-
Required reading for all forum users!!!
Welcome!
Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.A note to new registrants...
All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.A Special Note about Email accounts!
DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.A note to old forum members...
I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.
Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...
-
Returning Visitors
If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.
If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.
Secondary drive drain plug cracked casing
- Thread starter Christopher
- Start date
It could be welded & re-tapped I guess....
dpep
Administrator
Staff member
Super Site Supporter
Past Site Supporter
TGSR Superstar
Charter Member
Can you carefully screw the bolt back in? That would keep the threads lined up while you attempted any repairs.
It is not under pressure. The lubricant it holds is very thick. And it is very rarely opened.
If I found myself in that situation I would screw the bolt in and then cover the outside crack with a wide coat of JB Weld or other preferred metal epoxy/glue. I would probably give it at least two coats.
After giving it a lot of time to cure I would then try to find a thin rubber washer to use under the bolt head when I screwed it back in. That should help to keep the lube in with less torque applied against the stem and the repair.
You can go light on the torque initially and check for drips. If there are any tighten and recheck until there are none.
Be careful on your test rides as any lubricant that does leak could go on your tire. It will get thinner as it heats up so you do need to ride for an accurate test. You could tape an absorbent rag around the stem and keep testing until one comes back clean.
You've got nothing to loose.
It is not under pressure. The lubricant it holds is very thick. And it is very rarely opened.
If I found myself in that situation I would screw the bolt in and then cover the outside crack with a wide coat of JB Weld or other preferred metal epoxy/glue. I would probably give it at least two coats.
After giving it a lot of time to cure I would then try to find a thin rubber washer to use under the bolt head when I screwed it back in. That should help to keep the lube in with less torque applied against the stem and the repair.
You can go light on the torque initially and check for drips. If there are any tighten and recheck until there are none.
Be careful on your test rides as any lubricant that does leak could go on your tire. It will get thinner as it heats up so you do need to ride for an accurate test. You could tape an absorbent rag around the stem and keep testing until one comes back clean.
You've got nothing to loose.
Agreed -- the gear oil back there is not under pressure, so this is a case where a careful JB Weld repair could actually do the trick just fine. The gear oil does get pretty warm in operation and a bit thinner, but not nearly as hot as engine oil.
If the drain bolt will screw in, then Don's instructions should work pretty well. Clean the area very carefully, removing every last possible molecule of gear oil.
It would probably be a good idea to give the bolt a coat of wax (shoe polish or carnauba car wax, or similar) as a release agent so that the epoxy won't bond it into place.
Or, allow it to bond into place, but drill and tap the drain plug first with an M6 thread and add an M6 screw; basically create your own "piggyback" drain plug so you'll never have to remove it again. For future gear oil changes, you'll remove the smaller screw and wait somewhat longer for the oil to drain from the smaller hole.
Installing a thread insert would not work here; you'd have to remove far too much of the weakened material and put a lot of stress on it.
If the drain bolt will screw in, then Don's instructions should work pretty well. Clean the area very carefully, removing every last possible molecule of gear oil.
It would probably be a good idea to give the bolt a coat of wax (shoe polish or carnauba car wax, or similar) as a release agent so that the epoxy won't bond it into place.
Or, allow it to bond into place, but drill and tap the drain plug first with an M6 thread and add an M6 screw; basically create your own "piggyback" drain plug so you'll never have to remove it again. For future gear oil changes, you'll remove the smaller screw and wait somewhat longer for the oil to drain from the smaller hole.
Installing a thread insert would not work here; you'd have to remove far too much of the weakened material and put a lot of stress on it.
eil
Forum Sage
I would be tempted to go the JB Weld route as well. Consider drilling a hole where the crack ends to prevent it spreading. If it was mine, I would probably try digging out a fair amount of the metal so that the JB Weld can be sanded flush. With JB weld sealing it, the threads may not be able to take the normal amount of torque to bite down on a crush washer without opening up the crack again, so it would not surprise me if a silicone washer is required after the repair.
Or just take it to someone who's good at welding aluminum and get it fixed right.
Just some random thoughts, take with grain of salt, etc.
Or just take it to someone who's good at welding aluminum and get it fixed right.
Just some random thoughts, take with grain of salt, etc.
