Non-YICS XJ650; Cracked left side crankshaft cover

Greetings and Happy New Year. I took the left side cover off my XJ650 non-YICS engine yesterday while I was checking my valve clearances, and I discovered a small crack on the inside. I do not see any cracking on the outside of the cover. The image below shows the damage, right next to the interior gasket.



I may have caused this myself while removing the cover, not sure. The screws holding this on were completely seized, so I had to use an impact driver to get them out, even after applying penetrating oil. In any case, my understanding is that this part exists to protect the electronics and crankshaft from water ingress. If the crack doesn’t go through to the front of the cover, do I need to worry about replacing this part?

 

Fill the inside cavity with water (above the level of the crack) and let it sit for a day. If no leakage is observed, then you're good to go. Might want to spread a smear on RTV gasket material (or JB Weld, etc.) on the inside where the crack is, just to be sure. If no water can get out, then none can get in......... And be careful that you don't bind or over-torque the screws when installing the cover.

 

Agree with @chacal - seems repairable if you're pinching pennies. If you are willing to spend a few bucks these are usually available on eBay.

 

Thanks guys. I’ll try the water thing. It’s certainly tempting to get a new side cover, but the damage seems light enough that I want to leak test it at first. If it doesn’t leak, I imagine some epoxy would help keep the crack from propagating.