Broken kickstarter guide in the crankcase - am I screwed?

[franktom]

The guide in the crankcase for the kickstarter shaft broke. It broke about 75% of the guide off at the base. Since the guide is cast into the crankcase is there any way for this to be repaired or am I screwed?

[bigboredbiker]

If you mean the cast aluminium part, then I'm sorry to say that you wil have a lot of trouble welding it back in. The problem is that aluminium is porous, goes brittle with age/heat(work hardens) and also manages to absorb a fair amount of the engine oil. When you try to weld it, all that happens is that is spits, pops and generally makes a real mess. At best it might just hold for a short while, but the only real solution is a replacement....sorry. Any other thoughts from the other guys???

[Bob East]

According to my aluminum welding guru, another reason for the spitting

is that those cases are made of an aluminum/magnesium alloy and the

stuff is extremely difficult to weld. Also, if it ever catches fire, it can

be nearly impossible to extinguish.

Rgds,

Bob East

[hodgkins]

you might be able to have it bored out and put in a brass sleeve or you might get lucky and find a drill bushing the right size and have it pressed in.

[bork]

The guide in the crankcase for the kickstarter shaft broke. It broke about 75% of the guide off at the base. Since the guide is cast into the crankcase is there any way for this to be repaired or am I screwed?

anyone else have this problem ? Any preventitive cures ? Will we all eventually have this break ?

[Xr650rhonda]

The guide in the crankcase for the kickstarter shaft broke. It broke about 75% of the guide off at the base. Since the guide is cast into the crankcase is there any way for this to be repaired or am I screwed?

I fixed a big chuck of missing case just under my flywheel cover on my 1979 Xs1100f with JB weld. I shaped it with a dye grinding tool and even drilled it and tapped a thread. I have read posts of people using JB weld to fix holes in clutch covers and cracks in cases.

[franktom]

Thanks for the great ideas guys! However, I don't think there is enough surrounding material to "hold" a sleeve or bushing. The guide is load bearing and is about 1-1/2" deep so I don't think that JB Weld will have sufficient strength - given the extent of the damage. It looks like my only two options are: 1) find a replacement crankcase or 2) part the bike out and sell it piece by piece.