# Sloppy Old Weld Needs Redone. Cost?



## partsguy (Mar 7, 2012)

Well guys, I took a break from my work in the house and tore down the 'ole Silver Jet. I had no idea this bike had so many hidden problems, all of which I can fix...except one. That one thing is a sloppy weld (unusual for ANY American bike!) and I'll bet that it was done 30 years ago under a shade tree. What is worse is that is beginning to crack. I don't have a welder and I can't justify buying one for this one little thing. The crack is not very big but I do want it fixed before things go bad. I don't think it is cracked all the way because I can't see any light coming through in the crank case. I know many guys here have had to get this kind of repair done on various bikes from AMF to Schwinn, so my question is: What can this cost?

P.S. I'll get it fixed either way! I've been looking forward to this bike and I'm too far in it to quit!


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## bricycle (Mar 7, 2012)

classicfan1 said:


> Well guys, I took a break from my work in the house and tore down the 'ole Silver Jet. I had no idea this bike had so many hidden problems, all of which I can fix...except one. That one thing is a sloppy weld (unusual for ANY American bike!) and I'll bet that it was done 30 years ago under a shade tree. What is worse is that is beginning to crack. I don't have a welder and I can't justify buying one for this one little thing. The crack is not very big but I do want it fixed before things go bad. I don't think it is cracked all the way because I can't see any light coming through in the crank case. I know many guys here have had to get this kind of repair done on various bikes from AMF to Schwinn, so my question is: What can this cost?
> 
> P.S. I'll get it fixed either way! I've been looking forward to this bike and I'm too far in it to quit!




Have you tried taking it to your local welder? you will need to fully clean the nearby areas tho....


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## partsguy (Mar 7, 2012)

bricycle said:


> Have you tried taking it to your local welder? you will need to fully clean the nearby areas tho....




Not yet, but I'm wondering what this repair has cost before. The frame is chrome underneath the white house paint, but luckily the bracket for the chaingaurd will cover most of the burn marks should there be any.


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## meteor (Mar 7, 2012)

*old reliable cheapo fix*

JB Weld should do it. Use it on the inside of crankcase in approp. areas and on the outside. You can go over it with an enamel paint or whatever when fully cured. I'm assuming aesthetics don't matter.


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## bikecrazy (Mar 7, 2012)

A picture would be great. I am a welder and I can tell you that the crack you see is only part of the problem.The crack you do not see is the rest of the problem. The old weld will need to be ground out and the tube will have to be correctly re-welded. This is a safety issue. Contact a qualified welder and get the job done correctly.


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## partsguy (Mar 7, 2012)

bikecrazy said:


> A picture would be great. I am a welder and I can tell you that the crack you see is only part of the problem.The crack you do not see is the rest of the problem. The old weld will need to be ground out and the tube will have to be correctly re-welded. This is a safety issue. Contact a qualified welder and get the job done correctly.




I applied some paint stripper, waited and scrubbed with a brass wire brush, then cleaned with No. 7 Rubbing Compound, and the chrome turned out great, and I am able to see just how bad it is. It looks like the guy just glopped on a big blob of metal and let it sit. Here are the pics:


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## bikecrazy (Mar 8, 2012)

Someone arc welded it for sure. Where is the crack?


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## partsguy (Mar 8, 2012)

bikecrazy said:


> Someone arc welded it for sure. Where is the crack?




I tried to catch as best I could. It shows up better in the first pic. Along the bottom of the weld, there is a thin crack forming, seperating the weld from the crank case.


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## partsguy (Mar 8, 2012)

With the wheels junk, frame bound for the shop, still hunting the rack, etc. I think I'll clean up the chaingaurd and handlebars. As if I have a choice, LOL!


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## bikecrazy (Mar 8, 2012)

I think that the previous welder did not finish the job. He welded most of the cracked area but not all of it. A good welder should be able to grind down the previous weld and re-weld the tube all the way around. My guess on price would be about $50.


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## partsguy (Mar 8, 2012)

Break down so far of what I've spent on the bike:

- Bike itself                                  $35
- Two fenders and an edlorado rack $8
- Eldorado light and switch             $20
- Parts tank and tail light lense #1   $83.05 
- Parts tank #2                            $27.09
- Tail light lense #2                       $29.00

Total spent so far: $202.14

If the repair costs $50, I'll live. In rough condition the bike goes for about $75-$100, but once they start looking really good and are all there and complete, I've seen them hit aroung $300 typically, so I'm not doing too bad, especially since I've got MOST of the rare stuff and the unneeded parts such as the incorrect Eldorado rack and other spares haven't been sold yet. The good news is that now is the time for me to restore these bikes before the prices get too out of control.

Thanks guys, I just wanted to know if this would kill the resto, but I'm good.


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## meteor (Mar 8, 2012)

*psi*

JB Weld has a tensile strength rating of 3,960 psi, and I have used it on a bike. I have no idea how this compares to a traditional weld. But CLassicfan1, I'd hate to see you go straight through your BB...


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## ozzmonaut (Mar 8, 2012)

If you have one of those carport shops in your area with the tube frames and corrugated sheet metal roofing and sides, they weld tubing all day, and they will usually do something small like that on the side for $20 or less. I found out before I got my welder. We have tons of those places here though.


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## ozzmonaut (Mar 8, 2012)

meteor said:


> JB Weld has a tensile strength rating of 3,960 psi, and I have used it on a bike. I have no idea how this compares to a traditional weld. But CLassicfan1, I'd hate to see you go straight through your BB...




Iused jb on a bike to attach a chainguard to the bb... twice. I even scored the metal to give it something to grab. It didn't even hold a small guard up for long. I mainly only use it to fill pits and gouges in metal.


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## partsguy (Mar 8, 2012)

ozzmonaut said:


> If you have one of those carport shops in your area with the tube frames and corrugated sheet metal roofing and sides, they weld tubing all day, and they will usually do something small like that on the side for $20 or less. I found out before I got my welder. We have tons of those places here though.




Carport shops?


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## KansasJack (Mar 13, 2012)

Look on Craigslist for welding services. There are plenty of skilled welders who work out of their garage. If you take it to a shop, you might pay shop prices.


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