How to Make Rubber Soft Again

bapmia · Jan 12, 2014

I wanted to share a easy method I recently used for restoring one of the hardened rubber intake hoses/ducts on my FJ62. These hoses, as many of you know, harden and crack over time. On my truck, the hose that attaches to the throttle torso was desperately cracked, so I replaced it with a new one courtesy of beno (even with his generous disbelieve, the price is ridiculous for what it is). Nevertheless, the other hose (the ane that attaches to the MAF), is NLA. Mine was in perfect shape with no cracks, but it was difficult as a rock. Information technology was only a matter of time before it failed.

So, I started doing some research on whether it was possible to re-soften hardened rubber. It turns out an erstwhile fob is to eddy the hardened rubber part in a mixture of water and natural wintergreen oil. I'll spare you the chemical explanation, but apparently there is a chemic compound (methyl salicylate) found in wintergreen oil that restores the elastomeric backdrop of condom. When you boil the hardened rubber office, the rubber opens upwardly so to speak, absorbs the chemical compound and re-softens.

Subsequently reading reports of success all over the internet, I decided to requite it try. I bought 8 oz. of wintergreen oil on ebay for $eleven.00. I filled a big pasta pot with water, poured one-half of the bottle in, and brought information technology up to a gentle boil. I then tied the hose to a bbq skewer that I placed over the peak of the pot so that the hose would hang in the h2o rather than rest on the bottom of the pot (I wasn't certain if this step was necessary, but I was concerned that the hose might cook if information technology sat on the bottom of the pan). Turn on your frazzle fan unless you want the whole house to smell similar wintergreen chewing gum/tobacco.

Later 45 minutes at a gentle simmer, I took the hose out and rinsed it in dish soap and water. The results are only amazing!! The hose is literally like new--soft and pliable, more than so than the new hose I bought from beno. Total cost $eleven plus, as an added bonus, it smells wintergreen fresh. Can't guarantee what the long term results are, but I've read many positive reports on the internet of parts remaining soft for a long fourth dimension.

Hope this helps.

Michael Hanson

Hi, Thanks I'll attempt it. Mike

cruiserpilot · And so how much would I need for a 38.5/14.5X15 TSL/SX! LOL!!

And so how much would I need for a 38.5/14.5X15 TSL/SX! LOL!!

cruisermatt

Merely don't eat it, although it smells good, wintergreen oil will literally kill you, it's highly toxic.

cruiserpilot

^^that is kind of good to know!

SteveH

Permit united states know if the hose is still pliable in 3-half-dozen months. Thanks for describing what you did!

nfranco · Jan 12, 2014

Last words of Socrates?

A friend of mine used wintergreen on some carb boots on a 70s Honda, said they were still practiced a year after.
I'd imagine our under hood is a bit more of a hostile surroundings though.

Cruzerman

I'd exist interested in the long term results. Also, I'm surprised your still alive after your wife found out y'all were boiling rubber hoses with poison in her pasta pot.

Fj moneypit

Terminal words of Socrates?
A friend of mine used wintergreen on some carb boots on a 70s Honda, said they were still skilful a year later.
I'd imagine our nether hood is a fleck more of a hostile environment though.

You must have watched real genius too! Lol. I retrieve it was " In the immortal words of Socrates."

bapmia

I'd be interested in the long term results. Also, I'grand surprised your still live after your wife found out y'all were boiling rubber hoses with poison in her pasta pot.

Luckily I'm the cook in the house so it's my pot! She actually commented on how good the house smelled LOL!

Spike Strip

Aspirin is made from the stuff - and then non simply will it soften the condom, but it won't get a headache!

ashack2004

Awesome thread thank you for sharing I volition diff endeavour this and let everyone know how it works.

ntsqd

Interesting method/process.

Had to go await it upward:

Xxx ml (about 1 fl oz) of oil of wintergreen is equivalent to 55.seven g of aspirin, or virtually 171 adult aspirin tablets (U.s.a.). This conversion illustrates the potency and potential toxicity of oil of wintergreen fifty-fifty in minor quantities. Illiteracy may exist a common factor in accidental overdoses and ingestions in adults.

Spook50

s*** now all nosotros take to find is a way to do this with interior vinyl....

cruisermatt

It's could piece of work double duty as air freshener on interior parts

Dieseler

Just a thought would this work on the window felts since they seem to turn stone hard with age and bind up the window drinking glass from sliding smoothly.

Any takers on trying this out.

ntsqd

Occurs to me, will a bottle of basis-up aspirins as well work?

Spike Strip

Occurs to me, will a bottle of footing-up aspirins besides piece of work?

I doubt it. Aspirin is (or was originally) a past-product of some 150 year onetime chemic procedure (I forget) that used oil of wintergreen equally its main compound. They used to pile upwardly giant mounds of white powder outside the factory, and someone forth the line discovered the analgesic properties of it - prolly when Women started to enter the workforce. :grinpimp:

Then at that place's prolly something else, additionally, in the oil that rejuvenates the rubber, if it actually works.

Shor Pase1943

How to Make Rubber Soft Again

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