Interesting Rubber Repair

1982911SCTarga · 04-23-2006, 03:36 PM

On the way home from Hershey yesterday -- after just getting into Maryland -- I noticed this piece of rubber flapping on the left front fender. Yep, a portion of my headlight rubber trim had broken loose and was flapping in the breeze.

OK, so for the remainder of the trip, I was the goofus in the burgundy Targa with the hunk of rubber waving at everyone on I's 83, 695, 95, 495 and 66. Oh well, in the overall scheme of things, there are way worse things that Murphy can generate.

Anyway, today I took the trim ring and headlight off the left front fender, and removed the rubber trim piece. It was all there, except that it had separated, which allowed one portion to hang out in the breeze.

After thinking about it a bit, I decided to try something new. I re-joined the rubber trim with a rubberized cyanoacrylate glue, which is popular in the RC airplane and car community (particular in joints where vibration might be an issue). I thoroughly cleaned the rubber trim before beginning. I then dabbed a thin layer of the rubberized C/A on both ends and joined and held it together for a few minutes.

After that, I set the rubber trim piece aside and went back to the shop to clean the inside of the headlight bucket area. I like to think that my car is clean and this is one instance where I was proven wrong. The headlight bucket was filthy dirty. While I was at it, I cleaned the other headlight bucket.

I then put everything back together on the left side, putting the formerly broken section back in the center bottom. The glued portion held together and looks as good as before. This is a repair that might have applications in other rubber areas of our cars.

In the pic below, you can see the repaired section at the bottom.

Brian

dad911 · 04-23-2006, 03:45 PM

I used to build & fly models for years. Never knew there was a rubberized CA, thanks!

jac1976 · 04-23-2006, 03:58 PM

Never try to reuse or repair a rubber, just get another one...best for both parties involved.

Miguel Antonett · 04-24-2006, 04:52 AM

Why is that jac1976? Share your knowledge with us... Thanks!

jac1976 · 04-24-2006, 04:56 AM

I'm also located in the 'Ham.

oneblueyedog · oneblueyedog's Garage

I repaired my brake handle boot and shifter boot this way. What's good about it is that CYA wicks into the crack.

I also used thin cya to patch a 1/4 delam of clear coat on the hood and a chip on one of the fenders where the cc blistered. This was to protect the color coat until a repaint. It worked back down pretty well to the clear coat around the perimeter of the wound.

Quicksilver · 04-24-2006, 05:37 AM

Back in the 80s when the cyanoacrylates for hobby use first came out RC Modeler had an article testing then new wonder glue and the had a large chunk of the tread block shoulder tear off on their truck. They zapped it back on and they reported that after a few miles the only difference is the seam was invisible on the tread surface.

Fun with chemicals. I'm wondering how flexible the CA is when it hardens. Is there a chance that the hardened area can mark the paint where it is squeezed? ... Just wondering.

oneblueyedog · oneblueyedog's Garage

Fun with chemicals. I'm wondering how flexible the CA is when it hardens. Is there a chance that the hardened area can mark the paint where it is squeezed? ... Just wondering. [/B][/QUOTE]

The thin style is much less flexible than clear coat. You can tell where the repair is so I don't recommend fixing cc chips with it. It also fogs after curing around the wound. I got a nib file and planed the high spot of the cya off and then got 1000 grit and carefully feathered it in. Then I used polish. You can see the blister perimeter and the sunburned color coat (silver is impossible to retouch). The fogging goes away. CYA doesn't shrink much. I used it to keep the Clear coat from peeling more.

It happened when I took it to a car wash after a gigantic pigeon bombed it. The pressure wand lifted the CC from a stone chip and popped the blister off the car. Expensive lesson-to always hand wash.

Gluing the rubber boots was a piece of cake. Just clean with lacquer thinner and hold the split together and wick a bead from the inside of the boot. Works well to hold you over till the time you get some leather.