The Hodaka Club Forum

Hey guys, does anyone have any experience welding cylinder fins back on that have broken off? I received a really nice model 93 cylinder in the mail a while back and when it arrived three fins were broken off. Not enough packing to protect it from the rough treatment packages get. I was wondering if brazing them back on would be good or using a cast iron welding rod. If anyone has done this before I would love to hear what you did and used. Probably either brazing or stick rod would be good. Just as long as they are done right. Thank you Gentlemen.

My only experience in welding cast iron was on a Chevy cylinder head and we had to get the head red hot. In the long run it was only marginally successful. This was 50 years ago and I'm pretty sure that things haven't changed that much over time. My best friend and son in law are both
first class welders and said it would be a waste of time with distortion of the barrel and getting the fins back where they belong. Can't you go back on the shipper (ups, fedex, us mail) ?

Doug

I did collect from the shipper but I still would like to fix this cylinder, its on original bore and after welding it could be bored 1st over to remove any distortion. Good cylinders are getting scarce and expensive. I know there are some good cast iron welding rods nowadays. I have used some myself. I just wanted to see if anyone else has done this and what method they used. I have always lived by the 7P's. "Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance" The fins will be easy to put back on as they are on the very top of the cylinder and are very accessable to be welded. I probably just need to read some literature concerning cast iron welding rods and select one to use and just try it, that's it.

Heat the cylinder and braise the fins back on.

Mike Perrett

I'm on board for the attempt to return the cylinder to service - rumor has it that the factory isn't making any more of 'em.

I'd lean toward the pre-heat and braze option. The joint isn't required to be "structural" . . .

Let us know how it turns out, OK?
Ed

Yes that's it! production on them ceased years ago, so I will give it a try. And yes they will have no load on them. Thank you Gentlemen

I have had some experience welding on large cast iron diesel water pumps at work.I never had any luck with the specialty cast welding rods.That might have been from not being able to pre and post heat correctly.

I ended up using regular old 7018 1/8 inch rod.The trick was welding just a little at a time and peening each bead with my chipping hammer to stress relief it.It had four or five foot long cracks in it and it,s still holding after five years of use.

I don,t know if it would work for that type of casting,but thought I,d through another option out there.

Good luck.

You must have a different riding style than me. Mine seem to experience force, strain, mud, sticks, rocks, etc. with some regularity. Mayhaps I should take a page from the Captain's playbook and "Keep the rubber side down".

. . . and "slow down. You'll go faster!" (Crashes are excruciatingly slow to recover from.)
Ed

Sage advice, my friend! It seems from time to time, whilst trying to win, I don't finish. Hmm...

I have had great success tig welding using silicon bronze rod many times without pre heating the whole cylinder , have fixed broken cylinder spigots also , you know the bottom part that goes into the cases . So if you cant find anyone to do that give me a call.

Rich

Re: riding stye and crashes. The old rule of thumb that "you aren't having enough fun if you don't fall down occasionally" doesn't seem as logical as it used to in younger years...

Amen! A lot pricier too - in every way!

. . . I'm one who never thought that old rule of thumb made any sense at all . . . (call me chicken, I'm OK with that)
Ed

............the older I get, the faster I was,,,,,,,,,...

I seem to fall more on my trials bike than my go fast bike.I do agree with Ed in that I have always really strived not to fall down.I just seem to lack the talent to keep that from happening now and then.