Would you trust JBWeld to repair threads on a snowmobile tierod?

[WranglerX]

In 2007 I bought a car with a cracked aluminum oil pan for scrap value as the dealer's estimate to repair was over $3500.00 using new parts. My plan was to put a Chevy motor in it. I used some JBWeld as a temporary repair to determine if the motor was salvageable as it would be worth about $1000.00. It ran so well that I just keep driving it a dozen years later. Best $400.00 car I ever bought.

BUT there is not the stress on oil drain plug like there is on steering system.....

Dale

 

[aczlan]

If I may presume the OP's question is essentially answered..... since we're on JB weld, let me ask a different one.

I have a hydraulic flexwing mower. Inside each wing is an oil tank. I think they call them cooling tanks? The fluid is under pressure to the hydraulic pumps that turn the blades, and gets routed via hoses, to one end of these tanks, out the other end to another pump, out of pump into tank....and so on.

There is ALSO a tank at the front of entire unit.

One of my wing tanks sprung a leak. Actually, it seems it ALREADY had the leak when I bought it but the seller jammed a screw into the hole so it wasn't readily visible. Took to friend to have fixed and I think he fears the metal is too thin to easily weld without having to cut a section and make it a much larger job.

So, we rerouted the path and now that specific tank is not used (and mower works fine though I don't like this current "fix")

Got me wondering about maybe grinding a flat spot on the hole and using some JB Weld to plug it up or, insert a screw in there and use JBW to help seal said screw....

I respect his concerns about cutting/welding on this (it's possible he just doesn't want to do it!!!) and I'm ok bypassing this tank.

So that said, what are thoughts on using JBW as a plug for this hydraulic tank? Hole is on side so it would be under the "water line" and constantly in contact with hydraulic fluid. (been nice if hole was on top but it's not)

Can you access the tank from the inside? If not, I would lean towards emptying the tank, cleaning the outside with carburetor cleaner, acetone or something similar, then installing a larger screw with a steel washer, then either a rubber washer or a dab of good-quality gasket maker underneath the head to provide the seal.
If using gasket maker, you want to follow the directions, most want you to tighten the screw so that the gasket maker just starts to squeeze out from around the screw, then let it sit for a couple hours to harden and tighten it down the rest of the way.

Aaron Z

 

[k0ua]

I would not use the JB weld on the tie rod. I would try the oil tank JB weld fix. I JB welded a lawn mower transmission back together after a broken gear tooth pushed out a hole in it and the fluid drained out. It held and worked for as long as we had the mower Which was a year or two. As others have pointed out, you don't have a lot to lose on the oil tank repair, but the tie rod, eh, I would never trust it.

 

[/pine]

FWIW...There are a lot of other formulations of metal repairing epoxies...JBW makes a few different types for more specific jobs...the typical JB Weld is a general purpose formula...The box stores usually carry a good selection of specific purpose metal repairing epoxies etc..

 

[Jstpssng]

FWIW...There are a lot of other formulations of metal repairing epoxies...JBW makes a few different types for more specific jobs...the typical JB Weld is a general purpose formula...The box stores usually carry a good selection of specific purpose metal repairing epoxies etc..

Good point. For non critical applications when you have nothing to lose I will use JBWeld. As some of the posters above have pointed out, it can last a long time.
Heading out across a field at 45 mph though, I want to know that things aren't going to come undone.

At the risk of hijacking my own thread, I was reading recently about the street racing scene on Muholland Drive during the '80s. One of the legends, Charlie Woit, apparently died when the front end failed on his Corvette. I don't need to go that way on an old snowsled.

 

[goeduck]

Oil pan = yes
Tie rod = no (Remember 50 MPH)

Just my :2cents:

 

[airbiscuit]

Buy a new part
Weld a nut or coupler on
Drill it out and tap a larger size (metric or standard

Don't you go faster than 50mph on a snowmobile?

All that said, we bought a 440SST Sno Jet that broke a tie rod in the bush. They tied a stick onto it to get home (doubt they went 50 mph though)

 

[Oaktree]

Got me wondering about maybe grinding a flat spot on the hole and using some JB Weld to plug it up or, insert a screw in there and use JBW to help seal said screw....

I respect his concerns about cutting/welding on this (it's possible he just doesn't want to do it!!!) and I'm ok bypassing this tank.

So that said, what are thoughts on using JBW as a plug for this hydraulic tank? Hole is on side so it would be under the "water line" and constantly in contact with hydraulic fluid. (been nice if hole was on top but it's not)

I used JBW to repair a rust hole in the radiator of a genset a few years back. Held up fine until the rust spread to the point where we needed to get it fixed right, so you should be fine with your tank.

Tie rod end on a snowmobile? I don't think so.