How would you fix this trunk crack?

[GolfVenture]

I just found this trunk crack on my 91 VR. It is hard to see.

It looks like a stress crack from age and hardening of the plastic, for there is nothing around it that indicates it got hit.

And I have not loaded it much at all.

I may have purchased it that way, only at that time I may have missed it.

The crack does definately stop my fingernail from going over the crack.

 

I dont know what those white spots are for they are not on the turnk.

The paint on the trunk looks like the day it came off the show room floor

 

The crack is also felt on the inside.

Also the crack starts right dead center on one of the screws that hold the trim on.

 

My options are

 

1) Just ignore it and hope the crack does not travel father

2) Take it to a body shop for an estimate

3) Buy a used trunk and have it professionally painted to match.

4) Your suggestions

[mm482]

To stop it from cracking farther, drill a small hole at the end of the crack.

 

Earl

[KIC]

There was a recent post showing how to plastic weld ABS plastic using a soldering iron, copper wire, and wire ties to fix that stuff. I tried a little of it last week end and it worked pretty well and was easy.

 

Find the link to the U Tube video.

[Marcarl]

Depends on how fuzzie you want to be. If you want it to be show condition, you will need to repair and then a total repaint, but will the end result be a true color match?

If it were me, I would remove the rail, clean out the crack from the inside only, ratchet strap around the trunk to bring everything as close together as possible and the fill in the grove with Plastex or something similar. I would also build up on either side of the crack so to keep it from going again. Hopefully I would get that crack to almost disappear, and the rest I would paint with a very small brush.

While having things apart I would also look for more cracks before they get too big. My 85 has some of these new design modifications, but it's very serviceable, so I'm not to concerned, and nobody has ever said the my scoot is not everything it's cracked up to be.

[Condor]

I just found this trunk crack on my 91 VR. It is hard to see.

It looks like a stress crack from age and hardening of the plastic, for there is nothing around it that indicates it got hit.

And I have not loaded it much at all.

I may have purchased it that way, only at that time I may have missed it.

The crack does definately stop my fingernail from going over the crack.

 

I dont know what those white spots are for they are not on the turnk.

The paint on the trunk looks like the day it came off the show room floor

 

The crack is also felt on the inside.

Also the crack starts right dead center on one of the screws that hold the trim on.

 

My options are

 

1) Just ignore it and hope the crack does not travel father

2) Take it to a body shop for an estimate

3) Buy a used trunk and have it professionally painted to match.

4) Your suggestions

 

That's a pretty common crack on 1stGen trunks. My '83VR had them in both corners. I used IPS 2354 to chemically weld the crack. Took about 15 minutes, but I could never get the crack to draw together enough to get the crack to disappear. If I need to do it again I'll use fiberglass matting on the inside with IPS 16 and a fairing paste to prep for paint.

 

http://www.ipscorp.com/images/assembly/abs_2354.gif http://www.tapplastics.com/uploads/products/images/fullsize/standard/611_weldon16.jpg

[Guest Rev'n Ahead]

Plastic welding with a good hot soldering gun and a zip tie works really well. You could just do it from the inside of the trunk and even - carefully - add a bit of a staple across the crack. Then, from any autoparts store get a bit of body filler and a paint crayon and fill and paint the crack from the outside. It won't be perfect, but a whole lot better than what you have happening now.

[Yammer Dan]

ABS glue and a paper clip.

[cabreco]

There was a recent post showing how to plastic weld ABS plastic using a soldering iron, copper wire, and wire ties to fix that stuff. I tried a little of it last week end and it worked pretty well and was easy.

 

Find the link to the U Tube video.

 

 

If you go the ABS welding route I would suggest you get a hot air welder (harbor freight)

With a crack like that you can get away with drilling a relief hole at the end of the crack & welding it only on the inside.

 

I just finished welding & rebuilding every panel on my gen 1, It was fun.

The hardest part was dealing with the careless burns to my skin!

 

 

[ame]

[/ame] Edited June 17, 2012 by cabreco

[playboy]

Another option after you get the crack repaired and prepped for paint hmmm might do this before you repair just a thought. Take your trunk to a automotive paint supplier by that I mean a shop who supplies to AUTO BODY shops let them computer match your color and mix you up a rattle can or spray can so you can paint the whole trunk any mismatch in color wouldn't be as noticeable. Had a friend who did this on his Freightliner to touch up some places and nearly perfect match.

[wrenchrob]

Excellent video. Good job! By the way I like your big white workbench.

[Yammer Dan]

Very interesting.

[jilldwr]

This video on plastic welding with a soldering iron may also help you fix your crack problem: [ame=

]

[/ame]

I tried it on some honda side panels and it worked like a charm.

[rlyons]

I've used this stuff and it was great' becomes part of the plastic.

 

http://plasti-mend.com/default.aspx

[GolfVenture]

Thank you for all the replies.

 

Any thoughts to this hog-pog-plan plan.

 

1) Take it appart and use ISP 16 for I have some from previous recommendations from (Condor). This absorbing chemicial finds its way into the tinyest hairline cracks and will fuse the parting plastic together.

 

2) Then drill a slightly larger hole in the existing plastic screw hole so the screw does not put any pressure on seperating the crack.

 

3) Draw it together as tight as I can make it. It should come together some so my fingernail easly runs over the crack. And the crack would be hardly noticable.

 

I could maybe use one of those nylon strap with a tighting ratch-it and use a towel where the hardware would touch the painted area to draw it tight.

 

4) Re-enforce the crack by taking a small round file and filing from the inside the length of the crack, creating a groove so to ruffen the crack area. Then use a black zip tie and recommended blow torch melt the zip tie, giving it added strength along with the ISP 16 chemical weld.

 

??? Might the heat do something to the paint.

 

Can I conclude that the screw pressure caused the crack? And by drilling a bigger hole eliminate the screw hole pressure.

 

Or if something else casued the crack what might it be and how would I try to eliminate the pressure that caused the crack.

[Condor]

Thank you for all the replies.

 

Any thoughts to this hog-pog-plan plan.

 

1) Take it appart and use ISP 16 for I have some from previous recommendations from (Condor). This absorbing chemicial finds its way into the tinyest hairline cracks and will fuse the parting plastic together.

 

I'd start with ISP 2354. It's a thiner viscosity and will wick into the crack no matter how small. Once the crack has been 'welded' up use the 16 and glass mat to reinforce the inside. Wet out the surface and lay the glass mat down... it'll stay..., and then work the 16 into the glass. After it's set up rattle-can it with Krylon Semi-Flat Black. Makes a very sanitary repair. I've actually repaired a couple of 1"x2" holes in the bottom of the '91 trunk using 16 and glass mat to cover the holes.

 

BTW, I use a small 2-3oz plastic bottle with a tiny capilary tube in the cap to apply the 2354. Makes it a lot easier to get the stuff where you want it and in the right ammount. You can generally find the bottles at a plastics outlet. I just leave the bottle on the shelf and it's always ready to use. The liquid won't evaporate a lot as the tube is very small. Anytime I see a hairline crack start I lay a little on the backside of the crack and it stops developing.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Condor

[cabreco]

 

4) Re-enforce the crack by taking a small round file and filing from the inside the length of the crack, creating a groove so to ruffen the crack area. Then use a black zip tie and recommended blow torch melt the zip tie, giving it added strength along with the ISP 16 chemical weld.

 

??? Might the heat do something to the paint.

 

Make sure the zip tie is ABS not nylon or vinyl. You should only fuse like plastics. (harbor freight sells ABS white welding rods 25 for $6. Also, use plastic cleaner to prep the surface area. Surface prep is key to getting a strong bond.

 

Using a soldering iron to melt the plastic on the INSIDE will not severly affect your paint (if you are careful) Using a hot air welder will bubble the paint around the weld.

[FreezyRider]

I would recommend fixing it with one of these.....easy and long lasting. You'll be glad you chose this method!

 

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RHLtzdOaRkA/TvIydi1BDSI/AAAAAAAADrs/zM65JXA8KpI/w542-h391-k/P1000215.JPG

 

[GolfVenture]

I would recommend fixing it with one of these.....easy and long lasting. You'll be glad you chose this method!

 

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RHLtzdOaRkA/TvIydi1BDSI/AAAAAAAADrs/zM65JXA8KpI/w542-h391-k/P1000215.JPG

 

 

 

Kudos to your suggestion, very creative. And the process would be the most enjoyable solution so far.

[GolfVenture]

I would recommend fixing it with one of these.....easy and long lasting. You'll be glad you chose this method!

 

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RHLtzdOaRkA/TvIydi1BDSI/AAAAAAAADrs/zM65JXA8KpI/w542-h391-k/P1000215.JPG

 

 

 

I looked into your solution. $30,000.00 plus, including sales tax and I'd probably have to add some goodies. With 3,000 down then at 2.99 % that would be approx 475 per month for 5 years. On top of that full coverage insurance.

 

OUCH! I couldn't endure the pain.

 

But if I were to spend $30,000.00 plus on another vehicle.

 

Oh please hurt me!

[twigg]

Most of what Condor said!

 

The correct solvent for ABS plastic is Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK). It is sold by Lowes for $10 per quart .... probably enough to repair 1000 fairings

 

The Needle dropper bottle is a great applicator. Hold the crack closed and simply run a line of the solvent along the crack from the inside. It will correctly fuse the two halves and be a complete repair.

 

However ... They all crack there because it is a stress point so it needs reinforcing. What it doesn't need is fiberglass. Fiberglass is not permanent because it doesn't stick correctly and will fail in time.

 

To reinforce the corner cut the right sized piece from a sheet of 2mm ABS (this is cheap, any plastic supplier will sell you an 8x4 sheet, or off-cuts.

 

Warm the plastic and press it into the corner to mould it. Cover one side with MEK and press and hold it into place. It is now part of the case, fixed and will never come off.

 

You can use this method to make new tabs, reinforce old ones, strengthen the inside corners of the front fairing .... You get the drift.

 

Or .... spend an absolute fortune on Plastex, which will work but is actually the same materials described here.

 

Hope this helps.

[dynodon]

The trunk on my '86 VR was rapidly becoming three large pieces! Entire bottom was breaking off. Be sure to look under your pad for the mounting area because the damage can sneak up on you! I heard about Plastifix here or another motorcycle site, and I bought it, not too expensive, but it looked like a lot of work. I borrowed a dremel tool to do the grooving (had to swallow a little at doing that, but it makes the repair permanent!). My breaks were all out of sight, so I didn't bother sanding and painting, and the repair has held. No need to use fiberglass, and I agree, it probably won't hold anyway. Before using the Plastifix, I tried all sorts of glues and epoxies recommended by others, but the Plastifix was the only one that worked, and the last one I tried. Chances are you can just do the inside and it will hold. The crack on the outside can be touched up or ignored. If you want perfect, the use the Plastifix on both sides and sand smooth, then have a body shop paint it up.

 

here is a link, do yourself a favor and check this out: http://www.urethanesupply.com/PlastiFix/

[Condor]

 

However ... They all crack there because it is a stress point so it needs reinforcing. What it doesn't need is fiberglass. Fiberglass is not permanent because it doesn't stick correctly and will fail in time.

 

.

 

Fiberglass mat is structural, and I agree epoxy resins will eventually crack and seperate from the ABS surface. However.... using the glass along with the IPS 16 will work since the the 16 will chemically weld to the repair surface and the glass mat really doesn't care what stiffening agent is used....

[twigg]

Fiberglass mat is structural, and I agree epoxy resins will eventually crack and seperate from the ABS surface. However.... using the glass along with the IPS 16 will work since the the 16 will chemically weld to the repair surface and the glass mat really doesn't care what stiffening agent is used....

 

My apologies, Condor. I need to read more carefully.

 

I am so used to seeing folk use simple fiberglass repair kits, and mess up a perfectly good part that I tend to just "react" to the sight of the word.

 

Yes, with the correct solvent glassfiber would work. Personally ... the case is ABS and I'd strengthen it with ABS which is very cheap and easy to get.

 

But what Condor said would work too.

[Condor]

My apologies, Condor. I need to read more carefully.

 

I am so used to seeing folk use simple fiberglass repair kits, and mess up a perfectly good part that I tend to just "react" to the sight of the word.

 

Yes, with the correct solvent glassfiber would work. Personally ... the case is ABS and I'd strengthen it with ABS which is very cheap and easy to get.

 

But what Condor said would work too.

 

No apologies needed.... Actually I was talking to Fred (Fvogt) a few years ago in Susanville about repairing ABS, and what he did is take a small jar of acetone and start adding scrap pieces and shavings of ABS to it. The ABS would melt, and eventually what he ended up with was a slurey of ABS glue.... Kinda like a maintaining a bowl of sourdough pancake mix culture.... I've never tried it, but it sounds good to me... The glue...not the pancake mix...

[twigg]

No apologies needed.... Actually I was talking to Fred (Fvogt) a few years ago in Susanville about repairing ABS, and what he did is take a small jar of acetone and start adding scrap pieces and shavings of ABS to it. The ABS would melt, and eventually what he ended up with was a slurey of ABS glue.... Kinda like a maintaining a bowl of sourdough pancake mix culture.... I've never tried it, but it sounds good to me... The glue...not the pancake mix...

 

You pretty much just described Plastex.

 

Nail varnish remover and a 4" black drain fitting is rather cheaper

 

MEK is a better solvent and you can take a mould from an existing tab to make new ones.