# Repairing a plastic chute.



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

I have a plastic chute on an older Snapper that is cracked at the base flange. 

I am not sure what type of plastic it is. I am considering various ways to repair it.

1. epoxy. I am not sure how well it will hold up in cold temps and under the stresses it may see. Also it may look messy.
2. bolt on angle brackets. It may be hard to attach to the base with a bolt and nut.
3. Weld. This seems like the cleanest answer it if it made from a thermoplastic that is safely welded. Again, I don't know what the material is so it may not be possible.

Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks.


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

I now keep a stash of superglue and baking soda b/c of this video.


----------



## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

I'd try to 'weld' it and place some small wires in a cross section (inside the weld) to help hold it better.


----------



## Bob E (Jun 9, 2014)

I've had pretty good luck welding plastic.


----------



## JnC (Feb 21, 2014)

My recommendation would be to use the method shown in the video below, it shows how to fix a cracked car bumper. Same method should work well for the chute as the chute plastic is somewhat flexible. I used the method below to fix my accord's bumper and it worked flawlessly and 6 months later its still holding real strong.


----------



## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

> Weld. This seems like the cleanest answer it if it made from a thermoplastic that is safely welded. Again, I don't know what the material is so it may not be possible.


Just about all flexible plastic can be safely welded by heating it. [In a well ventilated area of course.]


I repair plastic snowmobile hoods that have been cracked by using an airless plastic welder. I draw the cracks together with tape on the outside just like the guy in the video above. On the inside, I cut a strip of stainless steel screen 2" wide and and a little longer than the crack. [The drywall tape in the video is a good idea but why didn't he cover the entire area of the tape and get a true reinforcement?] Using my pencil type welder I heat the screen til I can force the screen into the melted surface of the plastic. It takes some time and patience but if you work carefully and have held the two sides tightly you will barely see the crack from the outside. I force the entire screen repair below the surface and smooth it with the foot of the tool. The screen is much much stronger than any epoxy type repair I have ever used. This type of repair can be done with a Weller style soldering gun too, although it won't leave as smooth a surface as the welder does.


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

That YouTube bumper crack repair was pretty good. A new cover even aftermarket would cost about $500. installed. Some body shops are now using plastic staple welders to fix these cracked bumper covers they do an excellent job but are pricey.


----------



## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

I don't know if this will work for you or not but I've used it on some car dash parts that were broken or cracked with good results:
Fiberglass, Plastic Repair


I found in my case to v groove the spot or fill it from behind with tape or some material. Put the powder in and soak it with the solvent. I used it to make some missing tabs and repair some cracks on my Corvette and they came out pretty good. The idea of incorporating some reinforcement is good too.


----------



## LMHmedchem (Feb 5, 2014)

When my craftsman plastic chute ripped out at one of the holes for the mounting screws I repaired it by folding a piece of steel flashing over the area and securing it with pop rivets on either side of the hole. Then I drilled a new hole through the steel for the mounting screw. It didn't exactly look fantastic but it did work. Plastic that is subjected to wear like those holes are should have been reinforced in the first place, but then they couldn't stick us for ridiculous replacement part costs long before replacements should be necessary.

Unless the rig is quite old and you don't plan on keeping it for long I would consider a repair that will reinforce the original issue so you don't end up having to fix it every few years.

*LMHmedchem*


----------



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

Good point LMHmedchem!


----------

