Stator cover

[Bert Patterson]

So, this morning I did something very stupid and tipped the bike over on its left side. Couple scrapes on the fairing, etc....no big deal, except for the massive flood of oil, because I punched a dime-sized hole in the bottom of the stator cover.

1982 GS1100E.........anybody got one kicking around they could let go of??? Or, has anyone had luck fixing a dime-sized hole in the bottom of the stator cover? I'm not after cosmetic perfection here, just a solid fix. Can I use JB Weld, or is it risky?

 

[dr_fosg8]

Fixing it is possible but not with jb weld. You would need a welder good with aluminum. Best bet for not losing oil again would be to look in parts for sale here, or ebay.

 

[Bert Patterson]

Yeah, I'm not a welder, so I think I need a cover. there isn't one on ebay or in the parts for sale right now. I'll call a couple local shops that salvage parts. This was not something I needed this morning (had to drive a car to work).

 

[Steve]

Was the dime-sized hole caused by a single piece of metal that got displaced? :-k

If you have the plug that got displaced, you can use JB Weld to hold it back in place. Use the "regular" stuff, not the "5-minute" type. The "regular" blend has a higher heat tolerance.

VERY CRITICAL to this repair is cleanliness. Use whatever you want to wash the oil off the parts. I have used Formula 409, Simple Green, Bike Brite, carb cleaner spray, brake cleaner spray, etc. Finish off with an alcohol rinse. When the alcohol has dried off, mix up the JB, spread it liberally around the edges, set the plug in place, then hold the cover so the plug will be horizontal and spread some more JB around the inside of the seam to seal it well. Don't worry about building it up a bit, it will flatten itself out quite well.

This should hold quite well unless that plug is impacted again. The JB will then let go of the inside of the cover and you will have an INSTANT OIL LEAK, errr, ... FLOOD.

Yeah, welding it up or replacing it is better, but the JB Weld will hold until you are able to arrange one of them.

(If you don't have the plug to fill the hole, let me know, there is a method for that repair, too.)

.

 

[tkent02]

JB Weld will work fine, that cover doesn't get to hot and it's not under much stress. Use a piece of metal that fits closely over the hole, like a coin bent to shape. Clean the clear paint and any grease or dirt from the area around the hole, mix the JB well and let it cure before you ride. There are other epoxy products that do the same thing, they are all good. Lots of these temporary repairs last for years and years. Might be a good idea to pull the cover to insure no broken chunks of metal are loose inside.

 

[Bert Patterson]

Excellent. Steve, Tom, I'll probably go home at lunch and pull it off. I suspect the piece is either inside it or down the street where this happened.

[Okay, the very stupid 'what happened' part. Battery was low on juice, so I push started it. When I started to hop on the bike to let the clutch, my hand slipped and let the clutch out before I was on the bike. Vroom, crunch. Did a little - not really little, about 2"x3" - scrape on the fairing, and punch a nice littel hole in the stator cover.]

 

[Baatfam]

Bert, put the word out in the parts wanted forum...
I'll bet someone has one just knocking around.

I know welders if you want to send it, but that could take some time.

 

[srsupertrap]

+1: Replace the cover and ride with confidence. They are floating around here or on EBay for under $20.

 

[jbs80106]

Sounds like something Robert Presig would fix with a bit of beer can!

On using the JB Weld tkent, would he be better to patch it on the inside or the outside? I'm thinking inside....

 

[Steve]

On using the JB Weld tkent, would he be better to patch it on the inside or the outside? I'm thinking inside....

Not tkent here, but I was thinking "inside" when I made my post just above his.

I have since ammended it to read that way.

.

 

[Billy Ricks]

If the piece can't be used to plug the hole try some aluminum screen wire to reinforce the JB Weld. Apply a scratch coat then press the wire into. Then spread more JB over that. It'll probably hold up while you locate another cover.

 

[tom203]

+1: Replace the cover and ride with confidence. They are floating around here or on EBay for under $20.

Yes, if you can't find a local guy to TIG weld, then just buy one- I just got 550 cover for $20 delivered with a good stator (that's all I wanted ).

 

[Bert Patterson]

Yes, if you can't find a local guy to TIG weld, then just buy one- I just got 550 cover for $20 delivered with a good stator (that's all I wanted ).

I may have found one at a local speed shop (though I'm not convinced they know the difference between an E and a G). I'll check tomorrow. It'll probably be $50 or $60, which seems high, but tolerable. There are a ton on ebay - page after page - but none for me. Bikebandit, I can't remember, something like $135 or $165.