Wintergreen oil for revitalising rubber parts

[Buffalo Bill]

I just treated a set of GS intake boots with Rubber Renue with good results. The boots were in good shape, but I needed a little bit of softening so I could get the carbs off and on without extreme measures.

That said, Rubber Renue is the most expensive route; if you look at the MSDS, it's simply 25% Methyl Salicylate and 75% Xylene. You can buy cans of Xylene at any home improvement store for less than $20 a gallon, and Griffin posted a link to the methyl salicylate above. As he noted, you can also use isopropyl alcohol as a "carrier" for the methyl salicylate.

I wouldn't expect any such treatment to resurrect damaged rubber bits, but it can work great on things that are just old and a bit hardened and shrunken.

I have not used wintergreen oil, but wondered if it works as well on human skin? Like to buy some for some close friends.

[red1100]

In all the auto and now motorcycle restorations I have done I’ve had great success with cleaning rubber and making look like new,wiring,small plastic and non painted parts, rubber grommets,body plugs,plastic and cast emblems and the like dipped in a clean 5 gallon bucket filled with a 50/50 mix of water and simple green. I let it sit for about a week and take the pieces out one at a time and thoroughly clean them. Let everything dry for a few days and they are ready to go.It’s amazing how clean and new looking it all is. Rubber is soft and pliable,wire harnesses have lots of connectors in plastic or steel all look new. It won’t take off wire markings or discolor anything. Naturally on intake boots and the like it won’t repair cracks but will clean them as new. I got the entire wire harness for a 70 Superbee wrapped in a coil to fit in a 5 gallon bucket. Give it a try.

[Danie.e]

Being a RC enthusiast, I did an experiment with Methanol RC fuel and was pleasantly surprised with the result. Go to your local hobby store and get a liter of fuel. Cover the hard rubber air intake boot with the fuel in a container and leave for at least 24 hours. Remove and clean. You have a "revitalized" rubber boot that is soft and pliable again.

RC fuel contains mostly synthetic oil such as Klotz 200 and sometimes a small percentage of Castor oil as well. The Methanol just acts a a carrier to get the oil absorbed into the rubber.

[Gorminrider]

wintergreen oil works somewhat but by itself or with alcohol evaporates out pretty quickly...I haven't mixed it with xylene but it's plain that it's intended to be a superior agent to carry the wintergreen further into the rubber matrix.

It is not good for your skin, or to inhale, and softening old windshield wipers won't restore the worn edges.

if the $ or trouble or chemistry experimentation is not wanted, Warming the old rubber will suit many people in most cases to ease putting the carbs back in.