Clutch cover

[husker]

4" long crack in the cover. Can it be welded?

[moonpup]

There's been some discussion here and there on the site about welding the covers but I don't recall anyone being successful at achieving a "perfect blend" when finished.

Here's a couple threads you can check out. The first is mainly about getting dents out but there is discussion on welding. The second has a photo of what one member experienced.

http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=2380.0

http://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=2808.0

EDIT: added the pic from the second link. (courtesy of Bikenstein  )

[husker]

Thanks Moonpup looks like I've got a problem. I have some aluminum rods that I bought years ago for welding irrigation pipe using a propane torch for heat. The melting point of the rods is lower than aluminum and one of the selling demos was welding (maybe brazing would be a better term)soda pop cans together with them. I will have to experiment on another casting and see if the material will polish up and blend in with the original surface.  I kind of doubt that they will.

[ziggy stardust]

I tried and failed, had to bite the bullet and pay out for a good one.



Z

[slawsonb]

Is there some being that spends its time damaging 350 clutch covers? I have never had or seen one that was not damaged (almost identically to these). He (or she) is pretty darn good and repeatable at this. Even when I bought my bike in '74, the clutch cover was lunched. In those day I fixed it with filler and of course fixed it again and again as the filler cracked. Didn't have the technology then currently available in aluminum fillers.
Too bad a reproduction would cost so much as I think many of us would jump on the band wagon.
The welding will be interesting, although Ziggy's post does not make me optimistic.
...bert

[moonpup]

If one isn't going for a "show" bike, I'd just use a good epoxy type filler, do a little body work and then give it a good spray paint to match the other half of the side engine covers and be done with it. 

[husker]

They should have came with case guards. I have 3 A7 Kaw's and all 3 have gouges in the left carb cover from the shift lever.

[Colin]

I already spoke on this in another thread, I earn a living as a welder having worked on oil rigs, refinaries, chemical plants, nuclear power stations etc, I work to the highest standards and have welded a lot of aluminium with massive success, however last year I did a casing just like the one above and used more than one type of aluminium tig wire, yup there lots of grades, anyway I planned to weld a second casing I had once I found a compatible filler wire, the Bridgestone casing is a low grade and cannot be matched easily, however once it is welded it could be copper plated and polished down to a smooth finish then chrome plated, I did consider this but it would have meant also chrome plating the left case to match, in the end I just paid the over inflated price for a good condition case , just like ziggy, if any of you do find a compatible grade of aluminium wire please give specs on here because I have 2 broken cases I'd like to repair.
Colin.

[slawsonb]

Do we all have a collection of broken cases??...I also have two in need of salvation!
...bert

[moonpup]

Do we all have a collection of broken cases??...I also have two in need of salvation!
...bert

Hey Bert, seems that way doesn't it!  Even a lot of the bikes that show up on eBay & CL have either a big ol' dent or a dent/hole.

Was it mandatory back in the day to drop your bike on its side or like you suggested, maybe it was a sneaky gremlin with a big mallet that would break into your garage at night and gave the brake pedal a good whack.  

[reed]

Clutch covers,
If you have a old clutch cover i will give it a go just send it to me and we will go from there.
Thanks,
Steve.

[bsforever]

When i purchased my 350 on the consignment auction i really didn't have a clue as the severity of the ' right side carburator cover syndrome' I was very fortunate that mine was there and although has a very shallow dent in in ( not near the brake pedal even ) not really even noticeable....i won't even mess with it it is so minor. I saw some of the covers go for the $400 figure, which is pretty much what i paid for the whole bike on the auction. So there was a rare occurance of a 350 not having the 'syndrome' which i know now , i am very fortunate to have ran across. Must have been alot of 'wipe-outs' on the right side..... and another thought is just the tipping over to the right, given that the side stand is on the left making the bike more prone to a right sided tip-over for reasons unknown. Moonpup, saw your posts and pics...you are a very well crafted man to have done the work that you have shown....i am very impressed!!!  bsforever

[reed]

Clutch covers,
This is a set that's on my GTR etc.
Thanks.
Steve.

[bsforever]

Look very nice Reed!!!  ....... just a question about oxidation, is there a clear coat or just waxed over the finished product? Would be a shame to have oxidation ruin fine workmanship again. thanks, bsforever

[reed]

bsforever,
No clear coat i just take the covers off and re-polish etc.
Thanks.
Steve.

[slawsonb]

Fighting off feelings of jealousy about Steve's cover pic. Very Nice.
I like the idea of this being a syndrome. As yet unexplained propensity for  BS 350's to have bad covers due to a characteristic unique to these bikes with no remedy (other than lots of work) as yet prescribed = syndrome. Could still be a gremlin...
...bert

[bsforever]

can you imagine the little gremlin guy laughing after he has the cover messed up saying "There ya go dude, have a nice ride" ...lol...... i hate when that happens 

[moonpup]

...snip... Must have been alot of 'wipe-outs' on the right side..... and another thought is just the tipping over to the right, given that the side stand is on the left making the bike more prone to a right sided tip-over for reasons unknown. ....snip....

bsforever, you mentioning the kick stand on the left got me thinking.

With the kick start lever being on that side also, you naturally tend to lean the bike a little to the right when giving it a kick or two. Wonder how many times someones foot slipped off, they lost their balance and down went the bike?

I went from a Honda 90 to my 350 GTO and really had to be careful (at least for a while) until I got use to the weight & size difference.

[slawsonb]

Or maybe this is a make/model related gravitational anomaly.
 
...bert

[moonpup]

If that were the case Bert, the GTR's would have fewer damaged covers due to a lower center of gravity from those gopher knocking mufflers of theirs!