Goldstar/RGS tank badge problems

[sprint]

So far I have got through 3 badges. In all cases I have use the curved spring steel clip and only 'nipped' up the nuts with some loctite.

But it seems that as soon as you put any tension on the tongue, either but trying to get it into the tank slot or you have fitted and then they just crack and fall off.

They have all been manufactured by Wasslle and they all look to have had the hole counterbored far too deep and as a result there is simply not enough material left?

Are there any better ones out there that have not had the holes conterbored so deep or any suggestions of how to fit these without breaking them? (Don't want to go the 'stick it on with silicon' unless there really is no alternative?

[muskrat]

G'day sprint.
I'd encase the screw head in the badge with Araldite.
Big W strikes again!
Cheers

[a101960]

I do sympathise. I too have had this problem, and for what they are, those badges are very, very expensive. Strangely enough I found that this problem only occurred at the front hole on the nearside (drive side) of the tank. I can offer no logical explanation why this should have been so. I know that that this will be of no consolation to you, but it seems to be a well known and common problem. This particular problem has been raised several times on the BirtBike web site. My own solution was to reinforce the material surrounding the hole with some carefully applied body filler in order to give it a bit more strength, and to help spread the load. I have had no reoccurrence of this annoying problem since I did this. I would guess that Araldite or something similar would do the same job. The main advantage of body filler is that unlike Araldite, body filler sets very quickly, and is easier to apply. If you look closely at the back of the badge the first thing that you will notice is that the surface behind the two screw holes is not flat. And this in my opinion is what causes or at least contributes to the problem that you describe. The clip is quite springy, which I suppose it needs to be to hold the badge firmly against the tank. The curved surface on the back of the screw holes combined with the springy nature of the clip generates tension. Obviously it does not help that the hole itself is countersunk, and this an obvious Achilles heel that compromises the strength of the plastic in this area. The plastic that is used has no real built in elasticity, it is quite thin, inflexible, and brittle. The design and materials used on these badges is far from ideal, and we should not have to resort to devising methods of over coming these basic inherent flaws. The most annoying thing is, that these badges as you well know, cost about £30 per pair or more plus p&p. So, as happened it my case if one badge fails you have no choice other than to  buy another pair because you cannot buy just one badge. You can see how much of a problem this is click the link below.
http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=514740

John

[bsa-bill]

yep I've had this before and brought it up maybe five or six weeks ago, lots of helpful ideas but aint had the time to try anything as yet.
Wondering if filling the screw hole up a bit with clear epoxy stuff (used to be able to buy kits of the stuff years ago for making paper weights with some unfortunate moth or butterfly embedded in it)
John the sellers are doing you a favour selling in pairs, that way you have a spare when the first one gives up the ghost

[a101960]

 

John the sellers are doing you a favour selling in pairs, that way you have a spare when the first one gives up the ghost

Bill, that is a brilliant bit of Del Boy sales patter. Trigger would be well impressed by that!

[bsa-bill]

Oh I knew Trigger very well, sold him stacks of broom handles and heads over the years

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
A similar thread is going on in the Goldie section of  Britbike Forum
some solutions offered there, mostly abandon the clips and use adhesive
http://www.britbike.com/forum/

HTH
John

[Butch (cb)]

Yeah - I have a pair in black. One with a crack.

[wilko]

Just use clear silicone.

[duTch]

 I don't have plastic badges (or even badges-keeps 'em guessing) but I just remembered that I think I used silicon to stick one on the Gutzzi tank as the other method was rusted (?) away...
 thing is you need to be careful not to overfill the fuel and then park on the sidestand......or similar..

[sprint]

After loosing two sets of badges (and not wanting to stick them on) I was apprehensive or tying to fit any more to the newly painted tank.

However, the following seems to have worked.

Firstly I took a bit of tension out of the retaining tongue by bending it back a bit, very often just by stretching the tongue into the retaining slot on the tank has been enough to break the plastic badge.

Araldite the nuts to the back of the clips and let it cure.

Then when cured push the screws through the badges and then only screw into the nuts by a couple of threads that then leaves the whole bracket loose. On one that was enough free play to be able the slot the tongue into the tank slot and on the other it only required a modest lift with a screwdriver to get the tongue into the slot. Once in it was just a case of gently tightening the screws and positioning the badges and not a single crack.

[Sakura]

Researched this because I've had several badges break. Thinking about it, how about using a modern glue/silicon such as Tek7 applied to the front of the clip, use the screws to align the clip and fix together. Slacken screws and refit with Loctite with just enough pressure to keep in place. Make sure clip has just enough tension to keep in place. I can't see the badge coming off even if the clip is quite loose, the circular recess in the tank would keep it in place. It might rotate a little but that easily rectified.

[jhg1958]

Did A65s have a rubber backing to the badges?  If so could this be a cure to cracked and lost tank badges?

John

[BSA_54A10]

Did A65s have a rubber backing to the badges?  If so could this be a cure to cracked and lost tank badges?

John

The rubber replaced the spring clip to isolatethe badge from vibrations.
these were bolted directly to the tank.

[Joolstacho]

In My Humble Opinion! ...If you can't figure out a solution to this simple problem... Why are you even on here? You should be just getting a professional to do the job, or have the 'gumption' (practical intelligence) to sort out a good fix. Really it's pretty easy stuff ain't it ?!. Common sense FGS.