I see I'm not the only one who has had bad luck with rubber parts: hoses,
boots, wiper blades, etc. Again I ask, why can't the reproduction makers use
decent OEM grade rubber? Any insights on this matter?
Bob's rubber lessons of hard knocks:
If the part looks more like plastic than rubber, forget it. (Ran into
this with the seat diaphragm.)
If the part already has cracks in it out of the box, forget it.
If small cracks appear in the surface when you flex it, forget it.
If a coolant hose doesn't have embedded re-enforcement webbing, forget
it. (Will blow up like a balloon in a month.)
Use a braided hose at your own risk. (The braid may be hiding the cracks
mentioned above.)
I finally gave up on reproduction wiper blades. I now transplant the
rubber from domestic replacement blades. They seem a bit too stiff to
conform to the curve of the windshield, but at least they stay in one piece.
There appears to be two varieties of steering rack boots. For God's
sake, don't use the cheap ones!
The good news: I haven't had any problems with rubber brake components yet.
Bob Donahue (Still Stuck in the '50s)
Email - bobmgtd@insightbb.com
Cars: 52 MGTD - #17639
71 MGB - #GHN5UB254361
Member: NEMGTR #11470
NAMGBR # 7-3336
Hoosier MGB Club
Olde Octagons of Indiana
----- Original Message -----
From: "S. Allen" <scottallen3663@gmail.com>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, October 03, 2005 4:48 PM
Subject: ^%$&*()!!! Rubber Parts!!!
> Here's my story: in April in anticipation of doing front-end work I picked
> up kingpin seals, A-arm bushings, tie rod ends and rack seals from, well,
> you know, the leading distributor of MG parts here in the US.
>
> I put them on in August.
>
> Today, (two months later) I go under the car to grease the kingpins. Both
> rack seals are cracked all the way through.
>
> It's the second time. The last ones lasted eight months.
>
> What's the deal? Why can't they get decent rubber parts? Between my two
> MG's
> I've replaced three sets of seals in as many years. When I restored my
> '52's
> exterior in '98-'99 I practically had to scrape the original rubber off of
> the fittings, but in the years since I've replaced everything new I put on
> back then, (sometimes twice).
>
> Of course I'm going to be sending these seals back for a refund, but does
> anyone know anyplace else I can get some that are better quality so I
> won't
> have to replace them again next summer?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Scott Allen
> 52 TD
> 74 /12 BGT
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