Windshield on my '47 Ford.It's rainy today here in L.A.,but I still want to stay on my to do list.If I throw the windshield rubber in the microwave oven will it soften?any suggestions?
Works. You could use a hair dryer, but be careful not to overheat. Keep the dryer moving, if you choose. And not too close, either!
I would be a little leary of microwaving rubber, strange things can happen when microwaving things that do not contain water (I do not know this from experience and have never microwaved unopened Dr. Pepper cans). Microwave heating is used commercially, but precisely controlled machinery is used. A bucket of hot, or even boiling water would not risk combustion. Your other option would be to turn down the oven as low as you can. Still, the hot water method would probably be easiest.
I have in the p***st used plain old paint remover - the really basic stuff - to re-soften old rubber sections. Around here Jasco is a brand that works. I have not found the paint removers to attack rubber parts.
I'd go with hot water alone, lots of luck wrestling a greased up gasket into a window opening. You can soap it up when you get ready to do the gl*** install. Bob
After finally installing my windshield,I found the best thing to soften the rubber up was good old sunlight.The hot water deal wäs ok to a certain point,but the heat of the sun worked best.
Done that too, just flop it on a warm hood in the sun for an hour or so makes a big difference in the pliability of the gasket. Bob
As others have said: Try the bathtub or a bucket of hot water. My contribution: A spray bottle of almost boiling water will reheat stubborn areas almost instantly. Set it to squirt, not spray. Careful you don't scald yourself.
is it hardened rubber? there is a mix of wintergreen oil and water I think that will soften old rubber, I found it on a motorcycle forum. here http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=76103.0 I found that the wintergreen oil is expensive, like 8-9 bucks for 1 oz. I also found that Thor wintergreen oils for racing tires is the same thing. http://www.thoroil.com/tirepreps.html Or wrap it in a towel and throw it in the dryer? I would not just boil and old rubber to soften it because it can just expand and loose all its shape.
Should be soft to begin with. If you just want it more plyable/slick try some amorall or tire blackjack.
I've used the close drier for gaskets on refrigerators. Softens them up to install and as they cool down on ref. they harden in the shape needed.
I would not recommend using brake fluid on a window seal. Brake fluid will swell up or shrink rubber. This is why you use a minimal amount in your transmission when it starts to slip.
x2 on the wintergreen. works great for softening up those old carb insulators on motorbikes, dont see why it wouldnt work on windshield gaskets. It will expand like crazy and freak you out, but give it a day or two and it comes back to size and stays pliable.
yep, worth waiting for some Sun light to soften window rubber, upholstery, etc. never microwave or oven. have a friend that heated up paint cans in oven - blew up and painted a good portion of kitchen.
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