How to repair plastic bodywork on Kubota BX24

[motie]

The big piece that covers the rear tires has a small crack in it. The dealer thinks it is ABS, but he says ABS glue doesn't work on it, and nothing else works on it either. He says to use a solder gun to melt it and bond it together. Or a metal plate and rivets. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks

 

[kthompson]

There is a plastic piece on the very rear of my M6800. I am not sure on how to repair but I have replaced mine once. I would look at the crazy glue would be my suggestion. You may want to get a piece to back it up with and glue in place depending on the break.

 

[Trials]

Cheapest, strongest, easiest way to repair a plastic fender crack. Frankenstein zip-tie it:

We do it all the time with dirtbike fenders
btw, no real need to make the x pattern, the straight stitches work just as good.
To make it slightly more attractive, use zip-ties that are the same colour as the fender.

 

[Sprinklerman]

Try PVC cement

 

[CalG]

Cheapest, strongest, easiest way to repair a plastic fender crack. Frankenstein zip-tie it:

We do it all the time with dirtbike fenders
btw, no real need to make the x pattern, the straight stitches work just as good.
To make it slightly more attractive, use zip-ties that are the same colour as the fender.

Color matched zip ties make great "filler rod" if you try a thermal process. (I suggest a solder iron from the back) ;-))

 

[Tractor Seabee]

you can hot air torch weld it but you need to know what the material is as different plastics are not always compatible. HF has a decent kit that is inexpensive. Some time you can scavenge a piece of filler some somewhere else on the part.

Ron

 

[ray66v]

If it's ABS, (I doubt it), you can find out easily, because, it will soften with acetone, or lacquer thinner.

ABS is generally too brittle, for that application. And, the fact that ABS glue doesn't work, is a big hint it's not ABS.

My guess is, if it's somewhat flexible, and has is solid in color all the way through, it's polypropylene. That's very commonly used today.

Polypropylene is oily, and that makes it difficult to get a repair to adhere. I have a lot of experience doing this in the auto body repair business.

Probably, the best way for you to fix it, regardless of what type of plastic it is, would be to clean the underside, and then, rough up the underside up with some 40-80 grit paper. Then, pass a propane torch over it a few times, for a couple of seconds, to burn off the oil on the surface. Do not skip this step. You don't need to heat it up. Just show it the flame.

Then, glue it up with a fuel tank repair kit, from any local auto parts store. (About $15-$18.) These kits contain epoxy, and a piece of fiberglass cloth. follow the directions. and in about 30 minutes, you're good to go. The repair is flexible, and strong.

If you want to get some of the glue inside the crack, to make a better repair, you can. But, the glue is going to be grey in color, and that will make the repair more visible. Spread the crack when you pass the torch over it, to burn off the oil on those edges.

You can use some thinner, or acetone, to wash any glue off the top of the part before it hardens.

These fuel tank repair kits, are also great making permanent repairs on metal, and plastic, fuel tanks.

 

[DT86]

Cheapest, strongest, easiest way to repair a plastic fender crack. Frankenstein zip-tie it:

When you've got a repair like that people know you aren't afraid to hit sh*t and make a wide path.

 

[TripleR]

If it's ABS, (I doubt it), you can find out easily, because, it will soften with acetone, or lacquer thinner.

ABS is generally too brittle, for that application. And, the fact that ABS glue doesn't work, is a big hint it's not ABS.

My guess is, if it's somewhat flexible, and has is solid in color all the way through, it's polypropylene. That's very commonly used today.

Polypropylene is oily, and that makes it difficult to get a repair to adhere. I have a lot of experience doing this in the auto body repair business.

Probably, the best way for you to fix it, regardless of what type of plastic it is, would be to clean the underside, and then, rough up the underside up with some 40-80 grit paper. Then, pass a propane torch over it a few times, for a couple of seconds, to burn off the oil on the surface. Do not skip this step. You don't need to heat it up. Just show it the flame.

Then, glue it up with a fuel tank repair kit, from any local auto parts store. (About $15-$18.) These kits contain epoxy, and a piece of fiberglass cloth. follow the directions. and in about 30 minutes, you're good to go. The repair is flexible, and strong.

If you want to get some of the glue inside the crack, to make a better repair, you can. But, the glue is going to be grey in color, and that will make the repair more visible. Spread the crack when you pass the torch over it, to burn off the oil on those edges.

You can use some thinner, or acetone, to wash any glue off the top of the part before it hardens.

These fuel tank repair kits, are also great making permanent repairs on metal, and plastic, fuel tanks.

My brother used pretty much that method on the roof of my L5740, Kubota said it wouldn't work and I needed a new $1100 roof cap. He first used stitching somewhat like that mentioned by Trials to get it together and hold it. It looks nice and has lasted well.

 

[ray66v]

My brother used pretty much that method on the roof of my L5740, Kubota said it wouldn't work and I needed a new $1100 roof cap. He first used stitching somewhat like that mentioned by Trials to get it together and hold it. It looks nice and has lasted well.

When we repair things in the body shop, we glue the underside with epoxy, and fiberglass cloth. Then, V out the crack on the top side, and glue it with the epoxy, sand, prime it, and paint. No stitching necessary.

The glue we use, is pretty much the same stuff as in these fuel tank repair kits.

Way back when, I actually used the fuel tank repair kits for years, before they made materials for us to do these repairs with.

We have to be careful about the repairs we do, shrinking up in the sun. Whatever we use to "sew it up" would eventually show, due to expansion and contraction of unlike materials. If you are not worried about that, you could also glue sheet metal, to the underside, and put some pop rivets through it all.