Talk to a welder about putting a plate across the hole.
IDK if the heat would cause a leak at the junction of the case halves.
If you pull the motor to take it to a welder run all thread or something through it and clamp it together.
Rinse it out before you seal the hole.

ohiomoto wrote on 12/04/17 at 06:31:24:


@Ohiomotor

yeah saving for another bike wouldn't be so bad since the resale prices aren't bad these guys... I need to shop around town for a quote on the welding job first. anything more than half a grand and I'll consider selling the bike for parts towards a new one...

thanks all for the replies.

Sorry.....I just can't believe that welding is a viable solution.  The welded patch has to pass over the center case seam at the top and bottom, and I feel that the seam could either distort and leak - or the sealer and oil in the seam would outgas and contaminate the weld.

Maybe an attempt to weld would be a solution if you were stranded somewhere and had no other option - and/or a possible solution if you knew how to weld and it wasn't going to cost you anything to try.  I am only an amateur welder and I don't have much experience with aluminum - but I don't believe a big piece of cold aluminum makes for very good welds.  When I had a repair done on an aluminum air cooled head, they took a torch and heated the aluminum very hot - so that the weld area would be hot before welding and the distortion would be minimized......then they buried the piece in a bag of oil dry so that it would cool slowly and not crack.  In this situation only a limited amount of preheating could be done with the engine in the frame, and I have no idea how you would prevent the oil on the internal parts from dripping on the weld as the area gets hot. You would also have to remove all the black coating in the weld area prior to welding.  If you could get a few stitch welds to hold the aluminum patch firmly in place and avoid the center seam area with the welds.....then use JB Weld around the edges of the patch to seal the area - it  might work and you would have a good start on a "rat" or "steampunk" build!

The broken engine has some valuable parts that include the head, cam, rockers, piston,cylinder are in good shape.....likely half the cost of a replacement engine!  The big problem is the owner (renzo ramone) has admitted he only has the basic tools that come in the tiny Savage tool kit - and I can't imagine trying to do an engine swap with only those tools at hand.

I believe there are a few workable options for renzo.  If the goal is to get riding again ASAP......try the stitch welded patch and seal thee edges of the patch with JBWeld - it might work?  Or if you want a more certain outcome you could sell the bike "as-is" and start saving for the next bike - as this one needs and engine, tires, maybe brake pads, and maybe a bit more to get it running again......and renzo will have to pay someone to do the tire swap.  If the goal is to learn a bit about wrenching on motorcycles - find a local mechanic who would help you to find a good engine and do an engine swap......this may not be the least expensive solution as you will still need to do the tires and other maintenance issues - but you will gain some experience.  The least viable solution would be to find a set of cases or a good lower end that you could use to replace your broken bits, as this will require gaskets and seals, and a good amount of time and an experienced mechanic with good tools.  You could also get some wrenching experience and cash by taking this bike apart and selling off the pieces - it is a lot of work and requires posting a list and photos and many trips to the Post Office - but in a few months you could get enough money to help finance the purchase of another bike.

Again, The Dave has seen things I haven't. The case joint seal is a real concern. And what it takes to weld aluminum isn't something I had a clue about. I had no idea what preparation was required.

g in the weld area prior to welding.  If you could get a few spot welds to hold the aluminum patch firmly in place and avoid the center seam area with the welds.....then use JB Weld around the edges of the patch to seal the area - it  might work and you would have a

If patching and riding suits you, that's a potential answer.
Ride, save for a motor, build it up, swap.
If it holds long enough...

The other possibilities are just as worthy of consideration.

We are a weird bunch ....
The freaking bottom of his engine is missing and we're telling him to stick a patch on it and run it - but be careful not to fill it with Rotella T6 !!  

@Armen, you don't even need a bodgy repair, my spanking new bmw LS650 blew a rear main seal. I didn't find out till I was halfway to over taking a long 18 wheeler, I couldn't hear the engine it was so noisy, the traffic was coming towards me as I was now on the wrong side of the road and I was twisting the throttle but not going anywhere. I could see the tacho swinging wildly but nothing was happening. I managed to pull back in behind the truck just in time and discover the rear wheel was covered in oil. And the dry clutch was soaked as well hence the tacho.

I won't forget that weekend in a hurry as it was the weekend when Australia's winged keel 12 metre yacht took the Americas Cup for the first time in a million years. I spent the weekend in a crappy motel waiting for the bmw dealership to open.

Aemen, He was in a maintenance class? Was that for riders to maintain their own bikes, or to be a mechanic? If he could not figure that out for himself,,, there is NO hope for him. Maybe he should go into retail,,, a shoe salesmen perhaps. Does he look like Al Bundy???