Aluminum motors are found in both cars and motorcycles. Although aluminum motors are a lot less susceptible to rusting or corrosion, they can crack easier than steel motors. Cracks in aluminum motors range from minor to severe, with some appearing as thin as a hair and others separating the motor into several pieces. Minor cracks can be repaired at home and other cracks are so deep they must be welded closed or the entire motor part has to be replaced.
Instructions
Locating the Crack
- 1
Remove the engine according to the manufacturers instructions and sit it hip height on a hard surface. If the crack is on the surface and does not cause a leak, you will not need to remove the entire motor.
2Blow dry the engine using a blow dryer on cool setting to remove any debris from the engine and the area that contains the crack.
3Spray a dye penetrant directly on the area that contains the crack. You will have to wipe away any excess dye. If you want a neater finish, brush on dye penetrant with a medium-sized paintbrush.
4Spray engine cleaner spray or aluminum cleaner spray onto a dry cloth. Remove all visible traces of the penetrant except what is apparent in the crack. The crack will be more visible after this stage.
5Spray developer on the cracked area of your aluminum engine. Use compressed air or a blow dryer on cool setting to dry the area completely.
6Inspect the crack after the area has been dried for more than one minute.
Pinning the Crack
- 7
Drill a hole at the beginning and ending of the crack. This will prevent the crack from spreading while working on it.
8Drill holes along the length of the crack at various intervals. Fill the crack using overlapping straight pins of tapered pins. Then peen the pins using an air hammer. This will seal the crack.
9Use an aluminum-friendly sealer to seal over the repaired area.
