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Small Crack

1425 Views 10 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  MyFutureSelfnMe, 
M
So, as the title mentions, I have a small crack in my rear clam behind the wheel, close to the bottom. I know that the correct fix for this is to take it to the body shop and have the entire clam repainted, yadda, yadda. I hate to do that for a crack of this size though. It's only a couple inches long, tops, and not really visible unless you're looking for it.

Does anyone know if I can just pull the crack open, fill in the void with resin, clamp it together and let it dry? Do I need to drill the end of the crack to keep it from spreading? I'd feel really stupid spending 5 grand on this.

Thanks!

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E_Swift
I would drill the end of the crack to terminate it and prevent any further propagation.

Adding filler or adhesive at this point won't really help - may even make a legitimate repair down the road a little harder.

Are those scratches a few inches above and below the obvious crack, or are they surface spidercracks? Guess it could also just be dirt tracks...
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E_Swift
You could probably go smaller, but I would say about 3/16". The problem is that unless the crack is normal to your panel surface (usually isn't with composites) you don't necessarily see the end of the crack from the front side. It has likely extended further on the back side. So best case, drill from the back with a 1/16 or smaller, and know you're truly nailed the end of the crack. Or go from the front - here, though, the conservative approach would be to drill larger.

The problem with doing a layup on the back side: First, there is a coating on the stock clam that prevents a good bond unless it has been abraded off. Ask me how I know. I guess the worst that could happen is that it just pops off... If you go for it, a wire brush or surfacer pad chucked into your drill will be your best friend.

I would recommend the "pull the joint apart and fill the crack with epoxy" approach before trying to do a layup, unless you can get good access to the back surface. Doubt you will get comfortable access with the clam still on the car.
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E_Swift
Drilling alone should stop the spread. I guess using adhesive in the joint couldn't be that bad, especially if the crack is clean and you can still close it fully.

I do think that using just the adhesive in the joint without drilling is a risk for additional cracking...

If I remember the back of the clam correctly, that crack has already extended past the thicker section around the wheel arch lip, and could be fairly vulnerable.
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E_Swift
Ah, good ol' Duplicolor.

Let us know how it turns out! Or better yet - show us when you're done.

I find it reassuring to learn that some Elise owners are actually content to go about their lives, with full knowledge that their clams aren't 100% perfect.

Some days I can get quite the opposite impression on this forum!

Cheers-
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