how to soften old inlet rubbers

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 8:44 am

mix wintergreen and rubbing alcohol in aprox 1:3 ratio - soak rubber in this for aprox 24hrs - job done
ok it will stink like school gym changing room but hayho, a small price to pay

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:16 am

I can attest, this works wonders on any old hardened rubber bits. No swelling either, if you use the 90% or higher concentration rubbing alcohol.

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:59 pm

What kind of wintergreen do you use?

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 1:08 pm

Wintergreen Oil, I ordered it on amazon I think...

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 1:14 pm

Thank you. Thats what i assumed.

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:05 pm

Rubbers are only 50 cents each and reusing them would seem unnecessary.

CB1100F Joined: May 13, 2005 Posts: 3217 Location: NE OHIO

thx113 wrote:

Rubbers are only 50 cents each and reusing them would seem unnecessary.

And sloppy Wink

Twinstar Joined: Sep 25, 2010 Posts: 240 Location: Vermont

Luckysox wrote:

thx113 wrote:

Rubbers are only 50 cents each and reusing them would seem unnecessary.

And sloppy Wink

and squishy... yuck.

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 4:03 am

Can you buy Wintergreen in the summer?

Chico

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 4:46 am

I remember when 'Stiff' and 'Rubbers' were desirable things.

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 6:57 pm

djf18374 wrote:

Wintergreen Oil, I ordered it on amazon I think...

Do you still have this bike and can you ballpark hoew long the rubber stays pliable?

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 9:47 pm

Yes, wintergreen oil will cause swelling and squishiness if you leave it on rubber or leave rubber in it too long. But if you're careful it can do wonders.

However, there is no free lunch. After the softening effect goes away, the rubber will eventually become harder and more brittle than it was before, and will crack even more. It's a chemical reaction that does it, not voodoo or magic. There is never something for nothing. BTW, I'm not a chemist, and have no idea what the addition of alcohol will do to it.

"Methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen or wintergreen oil) is an organic compound with the formula C8H8O3. It is the methyl ester of salicylic acid."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_salicylate

"When exposed to rubber, Methyl Salicylate can cause swelling and softening of the material, and can lead to embrittlement. Over time, this can cause a loss of physical properties, leading to product failure. Additionally, this compound can cause the rubber to become brittle and prone to cracking. There is also a risk of a loss of color, odor, and taste, which can be a major issue in certain applications."
https://www.marcorubber.com/chemical-compatibility/METHYL%20SALICYLATE

I'm into essential oils for health reasons, and I like really the smell of some of them. I like the smell of Frankincense and Myrrh oils for instance, like in the Bible, kind of reminiscent of a tamer kind of patchouli oil. Patchouli oil has some decent health benefits too, but the smell reminds me of the original hippies. Hmmm, patchouli tang BITD.

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2024 5:03 am

Thanks for the answer. I have a friend that just used it on some off-topic bike.

I bought new boots for my X when I had it worked on.

We were trying to find out how long the magic lasts before it wears off?

Hawk Joined: Jul 14, 2012 Posts: 413 Location: New Zealand

Im not going to try it.
Gene said it can lead to product failure plus colour odour and taste
I'll stick to blue pills

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2024 6:26 am

Ha!

"Give it to Mikey. He won't eat it, he hates everything. Hey Mikey!! He Likes It!!" (Old TV commercial here in about 1971 ran for 12 years, longest of any commercial on US Broadcast TV, up until now)

Hmm, well, thinking about it, the references I quoted and linked before were about unmodified methyl salicylate, without alcohol. I expect it's quite possible that the alcohol changes it so the reaction is different, especially at 1 part wintergreen to 3 parts rubbing alcohol. BTW, there is no consistent formula for "rubbing" alcohol, additives and strengths vary. Some may even have wintergreen in them!^* And as I said, I'm no chemist, I have no idea what chemically happens with or without the "rubbing" alcohol.

I've wondered about it before though. I have heard (read on the C site) a few times of people using wintergreen oil on carb insulators to soften them up. I never heard any follow ups to my recollection, so no complaints. Leads me to believe it worked out well enough.

That's what made me curious enough to look up that info when I saw this thread. I was pretty sure that would be the case, just from similar experiences with rubbers and solvents.

So, I'd probably try it at my own risk, anyway. No guarantees though.

^* https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/isopropyl-alcohol-vs-rubbing-alcohol#:~:text=Rubbing%20alcohol%20is%20a%20diluted,of%20rubbing%20alcohol%20is%2070%25.

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 5:54 am

One if the blackbird guys said he got about a year of pliability with coating them in grease and bagging them.

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 5:55 am

.......after the wintergreen treatment that is

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 7:59 am

The insulators never were too pliable even new in the 80s.

The real problem is that the head gets so hot they cook the insulators and make them brittle.
Then they crack easily when removing the carbs and especially if removing the insulators from the head.

Valve cover gaskets last longer if the head runs cooler, too.

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 12:56 pm

...the grease from above. CASTROL RED RUBBER GREASE 50 gram, BRAKE CYLINDERS, SEALS, O RINGS.

Some body grab s screenshot?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391674268813?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-153316-527457-8&mkcid=2&itemid=391674268813&targetid=4585032215660911&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=554648192&mkgroupid=1302922387078119&rlsatarget=pla-4585032215660911&abcId=9323209&merchantid=87779&msclkid=bef9790bb4561cd2175f1cb9e240dd14

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 9:07 pm

OK

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 9:19 pm

Interesting: greasemonkey

What is red rubber grease used for?

Silicone grease can be used instead. I have food grade silicone grease I use. Scuba
divers (high pressure air line fittings), food prep kitchens, swimming pool pumps, etc.
use it. Works a treat on seals.