What is your opinion on soaking old rubber parts(50’s) in brake fluid to make them more pliable.

[outboardnut]

I am getting conflicting reports on the net. I was wondering what your experience is.

[nj-boatbuilder57]

I have a friend who’s a research chemist at Exxon and works in the development of all sorts of rubber & plastics. I asked him this very question about bringing old cowl gasket material back to life. He said that once the plasticizers have dried out & left the material, there’s not much you can do to bring them back. Newer polymers have much longer lifespans, but once the old stuff is shot, you can pretty much forget about it.

That’s what he told me, anyway….and he’s forgotten more than I’ll ever know!

[The Boat House]

• This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by The Boat House.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by The Boat House.

[bob-d]

Here is what I use for old rubber. I spray it on.
Bob D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wSVr4I5PLE

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[amuller]

Interesting subject. My impression is that the "reseal" products–often sold for use in automatic transmissions–are solvents that are absorbed by rubber and cause swelling. They can cause a beneficial reduction in leakage (not usually permanent) but aren’t plasticizers and don’t do much to restore flexibility.

[Author]

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