Topic: Swollen rejuvenated boots

[eigenvector]

When you finish soaking the carbs boots in the wintergreen mixture, does the swelling go down eventually?

I soaked my boots in a mixture of Xylene and wintergreen (or was that peppermint?) oil.  After 2 days of soaking they came out very pliable - but also like 20% larger than they started out.

Can I expect that to go down or is that permanent?

[Stev-o]

Contact your doctor if you have an erection that lasts longer than four hours!

Sorry, could not resist.

[eigenvector]

You knucklehead!

I should have seen that coming.

[BomberMann650]

Are you certain the rubber hadn't simply shrunk 20% from its original size?

Any chance you could put them in a food dehydrator and get the excess moisture out?

[jonda500]

dunno if it'd work for boots but to fix swollen float bowl o ring type gaskets I heard boiling them in water shrinks em back down..
John

[drumstyx]

Xylene does that to rubber. I had it happen to the rubber membrane from the brake reservoir cap. It shrunk back down, but it took a very long time...Over a month if I recall correctly

[Bailgang]

Soaked them for 2 days? Holy smokes I only soaked mine overnight in wintergreen/xlene and that's all they needed, the boots for the air box got out of shape and swollen but the intake to carb boots came out great.

[eigenvector]

I'll give it a few days to see if the boot returns to size as the xylene evaporates.

I didn't know how long to wait - so I waited a couple of days.

[Don R]

 Wait until they are only 2% oversize and put them on but don't draw the clamps tight yet. Then let them shrink to fit.

  then throw cold water on them lol.

[TheArchitect]

I made the same mistake, let them soak too long. It was a breeze getting them on though!

A few months later, they sat off the bike for a while, pulled them out of their box, hard as rocks, shrank to 75% their original size, could even get them on.

I think soaking them too long compromises their integrity. 

[ekpent]

 A heat gun will usually soften the old rubber long enough to get them mounted but we all know new would be the ideal solution.

[knowsnothing]

Its the xylene that causes the changes (nasty stuff btw, wear gloves and get fresh air).  For mine i boiled in water with the wintergreen oil for like 10-15 mins.  Definitely softened the rubbers (even after cooled) with the added bonus of smelling like gum. 

[eigenvector]

Welp...  3 days out of the soaking and they have returned to size.  Still nice and supple too!

[NobleHops]

Good data!