The epoxy solution would definitely fall under the category of "bandaid solutions". There's a product in North America called J.B.Weld that is very popular for attempting such types of fixes and it is a metal-impregnated epoxy that can be "machined" to a certain extent once dry. I've talked to a few machinists in town here in Vancouver (Canada) and they do admit that it does have its uses. One machinist even mentioned that a Jaguar (?) technical service bulletin recommended a procedure using a similar product to fill any imperfections in the blocks of their engines when replacing head gaskets instead of removing them from the car to have them resurfaced at a machine shop. Toyota too supposedly does uses a similar method to resurface the blocks of their 3.0L V6s.
While this method might work in the above instances because the epoxy is sandwiched between metal and the head gasket itself, it's only purpose is as a gap filler. Your application would require that the epoxy hold back oil that is constantly under varying pressure. Naturally it would be better to try and make the repair from the "inside" so that the pressure forces the repair material "into" the crack, but you appear to have no choice but to try and repair it from the "outside". I suppose if you could somehow "back up" the repair with something else that is bolted or screwed to the case surrounding the crack, the repair material would act more like a gasket. That way, the pressure would be partially taken up by whatever was backing up the epoxy. My advice would be to prepare the area as best as possible prior to applying any sort of epoxy. Clean down to bare metal. Use different solvents to remove any backed-on crud. Finish up with some sort of isopropyl alcohol to remove any solvent residue. File or sand the metal down to new, white metal. Drill tiny holes into the metal surrounding the crack at different angles for the epoxy to penetrate into. Use non-quick-dry epoxy to give you the maximum working time before it starts to harden. Mix the two-part epoxy together to the "count of one hundred" to ensure a 100% thorough mix. Work the epoxy into the new "pores" that you created. Be meticulous. _______________________________________________ vintagvw site list [email protected] http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
