Wintergreen Oil???

[jdvorchak]

I've not noticed that the boots smell after it evaporates. The odor seems to be coming from the area where I soak the boots. It's not overpowering. But if blindfolded I know exactly where I am!

[tkent02]

How long do the boots stay soft and pliable?

[chuck hahn]

Mine have been fine a year later. Some heat gun treatment will always make them more workable even if new. Dont expect them to be new kinda soft..they probably wont. But they WILL be flexible and work well again. My experience is the harder they are going in dictates how well the oil works. if they are still a tad squishy they will be fine. If they are plastic like hard...dont bother.

[tkent02]

Cool thanks. My oil gets here Monday.

[jdvorchak]

I have soaked rock hard boots for 3 or 4 days and they ended up like new. I just kept pulling them out and testing. If still had hard areas back in they go. I had 3 boots on a KZ that were so hard I thought I'd break them taking them out. They soaked about a week and ended up soft and pliable almost new. Six months later, now, they are still soft. But it really doesn't matter. As long as they are soft when you put them on and the clamps tighten around them, even if they go back to hard they are still doing their job.

When you first pull them out of the solution they will be almost twice their normal size. Then overnight the Xylene evaporates and they shrink down to normal size. Don't be alarmed when you pull them and they are huge!

[tkent02]

Cool, I just found some petrified old 550 intake boots laying in a box for decades, hard as a rock. Can't wait to test this stuff out. But most of them on most of the bikes are just a little bit hard.

[tkent02]

Wow this stuff really works. Intake boots went from the texture of a cue ball to the texture of a floppy puppy.
Got a whole bunch bigger too.
Maybe I left it in too long.

[chuck hahn]

Airbox boots I startat 8 hrs and check them. Intake manifolds ( because they are so thick ) 24 hrs wont hurt them at all.

[tkent02]

I forgot and left them for three days. Oops!
Maybe they will shrink again.

[tkent02]

My granddaughter just said it smelled like a peppermint farm out in the garage!

[jdvorchak]

They will almost double in size. No problem. Just let them air dry for a day or two and they shrink back to normal size but are pliable like new.

[jdvorchak]

My granddaughter just said it smelled like a peppermint farm out in the garage!

Yeah there is that. I think the smell lingers for a few months especially if you keep it in the garage like over the winter. I did notice that after a couple of rides the smell is gone. But when I did the boots it was just starting winter and I left that bike in the garage without taking it out but a couple of times right after doing them.

[loud et]

Got me some oil on the way....have a set of APE pods that got hard. Nice to know some of these old boots can be brought back to life. It's a good money saver.

[tkent02]

Those old 550 boots were all soft and floppy after a few days in the Wintergreen jar. A lot bigger than they were but definitely soft and floppy. Curious what they will be like now after sitting out in the dry air for three weeks.

[loud et]

I guess the theory is the rubbing alcohol/ xylene / etc is the carrier that pulls the winter green into the rubber after it is absorbed, then the xylene evaporates leaving the wintergreen in the rubber.
I will probably just try a short dip....4 hours and check on the expansion and go longer if they aren't swollen.
Try and find an average window of time to soak.
Based on reviews and past comments I am optimistic of the success in doing this.