Can you weld to the ht bicycle engine case?

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Drewd

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Jul 25, 2008
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2nd time in 3 months my front mount bolts sheered. I was lucky the first time and drilled out the studs and inserted time sert threads as a fix.

I totally boogered the front mount....have a broken drill bit in one of the stud holes I was boring out.

Can a mount plate be welded onto the case of the HT engine? I know nothing about welding and don't know what metal the ht is made of...pot metal? If so, let me know so i can take it to a shop to get a mount plate welded onto it.

Thanks
 
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CaliRebel

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Apr 4, 2011
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Re: Can you weld to the ht engine case?

It's very difficult to weld aluminum, and almost impossible to a different metal. When it melts it has relatively low viscosity, which makes casting easy, but welding difficult.

I heard someone suggest that if you just heated the cast the hole with expand and other techniques become easier.
 
Al.Fisherman

Al.Fisherman

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Sep 9, 2009
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Re: Can you weld to the ht engine case?

Drewd said:
2nd time in 3 months my front mount bolts sheered. I was lucky the first time and drilled out the studs and inserted time sert threads as a fix.

I totally boogered the front mount....have a broken drill bit in one of the stud holes I was boring out.

Can a mount plate be welded onto the case of the HT engine? I know nothing about welding and don't know what metal the ht is made of...pot metal? If so, let me know so i can take it to a shop to get a mount plate welded onto it.

Thanks
Click to expand...
http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae309/Ron-Becker/Repair Front Mount/P1110096.jpg
 
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Drewd

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Jul 25, 2008
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Re: Can you weld to the ht engine case?

Ron,
Thanks for the pic. That's what i'll do and drill and thread new mount on top. i just googled calera...for the longest time i thought your last name was calera. didn't know it was an actual city south of b-ham.

I was stationed twice at Fort Rucker, AL and often drove up to oak mountain to mountain bike. I passed by your town many times.

Although I now live in Colorado, I did steal one of your state's finest gem's....my lovely wife Toni who I met 11.5 years ago in Enterprise, AL.
 
DuctTapedGoat

DuctTapedGoat

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Dec 20, 2010
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Nampa Idaho
Re: Can you weld to the ht engine case?

Amen. Your best bet is fabbing a bracket and just retapping from a brand new location, instead of trying to use an existing hole that's just blown out beyond all recognition.
 
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Drewd

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Jul 25, 2008
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Re: Can you weld to the ht engine case?

I am so embarrassed...i never took a magnet to the metal to check to see if it was ferrous or non ferrous.

yep, gonna save this engine...its a Dax engine and is one of my smoothest running engines...virtually no vibration at high rpms. i don't want to risk getting another engine because getting a smooth running one seems to be a crapshoot at times.
 
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DuctTapedGoat

DuctTapedGoat

Active Member
Dec 20, 2010
1,179
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Nampa Idaho
Re: Can you weld to the ht engine case?

Ah, I spaced the rant -

Aluminum can be welded, but not with a basic welder.

Odds are your basic motorized bike enthusiast doesn't have an aluminum welder, so you have to take it to a shop that does have one - but you're going to pay for a couple things. One being the skill and patience of the guy welding to weld it, the other is access to their equipment to have the work be done. Just like why a doctor has high rates to pay off schooling, a welder/fabricator has to pay off his equipment.

In the end, it's really not worth it to weld aluminum motors, but if you've got sentimental attachment to a motor, then we do what we do to keep it around.
 
Al.Fisherman

Al.Fisherman

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Sep 9, 2009
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Calera, Alabama
Re: Can you weld to the ht engine case?

Drewd said:
Ron,
Thanks for the pic. That's what i'll do and drill and thread new mount on top. i just googled calera...for the longest time i thought your last name was calera. didn't know it was an actual city south of b-ham.

I was stationed twice at Fort Rucker, AL and often drove up to oak mountain to mountain bike. I passed by your town many times.

Although I now live in Colorado, I did steal one of your state's finest gem's....my lovely wife Toni who I met 11.5 years ago in Enterprise, AL.
Click to expand...
Although you can't see it, the 2 bolts go all the way through and lock nuts on the bottom side. Before fabricating the front bracket mount the engine FLUSH on your down (rear mount) tube. Locate where you want the engine will rest, and fabricate...got to go ...more later

Ron
 
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Drewd

New Member
Jul 25, 2008
425
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Colorado
Re: Can you weld to the ht engine case?

Well, I got the engine mount issue corrected by following Ron's advice. I drilled two 1/4 inch holes on top of the front engine mount and attacked a 2inch x 2inch piece of angle iron that was 1.75 inches wide. This setup is much better than stock and when I install a new engine in the future, I will do this setup instead of using stock front mount bolts.

BTW, I went to a welder today to weld a sprocket to a sturmy archer 3 speed hub for my trike and he said he could have easily welded the front mount on my HT. This welder who I used before in the past can weld aluminum, pot metal, and anthying you throw at him. He's the only FAA certified welder in Colorado Springs and welds aluminum and pot metal on a regular basis. In fact, he was repairing an aluminum fuel tank for an aircraft when I showed up.
 
T

TheRealDune

New Member
Aug 2, 2013
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Las Cruces,NM
Re: Can you weld to the ht engine case?

Drewd said:
Well, I got the engine mount issue corrected by following Ron's advice. I drilled two 1/4 inch holes on top of the front engine mount and attacked a 2inch x 2inch piece of angle iron that was 1.75 inches wide. This setup is much better than stock and when I install a new engine in the future, I will do this setup instead of using stock front mount bolts.

BTW, I went to a welder today to weld a sprocket to a sturmy archer 3 speed hub for my trike and he said he could have easily welded the front mount on my HT. This welder who I used before in the past can weld aluminum, pot metal, and anthying you throw at him. He's the only FAA certified welder in Colorado Springs and welds aluminum and pot metal on a regular basis. In fact, he was repairing an aluminum fuel tank for an aircraft when I showed up.
Click to expand...
Glad to hear you got a temporary fix going, i did the same but with helicoils and my rear mount came loose again, while going 30 downhill...not good. Best way is to aluminum braze

Needed items for aluminum brazing

1=Aluminum brazing rods via harbor freight or home depot(home depot has cheaper pkg for 3 bux)

1-propane tank(3 bux at home depot)

1 t4000 bernzomatic propane torch(35 bux)-there are cheaper but they are not regulated which means when you tip torch upside down it turns off,the t4000 is regulated for upside down use which is a must when brazing ;)

when you braze aluminum it cures stronger than the original piece

BTW-always use grade 10.9 all thread when replacing stock eng mount bolts(those stock pos's arent even grade 3,lol
 
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