any way to remove J-B weld?

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diymirage

diymirage

HP@idle > hondaHP@redline
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figured this would be the place to ask

I have a dirtbike I picked up for cheap and today I noticed the whole bottom of the cases was coated in J B weld
don't know how long it has been on there but ive had the bike for over a year and it must have been there before I ever got my hands on it so its pretty well dried

I don't know if the previous owner was trying to fix a hole or hide a leak or what but I would like to remove it to asses the situation

any option short of a die grinder ?
 
A heat gun will do it. If you have a setting close to 600 degrees or higher it should be able to scrape off. Some JB holds up better than others, but I know from personal experience all the JB kwik stuff comes off or starts melting before 600 degrees. The packaging says otherwise, but it does come off. Give it a shot.
 
I don't have a heat gun...but I have a propane heater
that ougta get up to about 600 degrees

jos51700 said:
If it ain't broke.....
Click to expand...


if it was a bike I intended to keep I would leave it alone but I actually have it for sale
actually, I sold it and the buyer was rather upset when he found out about it (and to be honest, I felt like a douche selling it like that and not even knowing it)
so I intend to figure out what is going on and see if it needs to get fixed right

(im hoping it was a feeble attempt to fix a countershaft leak, which I properly addressed when I got the bike)
 
diymirage said:
I don't have a heat gun...but I have a propane heater
that ougta get up to about 600 degrees




if it was a bike I intended to keep I would leave it alone but I actually have it for sale
actually, I sold it and the buyer was rather upset when he found out about it (and to be honest, I felt like a douche selling it like that and not even knowing it)
so I intend to figure out what is going on and see if it needs to get fixed right

(im hoping it was a feeble attempt to fix a countershaft leak, which I properly addressed when I got the bike)
Click to expand...

Bet the case is broke, better leave it alone if it ain`t leaking!
 
Its only a dirt bike dude tell him to walk away if he doesn't like it.. It worked for you for a year right?
 
tekslk said:
Its only a dirt bike dude tell him to walk away if he doesn't like it.. It worked for you for a year right?
Click to expand...

I agree, if it worked for a year and no problems,......why open up an expensive can of worms...case is probably cracked
 
tekslk said:
Its only a dirt bike dude tell him to walk away if he doesn't like it.. It worked for you for a year right?
Click to expand...

funny thing is, the guy had actually bought the bike and brought it home
I guess that is where he really looked it over well and found the J-B weld patch

I honestly didn't know about it so I told him he could bring it back if he wanted

im not out to screw anybody over

(I understand a deal is a deal, but I can see how this could have been seen as a case of me misrepresenting what I sold and I don't need that reputation)
 
That's pretty stand up of you to take it back,but what if he ruined something else on the bike while he had it.
I hate to be the Devil's Advocate. I'm just sayin.
 
Even if it's only a leak it's going to require splitting the cases to reseal it. I' m with the " if it ain't broke theory." Most would have smeared some yamabond or similar on it to cover a leak and not jb weld.
 
On dirtbikes it's somewhat common to crack a case from a rock flying up off the trail and hitting the underside. (happened to one of my riding friends not long ago)
If it has a skidplate on it, it could be a pretty big break since it has to cave the plate in first.
This would explain the large area covered by the JB.
Without a skidplate it could be anything from a small crack to a huge one, and in either case you will either end up repairing it again, or having to replace the case half.

Sometimes one can get it a case welded up if it doesn't interfere with bearing seats or shaft areas.

I guess what I am really saying is that it's a huge crap shoot until you are stuck with it, so it's a hard call to do something about it or not.
Personally, I wouldn't trust a bike with a repaired case unless it was welded and showed no other issue's because of it. (especially if it's a two stroke)

(I have been building and riding dirtbikes most of my life, if it matters)
 
Yea, whatever is under there is either going to be time consuming, expensive, or both.
leave it the hell alone & politely tell your buyer it is what it is. If you feel its appropriate
maybe work out a price adj. , otherwise take the bike back if he's not ok w/ that.
You didn't say what type of bike, modern/plentiful or older/vintage, so I guess that
could dictate your decision more. unfortunately, casing & flying debris is part & parcel
with any trail/MX bike that actually gets used as intended, so ........ Kudos for
not just telling him to scratch his sac, but you can only do so much now that your here.
Good luck!!
 
it is a 97 KDX 220 and I don't think it ever had a skid plate on it

they used the same case for the 200s and 220s from 96 till the end of run in 2006
so cases are still around, and can be had relatively cheap

splitting them and swapping the innards will be time consuming but not too bad


I guess my position is that I just don't want to be "that guy"
I understand I could just tell him he should have looked the bike over better before he bought it but I don't think that would be right


I guess the two options I have now are leaving the J-B weld alone (or yamabond or whatever it is) and selling it again, as is, clearly pointing out there is a patch of something underneath there
or removing the patch, seeing what is actually going on and fixing it the way I would want it fixed on a bike that is mine
 
I'd have a look as see what replacement cases are worth 1st then depending on the cost as you'll need gaskets as well consider if it's worth doing time wise it's only a 2-3 he job all depends what your selling for for.
 
I'm pretty sure those cases go all the way back to the '89 KDX200...
That said, I'd make him the buy back offer, then clean it all up and ACTUALLY assess the issue. That may just be a giant blob put on by a non mechanical type to "fix" a not too bad issue. You can always JB it back up if you don't want to go deep into it. They sold boatloads of those things between '89 and 2006, you should be able to buy a good set of cases (they ARE machined as a SET) cheap on FleaBay
In all honesty, JB can and DOES work miracles sometimes as long as your surfaces are well prepped.
 
I was told not to heat JB Weld (like weld near it) as it gives off a toxic gas when excessively heated.
 
I like the idea off tossing some goof-off on there and seeing what happens


I did allow the guy to bring the bike back
now if I could just find the time to work on it
 
A coarse wire wheel on a drill or angle grinder will strip it. It's ' machinable' so won't goo up like other epoxies.
 
dano said:
I was told not to heat JB Weld (like weld near it) as it gives off a toxic gas when excessively heated.
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention that in my previous post. Yes heat will remove it, but respirator at least... I have found that lighting it on fire is the best way to produce the gas that makes you throw up and have a coughing fit, but heat - not so bad.
 
From my luck with JB weld I found best way of removing is just to wait a few weeks, it will come off by itself. Never got it to work on anything I tried. MT
 
I am just wondering how anybody gets along without a heat gun. I have a Harbor Freight gun that was on sale for $12. It has worked great for several years, and I truly use it all the time.
 
harrisonm said:
I am just wondering how anybody gets along without a heat gun. I have a Harbor Freight gun that was on sale for $12. It has worked great for several years, and I truly use it all the time.
Click to expand...
hell yeah, I even reflowed my PS3s graphics board with it, heats up great..not a bad little small space heater too. you can almost press piston pins with their heat.
 
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