HELP - Engine transplant?

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:15 pm

Hi Guys,

Ive not been around much as my bikes been working, well only for two weeks and now a FATAL problem!

The front mounting lugs on the engine (little cast holes) where the engine is mounted to the frame have both snapped clean off. I think this has happened due to a very large jump i did on a hump back bridge last week, either that or landing some of my wheelies a bit too hard!

Either way it means the engine is going to need replacing (im assuming cast metal cant be mended). Is this a hard task? i have several mates offering to lend a hand and from my research it seems pretty simple and a matter of a few bolts and getting the right torque on them. The rest of the setup, EG: carb balancing would be done by my mecanic.

ANY ADVICE or INPUT would be brilliant as im totally gutted and stuck in doors again!

Toby

Max · Post by **Max** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 5:13 pm

Can't you weld the lugs back on ??
I had an RG500 years ago and had to get bits welded back to its engine. It was fine afterwards.

meintjiesj · Post by **meintjiesj** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 5:21 pm

99% of metals can be welded back on. My father in law is a welder by trade and he does a lot of work for BMW and Yamaha dealers in South Africa now because of the price for new parts that are imported. I'll ask him tonight what type of welding is needed. But I presume anyone who can TIG weld will do it for you. I'll confirm for you. That is going to be a lot cheaper. If you want to get more info PM me with a photo of the place where it broke off and I'll ask him to have a look on my bike.

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 6:41 pm

meintjiesj wrote:99% of metals can be welded back on. My father in law is a welder by trade and he does a lot of work for BMW and Yamaha dealers in South Africa now because of the price for new parts that are imported. I'll ask him tonight what type of welding is needed. But I presume anyone who can TIG weld will do it for you. I'll confirm for you. That is going to be a lot cheaper. If you want to get more info PM me with a photo of the place where it broke off and I'll ask him to have a look on my bike.

Thanks for that info, sounds very intresting! Will get photos done tonight, however the part that broke off is lost to the road, is it possible to fabricate new ones?

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:28 pm

meintjiesj · Post by **meintjiesj** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:58 pm

Talked to my father in law and showed him the photo also. According to him it should be an easy job for a tig welder to do. According to him those parts are aluminuim and will be easy to manufacture and if welded with a tig weld, very strong. If it was cast iron it would have been a waste of time because it would not be a strong weld, but alu welds are strong and easy machinable also, so it could be cleaned up so that you cannot see a weld afterwards.

Maybe start looking out for a welder, someone that does MAG wheels or a welder by trade.

Hope this help.

Johan

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:16 am

Fully agree - I showed photo to my dad - he special systems welding industry for last 40 year - he says it definitely can be fixed. He also suggested that you can think about some reinforcement to be done at same time to prevent this from happening again if you plan any other looong jumps

You can get some reinforcing elements machined and welded on at same time.

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:09 am

well thats brilliant news to wake up to!!! Thanks guys, i will go on a mission to find a welded now!

However:

On the BCF forums they are saying this could of happened due to a bend frame which is worrying me rather? any ideas?

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:25 pm

It could've happened for milliobn reasons (corrosion, badly adjusted drivertrain etc.), but I think its'a jump

How big was that infamous jump? You sure you should not switch to Duke 950 instead of Storm?

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:28 pm

just looked at photo again. Tell me - is it just photo or for real - on edge of brake I can see aluminium alloy is kinda white/matt....I mean - not shiny? If it really is so - reason for your misfortune is corrosion or somebody overtightened engine bolts a lot.

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:23 pm

yes it is a kind of dull whitish colour!

And is that likelly to mean my frames ok?

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:15 pm

My English let me down again - I meant it should be dull anyway, but it might have that specific "corrosion color" and powder that aluminium/magnium alloys developing sometimes. It could be that it was overtightened and developed a bit of cracks. Weakened by corrosion those cracks would go on until lug snaps.
I'd be supsrised to see aluminium box frame being bent for some time and then suddenly it snaps lugs of aluminium alloy engine case. Usually it is result of overtightened bolts or happens during frame bending, but - it was not crashed of low sided or anything. Road jump is not enough to do it unless it was Evel Knievel style

meintjiesj · Post by **meintjiesj** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:46 pm

I'm with Bluesman, the way the engine is mounted I think over tightning the bolts and corrosion is probably contributed to the problem. Did both sides brake off? That is why I replaces all bolts on my bike with copper grease on the thread and in this case the shaft also. Mild steel is easier to heat and then when it cools down it normally breaks the bond of the rust, but alu is different. I normally have more problem removing a "rusted/coroded) alu bolt.
Did you get any luck with a welder?
Johan

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:28 pm

Thanks for the swift replies guys!

Ive noticed the radiator is also slightly bent backwards by about an inch (on the other side from photo), maybe this could have something to do with it? The bike was low sided once about 3 years ago but all this damage is recent!

The jump was BIG, and i mean BIG! For some reason i accelerated over the crest of the hill and the people whatching said i took about 4ft of air, my suspension totally bottomed out and i was quite literally thinking i was dead! Combine that with constant wheelie abuse (some of which will of landed quite hard)

However i dont see how it can be the wheelies as surely most of the force goes through the front end? My forks and seals are perfectly fine!

As for welding, thats looking like a good posibilty, ive been told to use a "coded" welder so i get a good job, but my fears are that this is going to be around the same costs as a second hand engine anyway!

Surfice to say its sunny outside and im really pi$$ed off!

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP! YOUR ALL STARS!