Rubber restoration

[VWannabe]

I just came upon a neglected jet ski, with sun-damaged rubber and vinyl. Any suggestions as to what might bring it back?

[73BuzzBomb]

Vasoline...smear it on and let it sit for a few days, then wipe off. avoid "Armor-All" type products or anything with silicone.
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'73 Super
2270 type IV

[VWannabe]

Okay, I'll give it a try. Why am I avoiding the silicone products? Will they not allow any moisture to be absorbed since they are designed to keep moisture in?

[73BuzzBomb]

here's an interesting read on silicone...
http://www.unofficialbmw.com/all/carcare/all_dont_use_silicone.html

this guy lists a few car care products for rubber/vinyl you might want to try. I have seen great results with Vasoline...
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'73 Super
2270 type IV

[Major Woody]

Glycerine works great on old boots and seals also.

[JimA]

Someone on another forum suggested mineral spirits. What would that do?
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Jim (o\ l /o)

[Major Woody]

Clean it a bit.
You still need to soften it up somehow.

[VWannabe]

Should i soften then clean, or clean then soften?

[Major Woody]

Here is what I usually do.
First let it soak a while in oxy clean.
Then scrub with a bristle brush and/or toothbrush and/or scotch brite pad.
Then scrub with 409, rinse and let dry.
If looks uniformly black and fairly supple, then soak with glycerine and put it in a bag for a while to fester. Sometimes "a while" is a year and sometimes just a couple days.
Then wipe down and install. If any of this process causes the part to crumble, then it is wasted and I replace it because I know it has rotted.

I don't generally use mineral spirits. If the part needs degreasing, then I would use my parts cleaner on it before starting up with the above process.

[4ghias]

[maryvezz]

the best thing I have used is armor all or tranny fluid.

[Bill E.]

Purple Power!! Wal*Marts brand of Castrol Super Clean

You wouldnt belive how good it does on the B pillar vinal and weatherstrip.

An old pair of sun visors or rear view mirror, comes out perfect!!

I would rinse very good in warm water to remove and repeat.
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cars come and go, VW's live and breathe!

[davebuckholts]

Bringing back this old post.
The weatherstripping on my camper bleeds black when washed, but is still in decent shape. I'd hate to replace the OG seals that are sealing great with aftermarket seals that leak.
I like the vaseline idea, but anyone actually done something with good results?
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My '66 RHD Japanese bug build..which has stalled!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=471759&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[buguy]

I've read that guys have great results with Mop & Glow on boat rub rails.
I usually just spray my old looking seals width spray can SEM landau black paint. Just one light coat.

[raygreenwood]

The name of this thread is misleading.

There is NO restoration for rubber of any type...ever...period.

All you can do is remove oxidized material and soften the outer layer.

I read through the original article linked back in 2006 about silicone issues...and while it has lots of good information....a lot of the information was personal product opinion and trial and error (which is still good) and speculation. While the observed effects were very good....the science behind them was not complete.

A couple of details and examples.

Ozone and UV while they are prime movers of the breakdown of rubber and plastics.....they are not even close to the most effective cause of breakdown.
Age and heat are FAR more effective and destructive. Age alone...is almost as large of a factor.

This is why you find tires 20 years old stored in a dark room that are falling apart. This is why brake rebuild kits and shocks over 7-10 years old are mostly junk. The seals harden up and shrink.

All rubbers and many soft plastics like vinyl....have a half life. They start outgassing the day they are born....both inside and out. Your vinyl dash does not just reach a point and decide to fail as was noted in the article. that process starts day 1 when the vinyl is molded. removing film on the glass from the out-gassed plasticizers is a constant task.

When the vinyl reaches a point where the amount of out-gassed plasticizers is excessive....it starts shrinking/contracting...and hardens up...and cracks.

Heat accelerates this process through the whole cross section.

UV and ozone only affect the outside of the rubber. Its cosmetic.

Many "oil" products will fix the cosmetic problem short term. What you use will depend on what the rubber compound is....and this is what that article got totally wrong.

Almost all of the 50's through early 70's rubber for windshields...was made of EPR. Early to mid 70's...maybe a little earlier on some... until now are made of EPDM.

You DO NOT use anything PETROLEUM based on EPDM rubber. While it will in the short term clean up the cosmetics....it also starts "dismantling" whatever rubber it can reach. So it will look nice for a while....but once the oil burns off....you have a layer of oxidized hard rubber that nothing will revive.

EPDM...is exactly what you DO USE silicone on...preferably PURE silicone...no hydrocarbons or solvents added. The EPDM rubber in your windshield and door seals...has very little issue with ozone....but a lot with UV.

Meanwhile...the earlier EPR rubber from the 1950s/1960s....you DO USE petroleum based...and DO NOT USE siliconeON IT....because it will break that rubber down and turn it to goo.

This EPDM rubber in your windshield and door seals is the EXACT same rubber used in your brake and caliper master cylinder seals.

When the brake seals changed rubber types....from EPR to EPDM....because they re-formulated for the change from old school 1940-1960s....mineral oil and hydrocarbon based brake fluids...used with EPR rubber....to now use glycol ether AND SILICONE based brake fluids......they changed to EPDM.

The same treatment for your seal rubber also applies.

EPDM (door and windshield seals)...use only pure silicone or glycol based cleaners that have no hyrdrocarbons

EPR (ORIGINAL door and window seals from the 50s and 60s)...you can use Vaseline or the solvent of your choice.

By the way...a lot of the Mequiars industrial waxes mentioned in that article...have VOC's in them.

The M42 rubber treatment was discontinued a few years back.

By the way...I do agree with some of the choices mentioned for interior vinyl treatment...The Lexol is a GREAT product. The Xymol product is excellent...and in fact the xymol liquid wax for the paint is all I use and at one time was all Mercedes, BMW, VW, Porsche and Audi sold in their parts department.

The best "vinyl" product I have found...is Blue Magic vinyl and leather cleaner/protectant ...AND....its safe and works very well for the windshield rubber and door rubber. Ray

http://www.autozone.com/interior-detailing-and-car...142420_0_0

[Tobias Bylund]

Ray, have you ever tried 303 Aerospace Protectant? I use it on all my plastic details and rubber seals, and also on tires, it is mostly used for UV protection i believe. I dont think it will "restore" old rubber, but it is great for protecting rubber and vinyl on a new car to reduce UV damage and it really keeps black exterior plastic looking good.

I like it for tires, it doesnt give them a shine, but it keeps them looking factory new, i dont like shiny tires, but i dont like them brown and grimy either.

http://www.autogeek.net/303aerprot.html

[raygreenwood]

[Tobias Bylund]

Yeah, that is strange that they can claim "trade secret" and not have to declare the ingredients at all. Here in europe they would not be able to do that, in Sweden they have to declare every last ingredient, even for makeup that i heard is unregulated in the U.S

I checked on some Swedish sites that carry it and they claim that it is water based, but i have not found a link to an MSDS.

I bought it because of the great reviews and because it is, according to themselves; "Non toxic, non flammable and earth friendly". So far i can atleast concur in the great reviews! Hope that it is those other things as well....

[c21darrel]

I have been using 303 for at least the last 10 years or so on my boat seats. They still look like new. Don't know whats in it but I have not seen any bad side effects, yet. 10 years is a pretty good test. I don't use it to re-new old rubber just protection from the sun. It does not create the same type of shine as Armour-all. If armour-all is "gloss" 303 is "satin" finish.
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GhiaBuild
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[raygreenwood]