jls, it's not rocket science to plug a crack, even around the entire ball. I have done cracks that have reached halfway around the ball and while I did have to plug in a few stages, it took a week tops from start to finish.
The real question is, is it worth the effort? I am curious as to why he felt the need to use a drill bit along the entire crack too as I have had them work fine just letting plug seep into the existing crack.