My 2001 Yanmar VIO40 (I think it is a -3 model, it is a grey market machine) was down for a busted hydraulic line and bad luck would have it that a tree fell down right onto the blade....or so initially thought. It hit the engine cover and busted it all up. This would be a million dollars to even get from a dealer if they even had the part, what's some of the best places to look for old parts? I wasn't able to fully inspect the damage since storms were coming in and this is in a remote area but it doesn't look repairable, at least with my fiberglass skills.
If you're trying to make it look like it never happened, you will spend $$$. If you patch it from the inside with pop-riveted plates crossing the cracks, you can make it functional for $.
Good idea, didn't cross my mind to pop-rivet it.
I'd imagine a boat repair shop or fiberglass shop could repair it. Even a place that repairs Corvettes. Sure a big exhaust for a small machine.
It's all about presentation...
I was able to get to the machine today and look at the damage more. It is structurally sound in that it doesn't wobble or fall apart when lifting the lid. Lock and handle got wrecked though. I guess I'll pop rivet and seal it to keep the water out.
Compared to most body work, repairing fiberglass panels is easy. Especially if you are doing it for yourself and have a workshop and time on your hands. Don't try to do too much in one session. Fabricobble a wooden support cradle if necessary and start by bonding the big cracks together. Let it cure for a day then build up the reinforcing sections one day at a time. It doesn't have to look beautiful inside. Finish with filler/sanding/paint on the outside. I can't say I've looked but there will be a million videos on youtube on the subject. I quite enjoy it.
I've done fiberglass before and it's just not my cup of tea. Unfortunately I have no workshop where it is, the machine is out in the elements. I repaired the hydraulic line today and drove it out of the weeds and looked at the damage more and determined that I'm just gonna leave it. I reckon I use it about 50hrs a year and it doesn't move or shake when operating. Water ingress looks minimal.
Duct tape is your friend. d.d.
I couldn't stoop that low. Doing nothing is better than that. Then I gotta clean up all the sticky tape goop when it inevitably falls off after 3 weeks
Final rant. Many decisions lead me to parking the mini in this ill-fated spot. I was building up a berm on a rifle range when a bucket curl line blew. I decided to drive it away from the range so there was no chance it would be hit. I probably could have drove it back to the front but parked it here instead, out of harm's way. After all, the line was still leaking like a sieve despite no stick movement, probably residual draining down. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. This rotten tree fell westward, not normal for the normal westerly winds in the northern hemisphere. I suppose I got the ultimate satisfaction, tree has been sawed, split, and slowly burning away. But it's too hot to hang out by a fire right now. Still pissed. The end.
Tough luck. The good news is the ViO40-3 itself is a solid machine, but gray market Yanmar parts can be tricky to find, especially body panels like the engine cover. I’d start with used equipment dismantlers and salvage yards rather than a dealer. Places that part out mini excavators (like AMS Parts, ConEquip, etc.) are worth contacting with your serial number and photos. Many yards don’t list every small cover online. Also, get the exact part number from the parts manual before searching — ViO models can have differences between generations. Try searches like “Yanmar ViO40-3 engine hood” or “engine cover” rather than just the model number. Before replacing it, I’d inspect the hinges, mounts, and surrounding structure. If the damage is only to the fiberglass/composite cover, repairing the original may be much cheaper than finding a replacement. Good luck — hopefully it’s just cosmetic damage.
This speaks like a bot.
^^^What Cmark says above^^^ Looks like a pretty easy repair to me. Just get some fibreglass cloth/resin (3-4 layers) finish with short strand; Some sanding then paint. I like to use 2 part epoxy primer and polyurethane paint. I repaired our Komatsu PC28 in this way. I am no fibreglass expert (matter of fact it was my first go at it!) but it turned out really well. It is just not cost effective to try and find panels (if....they are even available) Good luck!
I like to think fibreglass gives you the best features of both woodworking and metalworking: Like woodworking, if you make a mistake it's easy to shave a bit off. Like metalworking, if you make a mistake it's easy to add a bit on.
There are many lakes in Pa.....any boat repair shops nearby ?
There are many lakes in Pa.....any boat repair shops nearby ?
There are many lakes in Pa.....any boat repair shops nearby ?
If you meticulously clean it with alcohol, you can buy 6” duct tape, of very good quality, off Amazon and if you use a primer like 3M primer 94 or some Silkens, it will not fall off.