Silicone sealant application cheat

[richard5933]

I had a small leak in the toll window next to the driver. Seems that the black rubber gasket had shrunk at the corner just enough for the water to get in the newly-formed crack.

Not really wanting to take the whole thing apart and do further damage, I figured if I could get some black silicone in there is would hold for at least a while. The crack was really deep, but not that wide.

Finally remembered that I have a box of hypodermic needles and syringes I used to use to oil antique sewing machines. I found an unused syringe, attached an 18 ga needle, and then filed the point off leaving just a blunt end.

The syringe won't pull the silicone in through the needle, so I squeezed some in the tail and straight from the tube. Then I inserted the needle as deep into the crack as I could and pressed on the plunger. The silicone barely flows out the end, but it does flow. After a few minutes there was a small amount coming back out, meaning the crack was filled from the inside out.

Hopefully this will help someone else trying to fill a narrow crack in a gasket somewhere.

[Sebulba]

That's using the old noggin, I like it.

Seb

I had a small leak in the toll window next to the driver. Seems that the black rubber gasket had shrunk at the corner just enough for the water to get in the newly-formed crack.

Not really wanting to take the whole thing apart and do further damage, I figured if I could get some black silicone in there is would hold for at least a while. The crack was really deep, but not that wide.

Finally remembered that I have a box of hypodermic needles and syringes I used to use to oil antique sewing machines. I found an unused syringe, attached an 18 ga needle, and then filed the point off leaving just a blunt end.

The syringe won't pull the silicone in through the needle, so I squeezed some in the tail and straight from the tube. Then I inserted the needle as deep into the crack as I could and pressed on the plunger. The silicone barely flows out the end, but it does flow. After a few minutes there was a small amount coming back out, meaning the crack was filled from the inside out.

Hopefully this will help someone else trying to fill a narrow crack in a gasket somewhere.