Ag02M5

Cross post with 964 turbo usual home. Thought some racers might have ideas.

I just got a new kevlar front chin splitter.

Assclown barely wrapped it with bubble wrap even after I told him to take extra care.

What do you know, it arrived in two. I don't know if you can even buy it anymore.

Question is, anyone heard of repairing kevlar. I imagine it is similar to fiberglass or maybe carbon.

Thoughts, suggestions, or capable party recommendations are all appreciated.

Thanks.

RT

stownsen914

Working wth kevlar is very similar to working with fiberglass or carbon. Kevlar itself is a pain to cut (you need good, sharp shears), but otherwise is not difficult to work with. If you are thinking of fixing it yourself, you can get the supplies at aircraftspruce.com, a home-built aircraft supplier. Good luck.

RedlineMan

Hey;

Carbon and Kevlar are not any different in terms of handling them (other than previous mention), repairwise, but the results are never as good as with good old fiberglas, in my experience. The materials themselves, and the difference between glas resin and epoxy resin used with C/K, have a different nature. They just don't bond to themsevles as well as fiberglas. My guess is that it's because epoxy is far more "inert" in a hardened state, and will not offer as deep a bond.

That piece will need some pretty good reinforcing to be worth anything at all. So much for the weight advantage. And I don't suppose there's any way to get your money back?

chrisp

I would bond some sort of sheet material (aluminum, Ti, or pre-made carbon) to the underside to give you a starting point and then lay up over that.

Another angle is to drill and pin it together. This will keep from adding significant buildup to the exterior surfaces.

Or do both.

David K.

autosea

Question is, anyone heard of repairing kevlar. I imagine it is similar to fiberglass or maybe carbon.

Kevlar repairs like anything else. It helps to bury it in a laminate .

Thoughts, suggestions, or capable party recommendations are all appreciated.

This is a minimal repair. carbon uni's across break.
www.autosearacing.com

Ag02M5

Duct tape...at least post the black version!

I am getting my money back and plan to use some of those funds to repair it.

It does mount to the undertrays so at least there will be a bit of support.

Thanks for the replies.

RT

chrisp

From the pic you posted the part looks fiberglass. Kevlar doesn't like to crack and separate as cleanly as in your picture.

Ag02M5

I'm pretty sure it is kevlar. It has a few soft ragged threads at the break.

chrisp

Aaah, now that you show that side......

SundayDriver

That appears to be a carbon fiber/kevlar weave. You can buy that in a tape form and repair but it will not have the strength of the original. Work it like fiberglass. You really need to know if it is poly or epoxy resin - usually carbon/kevlar is epoxy. If you use the wrong one, it will not bond well. poly is sweet smelling when you sand it, as I recall. Fibre Glast should have what you need.

chris walrod

This is exactly what it is. If it is polyester based resin, I would be surprised. Kevlar itself doesnt bond well with just about anything. Kevlar, is, however, impact resistant much like f/g. It does help keep things intact upon impact unlike carbon.

Mike K.

My suggestion (if you have the time) is to glue it back together with epoxy and smooth out the repair with body filler. Cover it with a good coat of wax and make a mold. If they brake that easily you are going to need to replace them in the future.

Cory M

I've got a fiberglass 964 splitter for sale if you'd rather replace with a new part than fix that one. Hard to tell from your pics but mine looks to have a similar profile but a has better lip to mount to and has a much more robust cross-section so it wouldn't break like yours did. Send me an email if you're interested, muscatcory@yahoo.com

FlyingDog

You can make a few bucks and help out others at the same time.