Metal repair

**Walkabout** · #1 13 Jul 2007

I think this query belongs in here, but it could equally well belong in a forum that deals with general technical information that is not bike specific - but there is no such title at present.

Anyway, I am interested in the capabilities of cold metal repair "goo" but I have never used such stuff. I have read in various threads some reference to repairs on the road using some sort of product.

So, what products are on the market at present?
What can they do and what can't they do? - different types of metals to be repaired, stress\load bearing\oil & petrol resistant, along those lines.

Thanks for any information,

Dave

**Gecko** · #2 13 Jul 2007

I've messed with it once or twice with not great results. If you are trying to plug a hole or strengthen a crack it may help you for a while but anything with a load or weight bearing it's useless. The Touratech guys tried it on their starter motor casing when it broke in Bolivia - they shouldn't have bothered. I'd like to hear of any products that do actually work but I've never found a substitute for hot metal welding yet .

**Nigel Marx** · #3 14 Jul 2007

A friend of mine punched a 2-3cm hole in the crankcase of his Honda XLV600 TankSlap somewhere in the mountains of Pakistan, with a large rock. It was in a very awkward place with angles and bolts, underneath near the sprocket. He cleaned it up and used one of those liquid metal concoctions. I don't know the brand, but it lasted until New Zealand! Then it fell out http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...milies/sad.gif

Anyway, a packet of that stuff is in my kit now.

Regards

Nigel in NZ

**backofbeyond** · #4 14 Jul 2007

That's the sort of problem it would work well with, where there's no real stress on the material. It wasn't much use when my kickstart snapped off in Mauritania a few years ago. TBH I didn't expect it to be but you have to do something to pass the time while waiting to be rescued!

**bmw.bec** · #5 14 Jul 2007

Hi

My fella used it on the cockpit support/indicator on his R1200GS after flipping it upside down in a remote Pakistan desert - It lasted for 8 months until we could get it fixed properly.

We were quite impressed with it.

**Mr. Ron** · #6 14 Jul 2007

I've had excellent success with JB-Weld when using it with a re-enforcement. I once had a crack in an aluminum block, i drilled holes on either side of the crack and bent some wire to fit into the holes and span the crack, then JB-Weld overtop. Just think of concrete re-enforcement and you'll get the idea.

**Walkabout** · #7 15 Jul 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Ron

I've had excellent success with JB-Weld when using it with a re-enforcement. I once had a crack in an aluminum block, i drilled holes on either side of the crack and bent some wire to fit into the holes and span the crack, then JB-Weld overtop. Just think of concrete re-enforcement and you'll get the idea.

Interesting Mr Ron; you are the first one on this thread to tie down what sort of stuff you have used.
That will be this then:-
J-B Weld Company - Products Overview

It appears to be available across the world as well, with a network of distributors.
Did you use the "Weld" stuff (which is described in the blurb as if it is very effective at doing most things) or one of their other items?

Thanks,

Dave

**beddhist** · #8 15 Jul 2007

It cannot be stressed enough that the surfaces, to which the product should stick, are absolutely clean, particularly free from oil and grease.

**BrettUAE** · #9 16 Jul 2007

You can get an epoxy product for just about any purpose. We used to use Devcon Steel 2-part epoxy to fill holes inside engines. For instance, when boring a "peripheral port" in a rotary racing engine the professional engine builders would use Devcon to fill the old port - the epoxy was actually inside the combustion chamber. Never heard of one failing. We've used liquid steel to build and repair machine dies, as well as repair cracks in ball mills.

There is no question epoxies are as good as and often better than welds, you just have to use the right stuff. If you want a quality metal repair epoxy you need to source it from an industrial supplier, not the local DIY shop. These epoxies soften under heat stress and are no good for engines no matter how well they initially stick to the metal. Needless to say, specialty epoxies are outrageously expensive.

Devcon | A line of metal filled epoxies used to repair worn equipment, fix gouges in metal, rebuild metal, and able to machine to close tolerances, while protection metal against corrosion and abrasion. | rebuild metal, machinable epoxy, repair equip

cheers
Brett

**Frank Warner** · #10 16 Jul 2007

The Devcon stuff is good - cames in a range of products (aluminium, steel etc). However it has a limited life .. that degrades with - temperature, product has been opened... it is not cheap either .. so I'll stick (pun) with the cheap stuff (metal epoxy - brand not important) ... it is a hole filler .. if you need strength then suport it with something else (wire, wood, cable ties).

**Walkabout** · #11 18 Jul 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrettUAE

You can get an epoxy product for just about any purpose. We used to use Devcon Steel 2-part epoxy to fill holes inside engines. For instance, when boring a "peripheral port" in a rotary racing engine the professional engine builders would use Devcon to fill the old port - the epoxy was actually inside the combustion chamber. Never heard of one failing. We've used liquid steel to build and repair machine dies, as well as repair cracks in ball mills.

There is no question epoxies are as good as and often better than welds, you just have to use the right stuff. If you want a quality metal repair epoxy you need to source it from an industrial supplier, not the local DIY shop. These epoxies soften under heat stress and are no good for engines no matter how well they initially stick to the metal. Needless to say, specialty epoxies are outrageously expensive.

Devcon | A line of metal filled epoxies used to repair worn equipment, fix gouges in metal, rebuild metal, and able to machine to close tolerances, while protection metal against corrosion and abrasion. | rebuild metal, machinable epoxy, repair equip

cheers
Brett

That's two products identified now. This manufacturer has a very wide range of products on their website for lots of applications and it claims that non-specially trained personnel can apply the stuff.

For Frank's point about reinforcement, epoxies claim to have tensile strength etc so I don't quite see the value of introducing another material that will need to get bonded with the epoxy and the parent metal; however, I reckon it is still of value to hear from people who have had success with whatever they used on the road. Equally, there are things to be learned from anyone who has had a poor experience with a particular product, including things like not following the instructions properly (for instance).

So, is there any more information available?

**Alfow** · #12 18 Jul 2007

If any of you has a mechanic type friend in the RAF ask them to get hold of the metal repair stuff they use. It comes in a plastic tube about 6 inches long and an inch wide, it has the texture of plastecine, you simply chop a piece off the end then mash it up. Has worked very well for me in the past, obviously everything needs to be very clean for it to work well. The RAF use it to repair holes in fuel tanks and many other uses you probably wouldn't want to know!
Not cheap, about £70 a tube so I think it can be tricky to get out the hanger door. Good stuff though

**danvelo1973** · #13 19 Jul 2007

JB weld has save my bacon numerous times !

Don't leave home without it !!

**mollydog** · #14 19 Jul 2007

Things it can "sort of" fix that you would not believe:

**Walkabout** · #15 19 Jul 2007

Patrick Mollydog,
That's a good post and thanks for the detailed appraisal of the 3rd product to be identified (counting QuikAl and QuikSteel as the same thing, and there are loads more items in that range to fix just about anything). + it is available in the UK/Europe & it is not expensive:-

EPOXY REPAIR PRODUCTS

While on this topic, the Caswell home page offers a service to anyone who is fixing things like rust, leaking petrol tanks and whatever:

Caswell Europe, Electroplating and Powdercoating systems for small commercial workshops or home restorer

Any more experiences of using these repair epoxies?

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