Fairing crack repair

[kstrauss]

So, I'm repairing the Wing after our blown rear tire incident a couple weekends back.
We're fine other than my wife's two broken ribs, I got it slowed down to 10-15mph before we flew off.
What's the best way to repair this crack in the fairing I found when I pulled off the mirror that it landed on after throwing us off.

[offcenter]

You need ABS cement from the plumbing section of Home Depot or Lowes.
It would also help to order some ABS plastic sheets from Amazon.
Cement the break back together then reinforce it from the inside with
a piece cut from the ABS sheet. Heat the piece of ABS 'til you can
bend it and make it conform to the shape of the inside of the fairing.
Do not try any other cement or glue. The fairing is made of ABS and
the ABS cement softens the plastic and welds it back together.
Good luck.

ABS sheet:
https://www.amazon.com/Install-Bay-89-0 ... ingdocs-20

[Wilcoy02]

Totally agree with the above post.

If you can not find the black abs glue you can make your own.
Place some shavings of abs material (black pipe, abs sheets, an old bike plastic part) along with acetone.
Make a slurry solution in a glass jar.
I use drywall self sticking tape with the square holes. Gives the glue a place to cling to.

[Corkster52]

Take the damages section off the bike (to relieve the strain and close the gap at the cracked area)

Align the piece so the painted side is flush and tape the painted side

Vee out the the cracked area down to within a 1/16" if the tape ( I used a Dremel with conical bit)

Clean the crack out by brushing a thin coat of acetone into the crack and let dry (I used an an acid brush)

Using ABS glue, apply thin coats and let dry for 24 hours (I know this extends the repair time, but to cure it best)

Rough up the area that the area the the reinforced ABS sheet will be applied (sandpaper will do)

Heat and prebend the sheet ABS to reinforce the area at least an inch past the crack (if possible). It looks like the area may have some rather sharp bends/breaks to it, so you may just have to do the patches in steps. That is what I had to do on the right shelter that developed a severe crack. The thinner the thickness of the ABS sheet is the easier it will be to bend. I have purchased 1/16", 1/8" and 1/4" sheet from Amazon.

Coat the area the patch will attach with ABS glue

Attach the patch, and clamp it down or lay a weight of some kind on it. Let dry for 24 hours

Remove the clamp and the tape, and you are good to reinstall!

[minimac]

I use this stuff. I've even been able to make new tabs with it.
https://www.plast-aid.com/

[WingAdmin]

I use this stuff. I've even been able to make new tabs with it.
https://www.plast-aid.com/

I've tried using it as well, and while it works great for remaking things like tabs, I find that what it creates is VERY stiff, much more so than the more flexible ABS, and in some cases won't stay bonded to ABS that flexes. The best fix for an ABS crack like shown above is the ABS cement and bonding a patch on the inside, as described. I've used this repair method many, many times with excellent results.

[lionellisafeld]

To repair abs cracks on my wings I used a abs repair kit that can be purchased at most RV shops. It works great. Good luck

[oldishwinger]

A product called J B weld seems to be pretty good at repairing abs plastic. I have used it in the trunk, and on small cracks and its still there. a friend recently after a slow drop used it to repair around the right hand vent, and locked lid, and its worked fine so far.

I've not used it on major jobs, but it could be worth a thought.

[WingAdmin]

A product called J B weld seems to be pretty good at repairing abs plastic. I have used it in the trunk, and on small cracks and its still there. a friend recently after a slow drop used it to repair around the right hand vent, and locked lid, and its worked fine so far.

I've not used it on major jobs, but it could be worth a thought.

J-B Weld is a steel-reinforced epoxy, and while it is extremely strong, it's not the best solution for fixing cracks in ABS, for two reasons:

- It expands and contracts at a different rate and a different amount than ABS does when heated and cooled. So your repair might be just fine until you are out in the hot summer sun, at which point the epoxy can break free of the ABS, and your repair is ruined.

- It is extremely hard, where ABS is actually very flexible. When the ABS around it is flexing and moving, the J-B Weld repair is not moving at all, which can cause it to break free of the ABS, or worse, cause new stress points on the ABS, and new cracks to form.

The best repair technique for ABS is...more ABS! Not only that, but the repair isn't stuck to the old ABS, like epoxy is, it actually chemically melts the existing ABS, and becomes PART of the original piece. As a result, it can never break free, and the repaired piece actually ends up being stronger than the original piece.

I'd recommend reading through this thread: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3246

[cihilb]

Here's a complete repair kit.
http://plasti-mend.com/cart/index.php?r ... duct_id=55

[WingAdmin]

Here's a complete repair kit.
http://plasti-mend.com/cart/index.php?r ... duct_id=55

Wow, $40 for some ABS cement and a couple pieces of plastic?

Spend $10 on a can of ABS cement, and a couple dollars for a piece of ABS pipe at the hardware store, heat it up, cut it and flatten it. I've been using exactly that for years.

https://www.amazon.com/Oatey-30917-Spec ... 901&sr=8-4

[WingAdmin]

If your local hardware store doesn't have ABS pipes, you can get a whole wack of ABS sheets fairly cheap online as well:

https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-ABS-Thermo ... 996&sr=1-4

[HONDA'S]

What I've used is a 3M product I get from NAPA. It's a tube of window sealant. I apply it on the backside of the crack. I've used on a lawn mower and small tractor plastic hood.