolin.com.
You can solder using just regular zink, make sure your cover is completly clean, then you heat it with propane, add some zink just like when you solder with tin.
Hope i got it right there, my english is not the best....

 

I saw Lloyd today and he is going to weld one of the covers this week so I'm delighted to say that an XJ550 cover can be welded as it does not contain magnesium! Lloyd is a true old-school tradesman who is also a biker and go cart racer from way back. What a pleasure to meet such a talented old guy. Yes I'd be keen to use your 4-1 to make a copy, how do I contact you?

 

Hi Big Swede, I had two very experienced tradesmem confirm to me today the XJ550 panels can be aluminium-welded however if I do need to repair a crack in something else I'll try your method. By the way your English is fine!

 

Has not tried soldering myself, but i've just read about it in a swedish magazine, doesn't seem to be a big deal at all. We have a real good welder at work, he often weld things like this, that's why i know it's possible to weld the most.

 

Brazing metals is easy.....once you spend the time to learn how to do it well. It's one of those things that takes a lot of practice and patience, along with learning about which metals can be joined sucessfully.

 

Hi Kickaha, I think I replied in the wrong place last night. Instead of everyone having a smart phone, maybe every phone should have a smart user! Anyway here is the reply from last night:
I saw Lloyd today and he is going to weld one of the covers this week so I'm delighted to say that an XJ550 cover can be welded as it does not contain magnesium! Lloyd is a true old-school tradesman who is also a biker and go cart racer from way back. What a pleasure to meet such a talented old guy. Yes I'd be keen to use your 4-1 to make a copy, how do I contact you?

 

Hi k-moe, I took the cover to two workshops yesterday and both guys say that it's no problem to aluminium-weld the cover however not all motorbike covers can be welded. If it couldn't be welded I would have tried some kind of soldering or brazing however I would be dubious about the finished job due to my lack of experience (none!) and expertise (also none!). Thankfully, because it can be welded I'm not in the difficult position to decide on JB Weld and other such metal repair compounds or soldering/brazing fixes. I can now concentrate my lack of experience and expertise in the other areas that need attention on this bike!

 

I guess it depends on how big of A HOLE it is.......