So I finally managed to free my front engine mount. After 2 weeks of swearing and hammering and a... broken finger (Don't hit your finger with a 10 lb hammer). I managed to get it free. Lots of WD-40, MAPP gas and a grossly over-sized hammer did the trick eventually.
However, I only managed this by making 2 cuts in the mount with an angle grinder (See image)
(https://i.ibb.co/HTNcm89/IMG-0150.jpg)
The problem now is how to repair those cuts. I'm either thinking of getting some aluminium plate the same same thickness and using it as a packing, then just having it welded in place.
Or I could notch both of those cuts and have them filled with just the welding filler.
Which one do you think would be the better option as I don't want that mount to cave in on me and snap off when I tighten the mounting bolt.
If I understand the picture correctly, looks like the cuts are in the engine casing. Isn't that cast aluminum?
Can you weld cast aluminum?
If you just want to fill the gaps, I'd use Devcon Plastic Steel Putty. Or if you really don't care at all about structure, even JB weld can fill the gaps, although it can be tricky to get into adhere to aluminum.
Theres a machine shop in the city near me that does TIG, Just have to figure out what I want doing. I don't want use any sort of epoxy because it needs strength. If I left it like that and tightened the front mount I've got a feeling that it would stress those two outer sections and break them off. Would bend the frame while it's at it too.
Yes those slots have to be welded. I don't think even putting aluminium plate fillers in there would be good because it would be virtually impossible to get them pitting perfectly, and that's what it would need.
It needs a VERY solid fix as there's no strength in the frame there, and tightening the bolt could put lots of stress on the crankcase if it's not dead solid.
I've had engine cases welded, its a simple filler style job in this case. Just need a good welder.
Cool.
Buddha.