Peter 642

I'm going to try to revitalize a slightly cracked rubber plug from my air intake (is similar to the radiator plug). Any idea if I need to take very special care trying to revitalize this rubber engine part? I'm hoping a little TLC will bring it back; it's completely usable with a few external cracks, but no interior or through-and-through damage.

944Ross

Not sure what you mean by "revitalize", about all you can do is slather RTV on the cracks and stuff it back in. Aren't spares available? Ethylene glycol is sold as a revitalizer for windshield wiper blades, I've always been skeptical of its success.

choinga

20+ year old Porsche Owner Manual Lesson #1:

When you have a chance to replace ANY stock rubber. Just do it.

onspeed

ethylene glycol.... as in antifreeze?

ZR8ED

I don't know about engine part/plugs, but I have used vaseline on the rubber seals for my T Tops to help soften them back up to make a better seal with great success. I used to pull the T tops of my car in the spring, go for a drive, and then they would leak like sives when ever it rained. I then learned to apply a bit of vaseline to the seal with the tops off on a nice sunny warm day, and gently rub it in so it was not messy. The rubber "plumped" right back up and made a water tight seal for the rest of the season. I needed to do it every couple of years after that.

944Ross

Yep, it is sold as "wiper blade rejuvenator" and the active ingredient is ethylene glycol. Go figure. Wiper blades are usually natural rubber, hoses etc. are usually compounds.

Grandpa#3

Vaseline is also great to use on the rear hatch spoiler. On a warm day clean the spoiler, let it dry and rub in the Vaseline with a lint free cloth. It may take several applications to smooth out the rough spots, but it works.

Cheers,
Larry

Hollywood D

+1