How to Refurbish your Carb Joint

[sontag1]

While my cart engine is in pieces, I have been looking at some of the stuff that I have not checked in a while. One of them is my rubber Carb Joint.

Now this "fix" is not for everyone. I know that there are guys out there who poo-poo anything that is not "by the book". For those of us who have to make due with what we have, I think this will make a permanent repair to a Carb Joint that is not too far gone.

I cleaned it up really good and I could see some small cracks when I flexed the opening. I am sure it takes a beating on our bumpy dirt road. I priced a new joint and it was around $17 + shipping. Well, the cracks were not all the way through the joint, so I started thinking about how I might breath a little life into it. I am also in the process of restoring an old Martin 45 outboard (Circa 1954), and that is where I found the answer.

Liquid Electric Tape

It is basically a rubber like material suspended in a solvent. You can find it just about anywhere. Make sure and read the label and follow the instructions. This stuff has some serious solvents in it.

I flexed the Carb Joint to open the cracks and painted on a thin, light layer. I did this three times (3 coats). I allowed it to dry between coats (it dries quickly). I let it set for about an hour to fully cure, and after that I had no cracks. I flexed and bent that sucker like crazy and no cracks opened. It appears that the material in the Liquid Electrical Tape "solvent welded" itself to the material that the Carb Joint is made from.

[1989Marathon]

Nice idea. Do the directions say anything about using it near petroleum products?

[sontag1]

Nothing that I can see. Here is what is on the label:

Liquid Electrical Tape

Waterproof Seal
Insulates & Protects

May Irritate Skin, May Irritate Eyes
Content May Catch Fire
Fumes May Catch Fire

Contains Aliphatic Solvent Naphtha, Heptane, Xylene, 2-Butanone, Ethyl Benzene

I would think that as long as you let each layer dry completely, it will be fine. It has been on my Carb Joint for a couple of days now, and it is still holding up. I just went out in the garage and bent on that sucker again. It is still holding strong.

Of course use at your own risk.

[sho305]

That is some cool stuff I never thought of using it for that. I have a rubber muffler off an old boat I need to repair a crack in, still looking for something to use. Best thing I found so far is Goop glue. I even patched a big inflatable pool with that stuff, stitched the tear with thread and then layered a gob on about 1" out from any damage. It is thick stuff like rubber cement but different, it may be urethane. Second year still holding. Another product is Shoe Goo, made to repair rubber shoe soles. I know a guy that used to mold up treads on running shoes to run cross country, said it worked great. Urethane is also awesome stuff such as 3M 5200, or the stuff they glue car windshields in with. You can lay a line of it and let it dry, then use it for rope. Not sure how it works on rubber though. Is also hard to remove after it dries.