warthogcrewchief
Junior Member
I bought my '05 FZ6 a few months ago for a good deal. It has 45,000 miles, but runs well. Unfortunately, I didn't see the crankcase repair done with JB Weld (which was seeping). After a more thorough inspection, I found the jacked up repair (with a quarter in it for good luck).
I appears at one point the chain had broken, and lashed forward breaking metal from just about the forward chain sprocket. Yamaha couldn't do it easy like other bikes, and have covers on that side (like my KZ1000).
I went to a local race/welding shop because the owner is a friend of my father-in-law. I found out later that the owner had his welder, who is less experienced, attempt the fix. They used aluminum instead of magnesium or titanium. It didn't fix the leak, it only made it worse. I also found evidence of the bike being dropped...twice! Even though they wanted a chance to fix their mistake by asking me to pull the engine so they could cut out the weld and do it "correctly" I wasn't going to use them again.
I tried a product called B2 (which is something I used when I was in the Air Force to repair fuel cell leaks, patch up panels, and seal rivets. Even though it adhered to the metal, it leaked right through. I let it cure for 72 hours before trying to start it up.
Talking with one of the guys from my church, he recommended an aluminum based epoxy. I did some research and found a product from Hy-Poxy called H-45 AlumBond. Amazon sells it for less than $6 and is Amazon Prime eligible: Amazon.com: Hy-Poxy H-45 Alumbond 2 oz Aluminum Putty Repair Kit: Industrial & Scientific .
I cleaned the area really well with brake cleaner and a small wire brush. I then followed up with a dremel sanding bit to clean up as much of the weld job as possible to expose new metal and then I followed up with a dremel wire wheel. After that, I hit it again with brake cleaner. After it was dry, I started adding the H-45.
I mixed this stuff up as specificed (1:1 ratio) for about 2 minutes. It has a working life of about 30 minutes (even though it says 45 minutes). After 30 minutes, it gets tough like taffy.
I would check it every ten minutes to fix the gravity sag and pull the mix back up to where it was needed. I only had to do this a few times.
After a 24-hour cure, I started the bike up and no leak! I ran it up to operating temperature (when fan kicked on) and ran it about ten minutes. I let it cool overnight and checked again...no leaks!
This stuff seems to work well!
Now that I have a decent engine, I pressed on with installing the new front sprocket (stock size). I got the new chain on, and did some preliminary testing.
The clutch was not disengaging. Adjusting the cable didn't help. So, I pulled the clutch housing (super easy!). All seven of the steel plates have heat damage to them! I have a new clutch kit with springs that'll be delivered sometime today. After I slap the new clutch in, I'll take it for her first ride!
I appears at one point the chain had broken, and lashed forward breaking metal from just about the forward chain sprocket. Yamaha couldn't do it easy like other bikes, and have covers on that side (like my KZ1000).
I went to a local race/welding shop because the owner is a friend of my father-in-law. I found out later that the owner had his welder, who is less experienced, attempt the fix. They used aluminum instead of magnesium or titanium. It didn't fix the leak, it only made it worse. I also found evidence of the bike being dropped...twice! Even though they wanted a chance to fix their mistake by asking me to pull the engine so they could cut out the weld and do it "correctly" I wasn't going to use them again.
I tried a product called B2 (which is something I used when I was in the Air Force to repair fuel cell leaks, patch up panels, and seal rivets. Even though it adhered to the metal, it leaked right through. I let it cure for 72 hours before trying to start it up.
Talking with one of the guys from my church, he recommended an aluminum based epoxy. I did some research and found a product from Hy-Poxy called H-45 AlumBond. Amazon sells it for less than $6 and is Amazon Prime eligible: Amazon.com: Hy-Poxy H-45 Alumbond 2 oz Aluminum Putty Repair Kit: Industrial & Scientific .
I cleaned the area really well with brake cleaner and a small wire brush. I then followed up with a dremel sanding bit to clean up as much of the weld job as possible to expose new metal and then I followed up with a dremel wire wheel. After that, I hit it again with brake cleaner. After it was dry, I started adding the H-45.
I mixed this stuff up as specificed (1:1 ratio) for about 2 minutes. It has a working life of about 30 minutes (even though it says 45 minutes). After 30 minutes, it gets tough like taffy.
I would check it every ten minutes to fix the gravity sag and pull the mix back up to where it was needed. I only had to do this a few times.
After a 24-hour cure, I started the bike up and no leak! I ran it up to operating temperature (when fan kicked on) and ran it about ten minutes. I let it cool overnight and checked again...no leaks!
This stuff seems to work well!
Now that I have a decent engine, I pressed on with installing the new front sprocket (stock size). I got the new chain on, and did some preliminary testing.
The clutch was not disengaging. Adjusting the cable didn't help. So, I pulled the clutch housing (super easy!). All seven of the steel plates have heat damage to them! I have a new clutch kit with springs that'll be delivered sometime today. After I slap the new clutch in, I'll take it for her first ride!
