cracked fairing fix

[silver_ride]

so i've got quite a crack going on my fairing, on the lower right side where the fairing mounts with 2 bolts to the bracket. it probably cracked initially because i tightened it too much, and didn't use washers cuz i don't know wtf i'm doing....

anyway, yesterday i put a good helping of JB weld on there, figuring it would be perfect. i let it set overnight, took her out this morning and it cracked right back open. i am guessing this is because i'm in MN and it got close to frosting overnight. so i'm thinking maybe the stuff didn't set up right and i should try again on a warmer day?

are there any solvent welds that would work better for this type of plastic?

its getting chilly and i MUST have this fairing on...i will be riding until the snow flies in november

[cywelchjr]

You will either need to plastic weld that, or find some ABS plastic glue (which is iffy if it will work) or order the repair kit from Craig Vetter, but be prepared, it's expensive, like $80 or so, but it does work, it will actually re-melt the material back together and comes with pieces of material to help reinforce the repair.

That said, a crack in that spot may well be fatal, although I would try getting a metal strip about the same width as the area there and about the length as the split and of course drill two holes to match the two original holes so your sandwitching the thing in there, which MIGHT hold it together. That combined with some plastic welding might make it strong enough to hold together, but that IS a very high stress area right there.

[natemoen]

Go back to harbor freight and buy a plastic welder. It blows a gentle focused stream of hot air that melts the plastic and then buy the pack of filler rods as well and use the abs rods and fix her right back up.

You really are not going to find any solvents that will melt it quite right to create a good fix and in weld does not bond to abs plastic.

[GLoweVA]

I've got a vetter fairing on my bike too. I like the idea of getting a piece of metal to sandwich the fairing on there. (after using some plastic welding stuff)
Then again, you can also start looking for a replacement too. Maybe use the 'fix' until you can get your hands on a replacement.

[Poprock]

I patched huge cracks, missing pieces on a Pacifico using fiberglass cloth and ABS pipe glue. I filled in the missing chunks with ABS sewer pipe flattened out in hot water and cut to fit. It's ugly up close but it's rock solid. Fixed the headlight bracket with ABS glue and cloth from an old t-shirt. Dried hard, working for well over a year.

[James England]

I found the ABS glue is pretty useless. I would get two pieces of steel, one to go along where you have the glue stuff at the moment, right up past that bolt at the top of the pic. Then an identical piece underneath. Drill through the metal and sandwich the fairing with the metal strips and that top bolt. Then use L brackets, bent on one side to run to the right in the pic and drill the fairing and bolt them on. Then coat the whole area with glass fibre matting and resin and spray black. I don't think heat welding will work in that area... it takes such a buffeting from wind etc. IMO it needs reinforcing with metal....

[webbcraft2150]

I to used ABS pipe glue and fiberglass mat to fix cracked fairing and bags. Once it sets up, it was stronger than the the OEM plastic. I was able to sand, fill and paint. Still holding up strong. Could be a cold weather thing though. Pull the fairing off and do it in the bathtub/paintbooth

[soccer4m]

try fiberglass resin

Howdy,,,,as I build surfboards out here in the Pac. coast,,I also had a few different fairings with cracks. I first rough sand the area, use Laminating fiberglass resin and fiberglass cloth, a couple of layers of 6 ounce cloth, smear some resin with catalyst over the cloth and dry overnight,,,,it sets up ready to go. It can be sanded or go over it with a rough sandpaper and brush on a coat of sanding fiberglass resin then sand to finish, or paint black to match. All this stuff can be found at any surf shop, or go to a large auto parts, or hardware store, like a Home Depot or Lowes, or surf shop if any where you live.....it will setup in cool weather, just add a little more catalyst............Mike in Sun DIego

[cywelchjr]

Problem is with the Vetter fairing it will be a surface bond at best. There are very few things that will actually achieve a true bond with this material, the repair kit that craig vetter sells being one of the few exceptions. That said, because of where the crack is, I'm not sure it can be repaired and be considered reliable afterwards. If it were me in this case and I couldn't afford to replace it, I would get a metal strip and sandwich that lip of the fairing between the strip and the mount which is a strip of metal anyways. I might goop the thing up to fasten the two things together as well for extra strength, but the idea is to reinforce that area.

[Pat Kelly]

I had cracks in the same area. Tried fiberglassing (I have experience with fiberglass). The fiberglass resin dosen't adhere to the plastic. The Pacigico fairing uses 2 different plastics. ABS and PVC. Acetone will melt the black inner plastic. I had someone experienced in plastic welding splice the windshield area from one Pacifico to another Pacifico. He did a perfect job and you can't see the seam from the outside. That same fairing now has other cracks from an incident with a Kenworth. I bought a plastic welding kit and will (someday) learn to weld plastic.

[natemoen]

Interesting, I was wondering if the Pacifico was 2 different plastics (especially since they are different colors). Some PO had cut speakers into the area right behind the windshield and was having a heck of a time getting the abs to appear there, switched to a pvc and its been going well so far.

[latexeses]

TAP Plastics

Look one up in your area. If it need to be stuck together, they probably have the stuff to stick it together.

http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/sear...searchform.y=4

[soccer4m]

laminating fiberglass

Use Laminating fiberglass resin for a good bond,,,,the sanding resin sold at a lot of stores does not bond well, except to other resins. The laminating fiberglass WILL hold up and bond well. The sanding resin only provides a basic bond and is used for sanding purposes, but does bond well to the laminating fiberglass. Some of the guys have used fiberglass resin, probably from the home repair stores, but there are at least three types, laminating, sanding and gloss resin. I have used Laminating resin for a good bond and coated it with sanding resin, and if you like a gloss finish, a coat of gloss resin. Use at least six layers of 6 ounce cloth and it Will NOT crack,,,,as experienced on current and past fairings used..........Mike in Sun DIego