Vitus repair: JB weld or Gorilla glue? or other
#1
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Vitus repair: JB weld or Gorilla glue? or other
Aluminum Vitus with downtube separating from the bottom bracket.
Jb weld or Gorilla glue?
I was also thinking of drilling and pinning it so that down tube cannot separate again.
Also the down tube shifter came off one side, again should I just glue it back on?
thanks!
Jb weld or Gorilla glue?
I was also thinking of drilling and pinning it so that down tube cannot separate again.
Also the down tube shifter came off one side, again should I just glue it back on?
thanks!
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I agree do it right or don't ride it.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
#5
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Not Gorilla glue. JB Weld is closer, but not the right material either, you really need some Aviation grade aluminum 2 part adhesive, in the epoxy family, but the mixing ratios of the high strength stuff are beyond JB Weld tech.
There are other things at play too, the joint must be super clean and of the right fit, too loose and it won't work for very long. I would go guywires or hang it. You might need a down tube.
There are other things at play too, the joint must be super clean and of the right fit, too loose and it won't work for very long. I would go guywires or hang it. You might need a down tube.
#7
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If it were mine and would otherwise be FUBAR, I'd use JB Weld. I've repaired farm implements that saw heavy use with it.
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#8
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Marine epoxies are also outstanding and designed to bind metals, fiberglass, composites, etc...
https://www.westsystem.com/ss/
edit aircraft too.
https://www.westsystem.com/ss/
edit aircraft too.
#9
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
IIRC, Havnoonian: https://hhracinggroup.com/ and Open Road Bicycles in Pasadena: https://www.pasadenaviews.com/day-102...-bicycle-shop/ know how to repair Vitus frames. Separation of the seat tube at the bottom bracket was common until they got their adhesives and processes worked out.
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#10
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If one joint is loose, all the joints are compromised.
If it were mine, I would take it completely apart with a heat gun, and build it back with JB Weld.
JB Weld is probably better than what they used originally, but you have to get the old glue cleaned out before you re-glue.
If you use the long-set JB Weld, you can heat it up with a blow dryer and it will flow a lot better than cold, but you have a shorter working time.
If it were mine, I would take it completely apart with a heat gun, and build it back with JB Weld.
JB Weld is probably better than what they used originally, but you have to get the old glue cleaned out before you re-glue.
If you use the long-set JB Weld, you can heat it up with a blow dryer and it will flow a lot better than cold, but you have a shorter working time.
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I remember speaking to Jock Boyer at the new york bike show back in the day, shortly after I got my Motobecane Prolight. He was riding a Vitus, too, and said that when the frames came undone, the mechanics just heated the joint up with a heat gun and shoved them together again.
#12
Stop reading my posts!
I remember speaking to Jock Boyer at the new york bike show back in the day, shortly after I got my Motobecane Prolight. He was riding a Vitus, too, and said that when the frames came undone, the mechanics just heated the joint up with a heat gun and shoved them together again.
Since I'm in a ranting mode, I just can't resist saying that I have never found Gorilla glue to be good for ANY repair, and I do a LOT of wood gluing. YRMV.
Last edited by unworthy1; 01-28-12 at 09:52 PM.
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By the way, No more Vitus decals are available fromGuywires.....
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I also have a vitus which needs a reglue. Its a carbone 3 and the reglue is by the rear derailleur so its not dangerous.
The previous owner had tried a re glue which has failed.
Looking for a way to mend it, but its at the bottom of the projects list.
The previous owner had tried a re glue which has failed.
Looking for a way to mend it, but its at the bottom of the projects list.
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Hearing all the time that "Aerospace" glues were used on these bonded frames, maybe there's another knowledge base and repair soruce available out there. Do some ultralight aircraft aluminum airframes similarly get glued together in some way into joint lugs?? Seems like that route might be worth checking out.
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#17
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
Hearing all the time that "Aerospace" glues were used on these bonded frames, maybe there's another knowledge base and repair source available out there. Do some ultralight aircraft aluminum airframes similarly get glued together in some way into joint lugs?? Seems like that route might be worth checking out.
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I'd give it a try. You can pick up good 2-part epoxy at any West Marine store, and if you were willing to wrap the joint in a layer of carbon fiber, you'd probably ADD strength.
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If they had used a filled epoxy like JB weld originally, none of these "aircraft epoxy" assembled frames would be failing now.
#20
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
Wrong. The reason epoxied joints fail on Vituses (Vitii?) is that the flex in the joint allows corrosion to happen in the epoxy/metal interface. Eventually the joint fails when there's not enough glued area to keep it stuck together.
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#22
Stop reading my posts!
I beg to differ-- epoxy loses almost all its strength at about 150-160* C. I've taken misglued wood joints with a heat gun, re-aligned and clamped correctly, and had excellent results. So no, it's not a thermoplastic-- but heat will work.
I'd give it a try. You can pick up good 2-part epoxy at any West Marine store, and if you were willing to wrap the joint in a layer of carbon fiber, you'd probably ADD strength.
I'd give it a try. You can pick up good 2-part epoxy at any West Marine store, and if you were willing to wrap the joint in a layer of carbon fiber, you'd probably ADD strength.
So, if 150-160C (that's around 300º+ for us in Fahrenheit-land) can melt it and it re-hardens...sounds just like a thermo-plastic resin to me. Or is there something else besides "melting" taking place?
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I had a vitus frame a while back that one of the seat stays separated on. I research repair and found a few people who repair vitus frames but in the end decided it wasn't worth the money since the frame didn't fit. I sold the frame as is with full disclosure to someone who wanted to try and do the repair them selves. Not sure how it went. The tricky thing with the repair was finding a glue/ epoxy that worked on aluminum to aluminum bonding. It all depends if you want to take the risk of repair your self and riding it.
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Wouldn't drilling and pinning each tube in its lug largely remove the risk of a sudden catastrophic failure? The tube can loosen if your epoxy repair fails, but it won't suddenly separate.
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As already mentioned, corrosion between the aluminum and the glue is what usually causes the bonded frame joints to fail. I suspect if the owners avoided putting away their bonded frame bikes wet, they can avoid these problems. Any time you see a sort of blackish stain or tendrils at the bonded joints, it can be suspected as corrosion and one should avoid buying such frames.
Chombi