“Glue” for steel bracket

[Oily Rag]

The fuel filter bracket on my engine has two bolts, one of which has sheared. I’ve used a clamp to do the job, but thought a bit of epoxy, silicon or other gunge might help hold the face of the bracket to the engine. Any thoughts? (It’s painted steel to painted steel with a couple of square inches surface. )

 

[Metalicmike]

What ever you use I would remove the paint first.

 

[penberth3]

The fuel filter bracket on my engine has two bolts, one of which has sheared. I’ve used a clamp to do the job, but thought a bit of epoxy, silicon or other gunge might help hold the face of the bracket to the engine. Any thoughts? (It’s painted steel to painted steel with a couple of square inches surface. )

Don't even try, mend it properly.

 

[[199490]]

Don't even try, mend it properly.

Got to agree. To use an adhesive you would need to clean back to bare metal and, even then, these things are good in tension but terrible in shear, affected by heat, vibration. I assume you cant just replace the bolt as it has sheared off and left part of itself in the block? Time for the Easyouts

 

[Bouba]

The fuel filter bracket on my engine has two bolts, one of which has sheared. I’ve used a clamp to do the job, but thought a bit of epoxy, silicon or other gunge might help hold the face of the bracket to the engine. Any thoughts? (It’s painted steel to painted steel with a couple of square inches surface. )

Is it the bolt that’s sheared ?....if so, why can’t it be removed ?

 

[B27]

I'm assuming the sheared bolt is not accessible, in the side of the engine block?
Maybe move the filter?
Perhaps make a bracket that mounts to some part of the engine?
Change to a filter for a diesel car?

You don't want something letting go due to fatigue or glue failure when you least expect it.
Plumbing in a remote filter off-engine might be an answer.
The vibration will stress things mounted anywhere on the engine.
But maybe the filter is OK with just one bolt?

I've had great results with epoxy, but also some failures.
I feel you'll never get the join clean of diesel.

 

[zoidberg]

JBWeld.
Follow the instructions religiously.

 

[Graham_Wright]

JBWeld.
Follow the instructions religiously.

+1.

 

[Neeves]

As B27 mentions - simply make a new bracket and add a remote filter. You can make a new bracket from a piece of stainless steel plate, new filters (the whole assembly) are easy to source (Halfords or similar), you will probably need to extend the pipe work. But you should be able to use the existing bracket. Most marine Diesel engines have tapped holes for other devices (the engines are power units for a whole range of applications) use them or add your bracket to a bulkhead.

It will give you the opportunity to house the fuel filter maybe more conveniently.

Don't bother trying the remove the sheared bolt.

If you are lucky the cost will be longer pipe work, a bit of stainless plate, drilled and then bent in a vice to fit, 2 new bolts and nuts. You can make it in a couple of hours.

Easy

Jonathan

 

[Laysula]

What B27 says.

You can mount the filter anywhere in the engine bay, Probably will need to make up longer fuel lines. Don't bother trying to stick it, it will just fall off at an awkward moment.

 

[Refueler]

I'm for the replace with a remote mounted filter ....

If you can get the sheered bolt out - then of course you are back to original setup .

Gluing ? Basically heat proof plastic metal - but the vibration etc may lead to a short life of such ..

 

[Humblebee]

Another vote for replacing the whole shebang, as per posts 6 and 9.

 

[Oily Rag]

Many thanks all. The bracket and sheared bolt are on the side of the engine. There are two other small bolts also supporting the bracket, but lower down. Access virtually impossible. I have closed the gap with a small steel G clamp and it seems ok. I’d be happy to leave it there permanently. I just thought it would be even better if there was some adhesive as well. (I watched a joiner attach skirting boards without using nails - just silicon and it made me think.)
JBWeld was news to me, so thanks.

 

[andsarkit]

A hard epoxy will shear with the vibration and temperature cycling. If you get the surfaces really clean with carbide paper and a degreasing solvent you could use the adhesive Sikaflex. It cures slowly from the outside and could take a couple of weeks to cure right through. The slight flexibility will cope with the vibration. I have fixed sensors to the deck of a VLCC subject to breaking waves using Sikaflex and they lasted 2 years and were very difficult to remove at the end of the project.

The better option is probably as above to move the filter to a convenient accessible location.