broken crankcase cover etc.

[erik]

Ok, in the bin on sunday, the only thing stopping the bike from being rideable was a cover on the left side of the crankcase. It covers the gears that engage the starter motor and as you can see in the pic, there is a gaping hole in the side, through which all the oil leaked out.

I've been in to Red Baron, they say a new cover would cost $142.60, the gasket would be $12.95 and the coolant pipe you can see the picture would be $23.50. The main problem with this is that it'll take 3 weeks for the parts to arrive because they have to come from Japan.

Mark at Red Baron compared the engine number on my Zeal, and it looks like it's the same as the engine on a 1985 FZ250R. So I've phoned Atomic bike wreckers, but they only had an entire engine, and I've just sent an email off to Japanese Motorcycle Dismantlers in Christchurch to see if they might have one (they've got a fz250r listed on their website). But I don't have much hope that I'll find a spare one at a wreckers.

Does anyone know if it'd be possible to weld a cover over the top of the hole? As far as I can see, the damaged part of the case doesn't support anything, it just covers it. So it looks kinda like it could be done. It might not look so good, but it's kinda scratched up anyway and it's an old bike, and I'm a student (little money) and a westie...

I'm thinking the coolant pipe is probably still ok, it's not crushed really badly. If it wasn't for the wait, I'd just get the new part, but I'm a bit impatient.

Oh, another thing, the end of the gear shift lever and part of the sidestand have been bent a bit, I'm guessing it would be good to heat them up with a torch before trying to bend them back? Any comments? I thought I might take them off and take them in to uni and see if the guy in the welding workshop would help me heat them up and straighten them.

[aff-man]

The coolant pipe you could heat up and put a little bit of pressure in it and it should come back out to normal. It's a little tricky but a metal worker should be able to do it easily if you know one. Same witht he gear lever just heat and bend. It might make it more brittle and so could possible snap, when i tried to bend mine on the vt it snapped. As to the crank case, try mt eden motorcycles cause they are another wreckers and you never know. But welding something on the crank case sounds a bit dodge aye.

[Motu]

Machinepart Welding in Penrose have been the best repairers of damaged castings for the past 25 yrs,these days they are in Penrose,opposite the old Church st where it came out on Great South rd,down a drive,but the sign is out front.Do you have the rest of it? they can repair or match it,with nothing to go on it may not look so cool.The pipe can also be repaired,but may need to be cut and rewelded,and rechromed if you wanted,a new one would be cheaper,we need a closer look at that.Is the gear lever and stand alloy or steel,if alloy they may not take bending,steel will easily.I'm a Westie,give me a PM,I can take your housing to be repaired,but it would have to fit my scedule,yours may be more flexable.I could look at the rest too....

[geoffm]

The cover can be welded - if I was back in Auckland, I would do it for you for chocolate.
Epoxy glue also works. make sure everything is clean, clean with thinners and bog it up (inside and out) with epoxy. Use oen of the filled ones if it has a llargish hole. This is a common problem with FZR400s, and I had one for years with a clued up hole that was done at the track.
Depends on how big the hole is.
Geoff

[Paul in NZ]

It would have been a lot easier if you had the bits that broke out...

But, yes, you can weld it (might look a bit rugged)

Me? I would not piss about with a coolant pipe... It's too important...

Paul N

(this free advice is 100% guaranteed to be worth at least as much as you paid for it)

[pete376403]

Once out on a trail ride a crash left my bike with a hole in the clutch cover.
That was fixed by banging a piece of willow branch into the hole. Got me home, to where a permanent fix was done with araldite and black paint.

Duct tape (gaffer tape) is good for patching cosmetic holes (ie if water or oil isn't coming out the hole, then it's cosmetic)

[Hitcher]

Victorian Motorcycle Wreckers (have an ad in the latest Bike Trader supplement in Kiwi Rider magazine) regularly wreck Zeals. Send them an email and see if they can do you the cover you seek. I never like to read of Zeals in distress!

[erik]

Hitcher, do you mean Victorian Motorcycle Wreckers in Pukekohe, or over in Aussie? I tried phoning the place in Pukekohe yesterday, but I only got a busy signal.

If welding the cover will be cheaper, then I'd definately like to get that done. I'm not too sure about epoxying it though, I think I'd rather get it welded so it's a bit tougher/more permanent.

Unfortunately, the bits that broke off were all in little pieces. I found a few of them inside the cover, but most of them were probably lost. Either way I don't think having them would be any help since they were so small.

If that tube can be fixed too that would be choice. I'm not worried about getting it rechromed if it doesn't need it.

The side stand is steel, and it's only a small part of it that's bent. I think the gear lever is steel, but I'm not 100% sure.

Motu, I'll PM you in the next couple of days I think. I've got lots of homework for uni and a couple of tests coming up next week so I'm pretty busy.

[Hitcher]

Hitcher, do you mean Victorian Motorcycle Wreckers in Pukekohe, or over in Aussie?

Over in Aussie. Didn't know about the one in Pukekohe.

[Blakamin]

Always wondered if the bottom hose and its guard would survive in a bin.... sad you found out tho

[FROSTY:Me]

Theres a place down henderson valley road does alloy welding.
do all the cleaning and degunging yourself itll save ya heaps.
as for the water pipe-like as not its an ally pipe. With ally my opinion is -if it aint broke dont fix it. you could end up a heap worse off.

[erik]

I emailed Victorian Motorcycle Wreckers in Aussie, they gave me prices for the parts as follows:

Cover AU$75 (NZ$80.43)
Tube AU$35 (NZ$37.53)

They said postage would be about AU$20 to AU$25.

Their price for the tube is actually quite a bit more expensive than a new one from Japan. But the cover seems reasonable.

Motu or anyone, do you think it might be possible to get the damaged cover repaired (welded) for cheaper than that? I remember my brother got a foot pedal bracket welded on his zzr250 and it was somewhere around $150 IIRC.

I'd be willing to pay the extra for the coolant tube over a new one if it means it'll get here quicker. But again if the old one is ok as it is, or if it won't cost much to fix it, I'd go that route. Motu, I'll pm you.

[Mr Skid]

Eric, how are you getting on scabbing your brothers zzr to get to uni?

Unfortunately I've already offered to lend my cbr to a friend, as we could have got something going - you in one piece with a broken bike, and me broken, but with a running bike

How's your bruises? I've got a very pretty one appearing on my upper left arm.

[Blakamin]

I emailed Victorian Motorcycle Wreckers in Aussie, they gave me prices for the parts as follows:

Cover AU$75 (NZ$80.43)
Tube AU$35 (NZ$37.53)

They said postage would be about AU$20 to AU$25.

For that price, I would get the new cover. it wont leak (always a chance if its welded) and it'll help resale no end if it doesnt look like the bike has been welded everywhere

[Dodgyiti]

The cover can be welded - if I was back in Auckland, I would do it for you for chocolate.
Epoxy glue also works. make sure everything is clean, clean with thinners and bog it up (inside and out) with epoxy.

Good tip, I have had good fortune with epoxy on trail bikes, bonds really well to cast ali.
That is the student option for sure
I'm sure we all were on a tight budget at one time or another, and that is what pushes you to learning these things, having to..