A friend gets a Airsal kit...couldn't use, couldn't be returned. Here's where I come in...got it cheap. So I posted a pic of the problem. Any advice out there. As you can see there is a tiny depression there where the gasket goes and when I butt the gasket up to it I can see there will be a small hole. I'm thinking big problem. Jb Weld? double up gasket? No big deal? Any input would be grand. Thanks.
Here is a closer shot.
Bummer. Need to weld up and machine back down. Do not think JB weld would work here with heat generated. No wonder he wanted to get rid of it. The way it is is just one big air leak therefore no compression/vacuum
Well I knew the condition and got it wicked cheap, so now I just have to figure out a way to deal with it. Any hope in a machine shop grinding it down? And how would that effect the engine? It's about .5 mm deep.
hmm would some sort of apoxy work? just a thought
Might be too deep...
I would try JB Welding. If it doesn't work it can be undone, worth a shot.
Yeah, I was thinking if I drilled down into the hole alittle with a tiny drill bit then smeared some JB weld, or whatever, down in the hole first...then capped it level...filed it clean. Then when I put it on the motor it would be like a tiny pin in there to keep it from coming out. Spread some gasket goo around on it and call it good.
Can anyone recomend a heat specific, aluminum specific apoxy?
I'm just gonna figure it out, try something, and see if it works and holds up. If so we'll all know how to fix bunk Airsal seals. If this is an Army we gotta keep our shit working in the field..out on the lines...right?
Some metal filled epoxy (like JBWeld) is good up to about 250-300 degrees F. practically speaking. The company might claim 500 F but i know better.. and i don't think they would back you up using it for this particular application..
Epoxy doesn't suddenly fail at some set temperature. It gradually gets soft and decomposes (you can smell it) and looses adhesion and finally fails. Since this is the cylinder casting those temps are easily reached.
I might try a blob of high-temp silicone in that little gap after roughing up the surface a little. Silicone is good up to 600+ degrees F so heat is no problem. If silicone has a problem here it would be constant exposure to gasoline which is not recommended. Since this is not constant exposure and the gasoline is a vapor, i feel better about silicone than about any sort of epoxy. I guess the silicone plug could blow out under pressure? Future disassembly might require another silicone treatment? I would know in a day if this idea was gonna work or not.
First thing i thought of was take it to a good welding shop that normally does aluminum and pay for 2 minutes worth of TIG work.. Take it home and clean up the weld and you are done.. A permanant fix. (If they caught the defect at the factory, this is what they woulda done before shipping it out.)
So my choice #1 is drop by a couple welders for estimates. I wouldn't be suprised if the guy took pity on me and my moped and took me in back and let me watch as they did it for free..
I think you got real lucky and this is easily repairable and spending a couple bucks to have it done right is justified, imo.
Thanks, sounds like a plan... I'll let you know what happens.
Yeah, this really sounds like the best idea. Don't give up on a good permanent fix until you've tried to get it done.
Good luck!
Check this new pic out. Well you guys where right, and things worked out quite well. I took that little pock on my airsal kit right on down to Chucks welding and he fixed it right up for a couple bucks. Granted I had to stand around for forty minutes and listen to unaudible stories of V8 motorcycles, and friend that turned to burger, back in the fifties (this is North Carolina for you northern folk), but it was well worth it. Lots of folks agreed that doubling the gasket, or a blob of the blue, would be effective...but now I won't need to think about that hole when something else makes the engine run funny. Thanks
The welding job looks pretty good! I have had poor luck with the Airsal kits. I have had them come from my supplier with all sorts of nicks and scratches on the top of the cylinder head. I also don't find them very durable. Of course I am really hard on my scooters. My Kymco Cobra I put over 24000 miles on in about 24 months worth of riding. half of that was using 70 cc kits (3 of them). I also ended up destroying several belts (5) and managed to bust the rear torque driver pulley (cracked and broken off the shaft).
I have a nice new Super 9 now! Lets see how many miles I get on it. BTW when I get some time I am going to rebuild the Cobra.
Tom W
well I hope this sucka lasts.
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