There are several types of materials used for plastic parts for motorcycles. When repairing an Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) used for many motorcycle outer parts, the PLAREPAIR, a filling adhesive for plastic capable of filling and repairing with high strength, is used. I will introduce how to repair a broken side cover in this article.
Have you ever tried pulling the cowlings down forcibly and break it?
In the case that the side cover is uncertain to detach even if it is being pulled, enhancing the lubrication performance through spraying a small amount of silicone lubricant or rust-preventive penetrant with a thin nozzle on the rubber grommet is a countermeasure to prevent the destruction of important parts.
Table of Contents
1. The recommended product for professional mechanics is the PLAREPAIR in size for business use.
This is a basic set of the PLAREPAIR that allows for various plastic repairs. The commercial-sized PLAREPAIR is sold with increasing amounts of the hardener and plastic powder. The difference between the commercial set and the regular set is only the capacity. It's better to try using a regular set at first.
2. Apply "groove" processing to the inside of the crack where it is unnoticeable.
For the side cover, perform the processing so that the inside crack is chamfered by using Φ3mm shaft leutor with a grinding stone. Polish it gently. This method is called "groove processing" because it cuts the edge of the crack to create a groove.
While performing groove processing on the cracked part, the edge of the crack should be sharpened by using a leutor with a grinding stone. Chamfering about 1/2 to 2/3 of the thickness of the parts increases the filling adhesive strength.
If a small amount of plastic powder is put into a small container cup and the cracked part is filled with the plastic powder therefrom, useless or spilling of the plastic powder is less likely. For the unused powder, store it in this cup with a cap.
3. Drop a hardener with one or two drops from a needle that is like a syringe.
Attach the included needle after putting a small amount of hardener in a small container, grasp the container with your fingertips and spill one or two drops onto the plastic powder as if pushing out the hardener from the needle. The collected powder with the hardener is picked up at the needle tip and filled into the cracked part. This is the so-called "needle method".
Pick up the collected powder at a needle tip, and push into the V-shaped groove of the cracked part to be filled with hardener. Do this work continuously, and fill the V-shaped groove with the PLAREPAIR. It is capable to be filled and bonded due to the powder impregnated with the hardener reacts with the material of the side cover.
The PLAREPAIR is not suitable for bonding of polyethylene, but it has considerable strength for bonding acrylic and ABS. You should have to think about the reason again here why the parts cracked when performing repairs. If the reason why it was broken is pulling out from the body, the movement of the fixed part is not good enough.
Then why is the fixed part moving badly? Deterioration of the rubber grommet and hardening is probably the cause. As the rubber grommet attached to the frame hardens, the claws protruding part of the side cover that has been inserted and fixed cannot be removed smoothly.
Do not forcibly pull out the side cover or exterior parts if you notice unwanted situations. Instead, spray the grommet with oil or silicone and push it in the direction to fix the parts once, let the sprayed oil spread and try to pull it out toward you. It is the best solution.
As described in the photo, the cracks were filled and bonded by the so-called needle method. However, the cracks on the painted surface side should be reinforced with masking tape or the like, work should be performed after the cracks are not opened. There will be no displacement occurs when bonding is completed.
In addition, after reinforcing with masking tape, apply the hardening solvent on the part to be filled and repaired, fill the groove with the powder so that it adheres to the hardening solvent, and there is also a filling and bonding method called "sprinkling method" in which a hardening liquid is sprinkled from above.
It would be better which of the 2 ways or methods you use when filling or bonding according to the shape and situation of the affected crack parts.
The repaired affected part can be finished unobtrusively by filling and bonding so as not to break the "coating film" on the painted side of the crack. Be careful when groove processing.
