Part Fabrication

[keithaba]

Does anyone know if this part could be welded back together, or is anyone up to fabricating a new one of these. It feels like it may be aluminum. This stupid bracket isn't sold seperately from the drive assy, which costs like 380 dollars. This is the peice that mounts drive assy to the stay leg sheild. The stay leg sheild then mounts to the W bracket for the windshelid. I assume it needs to be pretty strong. Any ideas anyone, Skyway, knifemaker, anyone!!??

By the way, this may have been better located in parts and accessories...

 

[Rickster]

I'm afraid that if you tried to weld it -- you would destroy the part. As-Cast aluminum parts can be difficult to weld due to imperfections in the casting...

My recommendation would be to drill and pin the pieces back together (piano wire), and use JB-Weld to bond it. After it's all cured -- counterbore the original holes back in it. There appears to be enough room there to carefully get 3 pins in there.

It also looks like the top tang is broken, and I'm not sure how to fix that-- you may be able to bond it, or to build up with JB-Weld, and use a dremel to carefully skulp the tang back.

The best bet might be to find on on e-bay, or used parts house.

good luck.

 

[Knifemaker]

I think looking for one in a salvage yard would be your best bet. (Folks do crash FJR's I heard)

You might also try taking the part to a local machine shop. They might be able to make something up that will work. As I have not taken my bike apart yet I am not sure what all the little protrusions are for on the part, but If it just needs to be a flat piece of metal that bolts to the screw unit, with two 90 degree threaded ends, it should be easy to make something simular. Being a one off part, a machine shop will charge you alot, but likely less than half of that $380. A good welder might be able to make a simular piece and charge less. (A flat bar with the four holes in it and then two threaded blocks welded at each end.)

Let us know what you come up with.

KM

 

[Fencer]

mail me the part. I know a good fabricator. If it can be done, he can do it. Most likely weld it solid then re-drill.

PM sent w/ contact.

 

[TruWrecks]

If you can find a machine shop to CNC a new one for you it would probably outlast the rest of the bike.

 

[garauld]

Yup, I recommend welding it up solid and then NOT c'boring the holes for the screws. If you need clearance, you can always relieve them out with a dremel later, not with a drill....

 

[jestal]

Why not just take a short (about 4 inch?) piece of flat steel stock about 1/8 thick and 1/2 wide (easy to find such stuff at Home Depot and others) and reinforce the broken piece on the back side?

Drill four matching holes in the piece of flat steel stock so that it will bolt to the windshield mechanism under the broken piece. An extra hole and bolt and nut (one on each end) would secure the "two" halves of the broken piece to the new steel backer. The existing four screws would tie them together as well as secure the whole mess to the adjuster assembly.

You'll probably have to find slightly longer bolts to replace those existing philips head fasteners to make up the extra thickness with the steel backer. I doubt that the extra thickness would really hurt the alignment of the end pieces but be sure to check.

An alternative to this approach would be to add the steel backer/reinforcement to the top. File down the steel piece to a bow-tie shape so that it will lie on top of the broken halves. Drill the four holes for the existing four screws and add an extra hole/bolt/nut or pop-rivet to each end of the piece to tie it all together. Longer screws in the existing four holes will make up the extra thickness with the steel strap on top of the aluminum and clamp it all together.

I certainly wouldn't trust JB Weld alone for something holding the windshield like that......

Most any compentent welding shop should be able to TIG weld that back together, though. Just weld solid and redrill the holes. They will want to champher the broken edges and clamp the two pieces to a solid bar to maintain alignment but it is not impossible at all to weld that back together.

As a last thought...if the shop or a friend has some of the welding rod that you use on aluminum with a propane torch you could try that. The stuff is really a material called kirksite that is used for temporary stamping tooling. It works reasonably well as it melts slightly lower than the aluminum and can be used to "tin" the joint and put it back together. I have had fair success with the stuff on similar brackets and aluminum parts but I think I would still reinforce it with the steel backer as described.

 

[keithaba]

Why not just take a short (about 4 inch?) piece of flat steel stock about 1/8 thick and 1/2 wide (easy to find such stuff at Home Depot and others) and reinforce the broken piece on the back side?

Good idea. I would have to see if there was clearance to do so as. If the guy who is looking at it now doesn't think it can be welded, I will try that.

 

[keithaba]

You got me thinking, Jestal. What if I did it like this so I didn't need longer screws, and it wouldn't raise the bracket 1/8 in from the mount.

The black would be the piece steel and the yellow threaded screws.

I think that might work best, it should be plenty strong.

 

[Jarmo]

I can make one out of aluminum.

Drop me a line if you still need one .

I will need to get some measurements .

Jarmo

 

[mdisher]

Dude, that looks like a perfect opportunity for ol JB Weld

 

[skyway]

You got me thinking, Jestal. What if I did it like this so I didn't need longer screws, and it wouldn't raise the bracket 1/8 in from the mount.

The black would be the piece steel and the yellow threaded screws.

I think that might work best, it should be plenty strong.

Just now saw this thread. This may do it provided that nothing interferes.

However, if you need to beef up that bracket and get it welded, I can't recommend any company better suited to dealing with precision micro tig welding than Lewis Bawol Welding in Erie, PA. I've been using this company for their services for 10 years and they do unbelievable work. By far the best I have ever seen and they always turn it around the same day they recieve it. Worth a phone call and maybe email them your photo.

Check them out here: www.lewisbawol.com

 

[jestal]

You got me thinking, Jestal. What if I did it like this so I didn't need longer screws, and it wouldn't raise the bracket 1/8 in from the mount.

The black would be the piece steel and the yellow threaded screws.

I think that might work best, it should be plenty strong.

Yes, that would a version of this option mentioned:

An alternative to this approach would be to add the steel backer/reinforcement to the top. File down the steel piece to a bow-tie shape so that it will lie on top of the broken halves. Drill the four holes for the existing four screws and add an extra hole/bolt/nut or pop-rivet to each end of the piece to tie it all together. Longer screws in the existing four holes will make up the extra thickness with the steel strap on top of the aluminum and clamp it all together.

I would think that would be plenty strong to do. You could shape the black piece in your picture with thinner ends to fit out furhter toward the end...between the side ribs....hence the mention of the bow-tie shaped piece which it would then look like. Probably a single addtional screw on each end of the reinforcement would be plenty.

 

[keithaba]

I just got off the phone with the guy who is "fixing" this part. He said it is some sort of "pot metal" or something along those lines. Said it would just melt if he tried to weld it. He is going to machine a new part.

I'm kinda pissed because he was supposed to call me before doing anything. I think reinforcing it would have worked, but they already started machining the new part.

120-140 to machine the part out of steel and paint with a non-rust coating.

I want to raise a stink, but maybe it's better to just get the stupid thing made so theres no risk of my windsheild flying off into my face while doing 115 (theoretically of course). I'll post a picture of it when I get it back next week.

 

[Fencer]

I just got off the phone with the guy who is "fixing" this part. He said it is some sort of "pot metal" or something along those lines. Said it would just melt if he tried to weld it. He is going to machine a new part.
I'm kinda pissed because he was supposed to call me before doing anything. I think reinforcing it would have worked, but they already started machining the new part.

120-140 to machine the part out of steel and paint with a non-rust coating.

I want to raise a stink, but maybe it's better to just get the stupid thing made so theres no risk of my windsheild flying off into my face while doing 115 (theoretically of course). I'll post a picture of it when I get it back next week.

Shoulda sent it to me

Are you sure the item is Alum? If so then POT Metal would not apply. (I may be wrong but I dont think I am). You prob have a steel welder trying to work alum and that ain't gonna happen. He is going for a medium he is more familiar with as alum takes a different "talent" to work with. A lot of steel guys can weld the piss out of steel but can't do **** with alum. BTW you can weld cast alum. BTDT. on heavy machinery that gets a ton of torque.

 

[Rickster]

I'm afraid that if you tried to weld it -- you would destroy the part. As-Cast aluminum parts can be difficult to weld due to imperfections in the casting...My recommendation ...use JB-Weld to bond it...

I just got off the phone with the guy who is "fixing" this part. He said it is some sort of "pot metal" or something along those lines. Said it would just melt if he tried to weld it. He is going to machine a new part.

I believe that melting the part would be correct.

Typically cast aluminum parts (or any cast steel or "pot metal") are very tricky to weld. The material has imperfections or air pockets, and if you melt the parent metal -- you will just melt it down (it will collapse on itself).

Cast parts (jestal mentions it above) can be braized, or 'cool' welded -- i.e. use a filler rod that melts at a lower temperature than the part -- problem with that is you don't always get a very strong bond.

Per JB website: tensile strength is 3960 PSI, adhesion 1800 PSI, lap shear over 1000 psi, 0.0% shrink, and ok to 500 Degrees F.

I still believe either patching, or pinning with an appropriate cold bond (structural adhesive if you will) will fix that part.

I would go so far as to say that even 3M VHB would work.

From www.3m.com

Product Description:

3M™ VHB™ Tapes provide the convenience and simplicity of a tape fastener... exterior bonding applications.... they can replace rivets, spot welds, liquid adhesives and other permanent fasteners.

I go back to either plate or pin structural patch, and a good cold or cool bond will work, and is the most inexpensive.

 

[jwit6]

Cast parts (jestal mentions it above) can be braized, or 'cool' welded -- i.e. use a filler rod that melts at a lower temperature than the part -- problem with that is you don't always get a very strong bond.

Ive used this stuff before on aluminum. Very strong and good results.

https://durafix.com/