TOPIC:

Yes, cut a sliver and use it like welding rod.
Steve

swest wrote: Yes, cut a sliver and use it like welding rod.
Steve

I'll try it with the tool below that aquaholic suggested... , unless someone suggests an alternative tool that would work better for this application.

www.harborfreight.com/80-watt-iron-plast...lding-kit-60662.html

This is the one I saw people talking about. $50 Requires an air compressor. Acts more like a welder than a soldering iron.
www.harborfreight.com/plastic-welding-ki...mperature-96464.html
There are a decent number of reviews so you can see what types of problems people had with it, and to get a better idea if it's what you need.

But if there is enough scrap to play with, I would probably try the $17 first.

Can you not just use a soldering iron?

davido wrote: Can you not just use a soldering iron?

Yes you can. Its kinda like TIG welding . I learned how to do it 35 years ago on plastic wheel housings on damaged cars.
And yes you can use Steves idea of making your own rod with extra material of the same plastic.
I did a demonstration for a bunch of insurance car adjusters to prove the concept so shops could be paid to fix cracked wheel housings instead of always replacing the part. I used a soldering iron and also a dedicated plastic welder which used a soldering iron head and a hot air gun combined into one unit.
DaveB)

I just used this plastic welder to repair a polyethylene eye wash station that had developed a crack. It's been holding fifteen gallons of water now for three weeks. I believe our air boxes are also polyethylene. I don't remember perzactly but it wasn't very expensive but then what can I say, I'm a fool for tools!
Bill

That plastic welder is one that I recommend over the $17 one from HF. I couldn't afford that one when I was doing mine so HF it was. How much was that (if you don't mind me asking) ? jon
PS: The adjustable temperature is a great feature !!

Urethane Supply is now Polyvance...same phone number.
Not sure if they offer the same kit, but...

This one is similar:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IEX6NME/ref...kId=GBOF3Y2WVSBECNKB

I was considering this:
www.austinkayak.com/products/1587/KC-Wel...jysdICFUMdgQodbygDsQ

Or this:
www.austinkayak.com/products/19701/KC-We..._2sdICFVM8gQod8sAEHA


...any thoughts on what I'm doing with the air box?

Brilliant Dumb idea...I know.
Used an antique electric cattle prod looking soldering iron (thanks davido), which worked great for my first time ever attempting to fuse plastic (thanks SWest) together. It worked even better the second time, re-fusing it 3/4" narrower in order to clear the gas tank.

It seems to work:


Snorkel cover removed:


A trick gutting out the interior:


Side by side comparison, as-built:

The new 50mm stacks open just inside, so I can stuff most of the filter material in there too. To install them, the stacks/filters were passed through the openings and attached to the carbs from inside the air box, since there is not enough space on the carb side to fit them.
Utilizing the original crankcase breather hose attachment on the air box, the engine once again vacuums away those intolerable-nauseous fumes!
The reworked air box works much better than I imagined. The engine definitely feels constrained with the intake snorkel-cover installed. Without it, the engine feels like it breathes easier, and the power seems to come on stronger.

Try soaking some slivers of the extra plastic in a sealed jar of acetone overnight...you should wind up with a ball of putty that you can use as a "glue" I used a cheap black plastic (abs, I think) putty knife sliced up in acetone to repair a side cover post....kinda lumpy, but it's on the back side, so no biggie...There is also a process that vibrates parts together at high speeds to effect a weld...Your average snap on mug with the girlie pix inside was welded together in that way...dunno if that could be applied in this case or not...Good luck!