Plastics tip

[seattle_Jerry]

It just occured to me to share some knowledge as a former plastics engineer.

Tip of the day...nylon parts get brittle when dry from age but boiling them makes them take on some moisture and become tough.

We used to boil nylon airplane parts at the injection molding plant to increase their toughness per Boeing's spec.

1967 230SL Havana Brown Auto with A/C

[Cees Klumper]

Thanks for the tip - but can someone list the items on our cars that are made of nylon (vs some other type of plastic) so we know what this would apply to?

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[JamesL]

Does this mean that I should simmer my Smart car until it's cooked? How long should I boil it for: Until it's soft or just par-boiled?

 

[enochbell]

I think the (manual)shifter bushings are now nylon, but I would bet they were not nylon in 1964?

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[seattle_Jerry]

usually nylon is used because it has a self lubricating property. So mainly parts like the bushings...for the most part I wouldn't worry about it. But it is a good thing to keep in the back of your head for the instances where it might matter. Boiling does add a few .000 to the size as it absorbs water.

So the flip side of that is if you have a nylon part that is too loose...boil it...if it is too big cook it.

Most nylon parts in a car will be a yellowish milky off white color. Rarely do they bother to add pigment. Usually carbon black for uv protection on any part that sees sunlight.

1967 230SL Havana Brown Auto with A/C