Welding the mid pipe question

[Rampage]

Well I rode all day sunday, and after about 4 hours I decided to just take a quick look under the seat (I was way out on a island too). Found quite a bit of water in there. So I check my plugs and my carbon ring, and all that was good. So I thought maybe from all the chop and diving through waves is how it got in there. I decided to just run it and hope the bailers would get it back out. I rode for about 2 more hours and then decided to call it a day. Wife backed the trailer down and I rode the ski up and told her to pull out....never did that before without the strap on it, and never will I do it again because the ski fell off the back :banghead: no damage really the ride plate took the brunt of it. Anyway back on subject. Got home to flush the ski and one of those welded in plugs in my pipe broke, so now I know where the water was coming in. What metal is that? Can any welder weld it back up?

 

[Dr Honda]

It's aluminum. Any good weld shop should be able to fix you up.

What engine is this for? I have a couple 657/720 pipes at the shop.

 

[Rampage]

97 gtx 787 MOTOR

 

[Minnetonka4me]

I've got purple head pipes for $75 shipped, but yes you can have any aluminum welder do it.

 

[Rampage]

I've got purple head pipes for $75 shipped, but yes you can have any aluminum welder do it.

Yeah I will just have it welded. I have 2 pipes but the spare has the same problem LOL!!

 

[Rampage]

OK the welder wants 35.00 to start then 75.00 an hour after that...seems pricey to me...:rant:

 

[seadoosnipe]

JB Weld?

While welding is the best way to get the permanent fix, I used underwater (high strength) JB Weld to fix mine. That was on my 97 Challenger with the 787. That was 4 years ago and its still holding up. The trick is, super clean and grinded out and aluminum wire screen.

There isn't a ton of water pressure in the tuned pipe. That's why I decided to give it a try. I never expected it to hold up that long. But, my boat doesn't see rough water either. I ride on a river. So, if your tearin it up a lot, it might not handle the stresses.......

 

[Rampage]

soooo the JB quick that I got at home I should not try?

 

[Minnetonka4me]

At that price you might as well buy mine!!! LOL

If a guy cant get it done for less than $40 he either doesnt know what he is doing or he likes to gouge people.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Welded plugs?

soooo the JB quick that I got at home I should not try?

It's common for those plugs to develop aluminum oxide (rust) and give way. When the water moves through the pipe, the salts leach out of the water and cling to the pores in the metal. When you finish running for the day, its allowed to dry out. The oxygen in the air helps to accelerate the process. I can't tell you how many of these pipes have come in with that same problem. Worse, if you've got leaking around the plugs, then your metal thickness is thinning out on you. I've seen them leaking at the plugs, and in the passes that it makes on it's way to the heads.

If you go with a used one, it's best to make sure it's only been used in fresh water. If you buy used from the mid to late 90's, you could be buying into the same problem you've already got. It's best to fix what you have. This way, you already know what you've got.

I don't know about the standard JB... I used the extra strength. I'd have to look at the tube, but there is 3 or 4 different types now.:cheers:

 

[seadooya]

Mines got the regular jb-weld...going on 3rd season, and the last 2, i beat the crap outta it..(ski).

 

[Rampage]

OK I took my dremmel out and cleaned it all out. Now if I use the JB weld do I just fill the hole with it? I never knew that it was a passage inside there LOL. I have 2 of these pipes with the same hole on the same plug.

 

[Rampage]

Ok I live in florida and called 10 places and no body carries Marine Weld :banghead:

will the water weld work

http://www.jbweld.net/products/water.php

 

[Rampage]

I just went and got the JB water weld, and I also got some of that wire mesh for body work. Hope Im on the right path!! One more question, when I cut the mesh do I tuck the edges inside the hole or do I lay it over it?

 

[Dr Honda]

If you were closer to me... I'd weld it for ya.

That glue should work fine. Clean everything very well... and have at it.

 

[Rampage]

I got the JB Water Weld putty stuff, and cut out the wire mesh just a little bigger then the hole. I layed it over the hole then I covered it all with the putty....I let it set for awhile, then I layed another piece of wire mesh over that then used regular JB to top it all off.

 

[Rampage]

well we rode for about 4 hours and it held up fine.