Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Iron Barrel => Topic started by: azcatfan on December 13, 2013, 03:31:44 am
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I noticed this today on my bike near the starter, a tiny crack on the seam of the inner primary case.
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g237/azcatfan/REPrimarycrack1.jpg) (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/azcatfan/media/REPrimarycrack1.jpg.html)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g237/azcatfan/REPrimarycase2.jpg) (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/azcatfan/media/REPrimarycase2.jpg.html)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g237/azcatfan/REPrimarycrack3.jpg) (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/azcatfan/media/REPrimarycrack3.jpg.html)
Cause for concern? I placed a mark on it to monitor if it grows. The fix would obviously mean pulling it and getting a new one, or having this one repaired (I'm guessing its aluminum). It doesn't seem to cause any problems at this time, so I'm simply keeping it in mind...
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I doubt it will stop cracking.You mite want to try to find the extent of it and drill a small hole at the very end of the crack and put a rubber plug in it to stop the progression of the crack.Sooner rather than later you will need to weld it up.
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A wolf caught in a trap will bite off it's foot to save itself. Your Bullet seems to have the mind of a wolf and a thirst to live. By expunging the unholy hump your Bullet trusts solely the kicker to bring it to life.
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is there actually a crack forming there? or is it just a flaw from poor casting pattern fit? as much as I could tell from the pic's it did not look like a stress related crack....
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I would pull that cover off and have it welded up ASAP. The sooner the better. From the looks of it that crack will only continue to get bigger every time you ride. The bigger it gets the harder and more expensive it will be to repair.
Scottie
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I doubt it will stop cracking.You mite want to try to find the extent of it and drill a small hole at the very end of the crack and put a rubber plug in it to stop the progression of the crack.Sooner rather than later you will need to weld it up.
I agree with single. A stop hole with a small, let's say a 1/32 bit, then monitor
it till next time you have it off. Then you can have it welded.
- Mike
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Thanks for all the replies from the Grand Gearhead Group!
As far as I can tell this was just a weak spot during manufactoring that vibration and heat cycles are slowly exploiting. Going back and looking at the pictures that the PO (and original owner) gave me, that notch right on lip was present when the bike was brand new. My concern is the ever so visible hairline crack that extends from it. It doesn't look like it goes all the way through, but I'll update you guys as I take action.
Anyone else with an Iron Barrel 4Speed with the grenade starter have the same kind of seam at the top of the inner primary cover near the starter?
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Drilling a hole stops cracks on supersonic jets. Fill it in with epoxy of choice or silicone goo of choice.
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Drilling a hole stops cracks on supersonic jets. Fill it in with epoxy of choice or silicone goo of choice.
Would by my first course of action, too. Drill and a tiny smear of JB weld.
If the crack continues to expand somehow after that, then you can take it to a welder. Even if it holds, you can get it truly welded up next time you have the cover off at a convenient time, if the first fix just bothers you for some reason.
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Would by my first course of action, too. Drill and a tiny smear of JB weld.
If the crack continues to expand somehow after that, then you can take it to a welder. Even if it holds, you can get it truly welded up next time you have the cover off at a convenient time, if the first fix just bothers you for some reason.
This is exactly what I plan to do. I'll drill and fill, then get it done properly next time I have cause to pull the cover.
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Sign me on for drill and fill also. But you really have to see about having that removed. ;)
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If you don't plan on removing the cover to do the drill fix, make sure you coat the drill bit with a good amount of grease and go kind of slow but fast enough to cut. This will keep any metal shavings from falling inside of your cover and damaging components.
Scottie
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Scottie J,I knew I was forgetting something.
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I would vote for the welding sooner that later. Putting anything to contaminate the metal such as JB weld or other gooey thing really irritates a welder. I know from experience, my wife is a master TIG welder and she hate it when muck things up..
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Sven,that is why I suggested the plug,but I forgot to mention that,too.
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When you get around to taking off that inner cover for repair, you might as well order the ES to KS kit. Do it right and never look back.
My two cents ;)
Jesse
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I would drill it with at least 3/32" drill. A smaller one could still keep the stress point working and continue cracking. I wouldn't fill it with anything. If you want to weld it the filler would require cleaning out causing more work (labor) for the welder.
Bare
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My primary cover broke in 2 spots back in early summer. I hooked up with a friend of a friend who was an excellent welder and did an excellent job. I've been welding steel for many years and learned a whole lot about welding aluminum that I never knew before that day. So I must re-confirm what everyone is saying about NOT using any kind of sealant on your primary if you plan on welding it. They are absolutely right. Aluminum is actually quite porous and has a tendency to "draw in" any and all contaminants that are present when you start welding and get the metal hot. When I had my cover repaired I didn't have any kind of sealant on it, just years of oil/grease. I am not kidding at all when I say he spent every part of 2 hours just CLEANING the cover before he even thought about turning on his TIG welder.
Just food for thought.
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,16686.0.html
Scottie