1985 tri-z clutch cover keeps breaking! PLEASE HELP

[coxbros2]

Just purchased and basket case 85 tri z to restore. Engine is strong but the clutch side crankcase cover was welded and broke almost immediately. Restored the whole trike with $3500 invested to mint condition and bought a real nice clutch cover off ebay for $255. Well trike is in new condition now and runs perfect but two days after resto the cover broke again!..It starts on first kick usually and cant understand why this is happening. Gonna take it off and have it welded for now. Can anyone tell me what i can do to solve this problem??? Help is very very appreciated!!!! I am just miserable about it....
190513

[coxbros2]

Just bought anew cover from yamaha parts house for $209 shipped..Really need input on how to make sure this doesnt keep happening..I read that wrapping a t shirt around the right foot peg softens the blow when starting it..we will try that for sure..or just roll start the thing...

[fanof3not241]

Ive a similar problem. Just on the opposite side of the engine. There has been an oil leak from the shifter side of the case, at first I thought it was the seal by the sprocket. Then I looked a bit closer to see that the seal by the shifter was no good... No big deal. I changed that seal. I refilled with the belray and went to take it for a spin. When I came back, I noticed more oil, but not from the seal..... I started rubbing my finger across the case to find an edge on the side of the case. What could have caused this to happen?... Has any one else had it happen?... Help

[muthey]

another thing you can do about the clutch cover is exchange your kick starter over to a Honda 250 sx kicker which is what mine has. with the way it was heat bent and the position I have it in I never hit bottom when kicking, this might save your cover.you will have to bend the sx kicker to make it work properly but the sx one is way cheaper than an oem yammi kicker. on the shifter cover many number of things could have caused that but the most common would be a rock hit it or the chain snapped at one point. for just a minor crack I recommend a decnt weld job which involves grinding a groove into the crack and filling it with aluminum weld or and I hate to say it fill it with jb weld, both I have seen done with good results. make sure you make a groove slightly longer than the length of the crack as it allows the weld to have a solid berth to start with.

[YTZ drew]

I asked an ex-racer who also welds aluminum to help me with my clutch cover issue. He recommended heli-coiling all the case holes to ensure perfect threads, using allen bolts with washers on the clutch cover, a paper gasket only, with no sealer, loctite and TORQUE all the clutch cover bolts to ensure even clamping to the case, and careful kicking. It's a known issue with Tri-Z's, mine was broken so badly when i bought it that it couldn't be welded, so I bought a NOS cover. I have not had the bike fully together yet, so I can't report on the results.

[Xowner]

Are all your dowel pins in the case and the small kicker case? Are you installing the one bolt under the small cover on the clutch cover?