1 Calling you Engineers Sun Apr 21, 2013 1:18 pm
ibjman
Life time member
1985 K100rs.
The "plastic" material that the side covers and the front radiator shell are made of is a somewhat soft almost "rubbery material that seems to be quite flexible. It is black or very dark grey, almost "soft" to the touch and roughs up easily with sandpaper.
I have had only limited success repairing this stuff. I have found 1 fact for sure: Fiberglass just doesn't stick to it at all.
I have had limited success in rebuilding 1 tab that was broken off a side cover. Tonight when preparing a used radiator shell for repaint a break was found in the thin area adjacent to the air intake grill. After severely roughing it up with 60 G sandpaper a fiberglass repair was affected. After the glass set, I found that the entire piece of fiberglass peeled off the base material cleanly. just doesn't stick.
The tab rebuild I did was done with plasti-fix and I'm reasonably happy with it.
I have just applied a "plasti-fix" repair to the broken radiator shell, reinforced with a piece of fiberglass tabe embedded in it.
Question: Can anyone tell me what exactly this rubbery black construction material is? Please don't answer unless you are SURE you know what the material is.
I have consulted several times with the plasti-fix manufacturer and they insist that it is not "Urethane" and that the powder/liquid plasti-fix kit is the proper item to fix this.
http://www.urethanesupply.com/PlastiFix/
I'm still not sure heat welding would not be more appropriate.
I'm sure someone here has tested this stuff and has the correct answer.
The "plastic" material that the side covers and the front radiator shell are made of is a somewhat soft almost "rubbery material that seems to be quite flexible. It is black or very dark grey, almost "soft" to the touch and roughs up easily with sandpaper.
I have had only limited success repairing this stuff. I have found 1 fact for sure: Fiberglass just doesn't stick to it at all.
I have had limited success in rebuilding 1 tab that was broken off a side cover. Tonight when preparing a used radiator shell for repaint a break was found in the thin area adjacent to the air intake grill. After severely roughing it up with 60 G sandpaper a fiberglass repair was affected. After the glass set, I found that the entire piece of fiberglass peeled off the base material cleanly. just doesn't stick.
The tab rebuild I did was done with plasti-fix and I'm reasonably happy with it.
I have just applied a "plasti-fix" repair to the broken radiator shell, reinforced with a piece of fiberglass tabe embedded in it.
Question: Can anyone tell me what exactly this rubbery black construction material is? Please don't answer unless you are SURE you know what the material is.
I have consulted several times with the plasti-fix manufacturer and they insist that it is not "Urethane" and that the powder/liquid plasti-fix kit is the proper item to fix this.
http://www.urethanesupply.com/PlastiFix/
I'm still not sure heat welding would not be more appropriate.
I'm sure someone here has tested this stuff and has the correct answer.