rockmeupto125 Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I have a crack in a flat fairing area a couple of inches long. The crack is diagonal through the thickness of the fairing. It is mid panel, and does not communicate to an edge....otherwise manipulating it would be a relatively easy task. When the insult occured, the force placed the pieces opposite each other in relationship to the crack, so that the plastic remains displaced. To put the plastic back into its original position, the longer sides of the break must be passed over each other. Once that is done, I believe the crack will be nearly imperceptible, particularly if its reinforced from the back side. However, I'm loath to attempt to force the plastic edges past each other for fear of causing more damage in the form or extending the crack, creating a different crack, or taking part of the edge the cracked piece off so that the two portions no longer match ups completely. I've made a crude drawing to illustrate this. The upper portion is a cross section of how I'd like the cracked area to look when its repaired, and the bottom portion is how the damage looks now from the same perspective. Has anyone been able to reduce this type of damage, and if so, how? Big balls and brute force? Screwdrivers to pry with? Heat gun? Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CxBXR Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I did you this once with some sturdy aluminum backing strips It did hold up well however the botton heads are not easily hidden from sight. Is there room to get 2 large C-clamps on, 1 on each side of the crack, to be able to force it back it place without spreading the crack ? Once you have the crack tamed you could use some flexible bumper/plastic repair bondo to cover it, then get some Honda OEM touch up paint to finish. $.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockmeupto125 Posted May 14, 2008 Author Share Posted May 14, 2008 Its in the middle of a panel. No way to get a clamp on it. Once its put back in its original position, I do not believe it will be necessary to secure it. The most I would do would be to run a bead of glue along the backside of it purely on principle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBadExxample Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Some ideas: Warming the offending area could facilitate passing the plastic sides over each other. Lubricating the crack could also help, hmmmm... me likes where this is going. Bulge out the area to help spread the crack to create clearance as the sides pass over each other. I'll let you know if I have an "eureka" moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedygeezer Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Find an old piece of plastic with a crack in it - similar to the one you're dealing with if possible. Get your heat gun and heat the area round the crack about 2" back from each edge. Once bendable, practice moving the edges where you want them. You can reheat the plastic as many times as you want. Use a smooth wooden stick or a bondo spatula to maneuver the plastic and use a backing plate when smoothing out the area. The only problem with this method is that you'll probably wind up with wavy plastic with a crack in the middle of it. IOW, there ain't no easy fix for this one, Joe. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooplehead Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I wouldn't mess with heat joe. I tried a ton of things, and heat only succeeded in making waves and increasing the bad spot. If you can get a dremel tool and v-cut the crack down then use a welder to repair then finish with glue? I have had luck with the glue I used in that welding thread. Actually, for smaller cracks that don't require adding plastic, I would recommend using that fiber flex uni-weld that came with my welder. I also would use reinforcing mesh. Don't forget to drill where the cracks stop to prevent further cracking! Again, finish off the front with that hobby glue and elbow grease. If you need to borrow the welder, I'll ship it out to ya for the cost of shipping. Hell, i just bought a bunch of that fiber flex, so all you got to supply is the stainless mesh. Just say the word, and the kit is on the way. You choose the shipping. Best of luck! linky BTW, sometimes the plastic stretches when it cracks. Even if you do force it together, it may still create a high spot. Aint plastic pieces wonderful? Be wary of vibration! Your paint will crack if you don't secure the crack from the back. my .02cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I had a similar spot on the F4 when I was "restoring" it. The plastic was distorted enough at the break that it simply didn't fit together anymore- and i did get rough enough with it to get it to overlap properly. It was much better after some force was applied, but there was still a bump there. I ended up filling it from the back and sanding it smooth from the front. But that'll require paint, which it sounds like you're trying to avoid. So I'm no help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 Just put a sticker over it. See I can be truly helpful, sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXX Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Just put a sticker over it. See I can be truly helpful, sometimes. BRILLIANT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 Ah, finally, someone appreciates a good mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R1000 Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 I would simply try to refit the edges by hand. Heating may deform the fairing. Some lube (soap/water) would help the edges to slide back. Then I would secure the crack from the backside by soldering down a couple of wires across the crack, every 10 mm or so. This can be done with a convenstional soldering iron. Finally, secure the cracked paint on the outside by a string of clear varnish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrxxquad Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 send it to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobicus Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Have you spoken to Plasticweld about this? He might have a trick he could share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warp11XX Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Rough the surface on the back of the panel to be repaired with 40 grit sandpaper around the cracked area. Using super glue, run a bead along the crack on both broken edges. Sprinkle baking powder onto the wet super glue until absorbed. Blow off excess powder. Add another bead of super glue, sprinkle more baking powder on it. Repeat this process until you have filled any crevices or cracks and spread the coverage at least half and inch from the broken area. Build the super glue and baking soda up to about an eighth or quarter inch thickness for support. Fill, sand, and paint the frontside of the panel as necessary. It'll never break at that spot again. Much, much stronger than fiberglass or bondo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rider99XX Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Just put a sticker over it. See I can be truly helpful, sometimes. I put a Deals Gap Dragon sticker over a small crack in my windshield. Works great!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skull Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Drill a hole at each end of the crack so it won't continue to split, then manhandle to two sides back into place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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