Damn. Broken lug on engine.

[Hugh Mungus]

I was changing the front sprocket today...

The threaded lug on the engine where the top bolt for the clutch slave cylinder fits has broken off flush with the engine casing! Didn't have any real pressure on tightening the bolt 
Is there a fix for this?

 

[kwackboy]

Possibly if you found a really good aluminium welder .
Main issue with that broken lug is you can't drill into the crank case , no room.
I've seen a few like this and the owners have lived with two bolts holding the slave on .   

[Hugh Mungus]

There's only two bolts in the first place...!

I'm going to have a go with this stuff

http://www.aluminiumrepair.co.uk/index.php/ct-menu-item-62

Or else it's a new crankcase 

[kwackboy]

Blimey , you'd think I'd remember that as I owned a vee not long ago.  . I was working on a slave cylinder yesterday which had 3 bolts ..  .

Anyways .. I will retract what I said earlier and refer to the few I've seen with just one bolt and the locating pin which I probably counted as the third bolt ..  .

Good luck with the aluminium repair , not seen or used that personally but it's looks good enough.

[Hugh Mungus]

Ha, yeah my old FJR had three bolts.
I'm not going to risk it with one bolt. I suppose I could fix an ugly metal bar across the cylinder somehow but I'll try the Alu Weld type rods first.

[Gassoon]

Tough luck with that lug, hugh...good luck with the repair and lets know how it goes...very interesting solution.

[Rich:-)]

From what I've seen on youtube about those rods they will only really work if you can get the engine casing really hot.. which you probably won't unless you remove it..

[TLPower]

How about https://www.freeindex.co.uk/profile(a-tm-engineering)_442019.htm it has to be worth a 'phone call.

[Hugh Mungus]

Thanks for the link TL. Always worth knowing of an engineering company nearby.

[TLPower]

I've no idea who they are, I just did a search for alooooominum welding in Kings Lynn. They do a mobile service as well.

[Mr Nick]

I have used similar aluminium repair kits before and you do have to get the workpiece hot enought to melt the rods, which won't be easy with the case in place. You will more than likely just melt the rod with the flame and that just makes a weak repair. When I've done it right it looks good, but the instruction videos are probably the result of perfect conditions and multiple takes as it isn't quite that simple in real life.

[Hugh Mungus]

It might not be that simple in real life and I'm not really expecting a fantastic job but it's got to be worth a go.

[Sasquatch]

I have TIG alu welder, and don't live million miles away....
Put a pic of lug in question as I can't picture what and where broke  .

[Sasquatch]

After quick look in the DL1000 k6 workshop manual. If you snapped one of the bolts circled in workshop manual on page 344 then you need to weld steel nut to remains of that bolt and unscrew it. No aluminium welding needed. All you need is some bloody talented MIG/MAG welder or any TIG welder to do it.
Unless some bastard replaced them with alu bolts then you're f..d.

[Hugh Mungus]

I didn't snap the bolt - getting a bolt out would be easy. It's the threaded lug/mount that the bolt goes into that has come away from the crankcase.

I have sought advice from a very good engineer and he's told me a few techniques I hadn't thought of. I did ask him at which point do I strip the engine and bring the crankcase to him - before or after I cock it up? - and he said 'after' cos he can then really take the pee... Ta mate!

[old git]

Hello Hugh Mungus.

Have you made any progress with your repair?

[Hugh Mungus]

Yes and no, I was going to do a write up on what I've done so far but that will take a while so for the moment I'll just say that my bike is ride-able again 

[Hugh Mungus]

I was searching for a picture of the V-Strom engine to show to an engineering chappie so he could have a think about how to repair the broken mount/lug/pillar (whatever you call it) and I came across this engine on ebay (£250 if you want it...) - I didn't want to disturb my clutch slave cylinder again as it is working for the time being.

Anyway, I have managed a temporary repair (bodge job) which may/may not be useful to know.
There are only 2 bolts that hold the clutch slave cylinder in place. I discovered that on the lower left of the cylinder there is a blank bolt hole (I initially thought it was a locating dowel) and behind it there is a threaded bolt hole into the crank-case. I simply drilled a 6mm hole through the cylinder and then put a bolt into place.
So the cylinder is held in place by two bolts but as both bolts are at the bottom of the cylinder there is still a bit of movement at the top part when the clutch lever is pulled in. Luckily it is just enough to still work the clutch so I can ride my bike.


Clutch slave cylinder mounts

This is a pic of my clutch slave cylinder. The upper bolt is in there just for show as there is no thread for it to go into - Yet...


My slave cylinder