Dale_K

I heard someplace it's bad to use silicone. Then I heard BMW sold the best stuff but I found out it costs $61 for a little tiny tube. Any suggestions?

Boozman

I use 303 on my and when I had my on it to works great.

xs650

Me too, but I don't think thre's anything wrong with silicone either.

Dale_K

A little more info... what's 303?

Irv

The BMW stuff is silicone-based too. Silicone is bad for your paint (because it gives painters fits from fisheyes), and it's none too good for vinyl or leather either (it causes cracking), but for rubber, like weather stripping, it works great. Here's a pointer to the good stuff. I haven't searched, but I assume you can find it easily on the internet.

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/e...er/output_html

TomC

Glycerine is available in a bottle at drug stores and works well.

Landru

My [certified] Corvette mechanic gave me a tube of GM (brand) Dielectric Silicone Grease, GM Part #12345579 for use on all my Corvette's weatherstripping.
Keeps the stuff supple as new.

Now I'm told the stuff's expensive given the size of the tube, but what's there seems to last forever.

txst

I use a great product called Shin-Etsu Grease (basically it is a white silicone grease) that can be purchased at a Honda dealer or you can buy it online at http://www.handa-accessories.com/s2000-03.html. It's the stuff Honda recommends for the convertible top seals on the S2000 and works well. If you get a little overzealous with it around the window seals, it can smear on the windows. Otherwise, it works well to preserve the weatherstripping, and it's cost is reasonable. A little goes a long way.

xs650

303 Info

It's a rubber/plastic protectant. It basically makes stuff look like new without a lot of extra shine and gives good UV protection.

There website has a search function to find sources near you, or you can mail order it. Please check forum vendors first.

I also use in on my wheels, I just wipe them down with it when I do my tires. Seems to work as good as regular wax or sealer on clearcoated or painted wheels if you wipe them down with it everytime you do your tires.

xs650

I have used regular hardware store/electronics store dialelectric grease and had good results. It's a lot cheaper.

Buffy

Most silicone grease contains some fillers, it's not pure silicone. Which is fine, but won't last as well as pure silicone, which is expensive, but not that expensive - think $10-15 for a tube. Try O-ring lubricant from an industrial or plumbing supply place. And it only takes a tiny little bit.

Silicone is a pain to remove, but any good paint job should include a thorough cleaning. Silicone can be removed with a non-polarized solvent like isopropanol.

Personally, I think that 303 or Back to Black is a better (and less messy) alternative if you do it fairly often, say monthly.

Army Vette

How often should this be applied to the weather stripping?

Buffy

Depends, GM recommends the silicone grease to cure squeaks and rattles, so that's "as needed". Pure silicone will last for months, maybe a year; some of the filled silicone greases much less time.

As for cleaning and protecting the rubber, opinions differ, I'd say anywhere from every month to every third month, or when it's looking sort of dry or you can get a little black smudge off of it by wiping it with a dry cloth.

xs650

Dow Corning DC4 is something like 65% silicone IIRC. It's something like $14 for a 5 ounce tube at places like Aircraft Spruce. It's good stuff.

66dreams

larrysb

DC-4 will work. $12 for a tube that will last a lifetime.

A VERY good silicone grease is available at your local scuba diving shop. They sell it in little plastic make-up containers for use on wetsuits. This stuff is very good, and easy on your hands and non-toxic. It's also cheap.

Apply once a year or as necessary.

C8-Vette

When I worked for Grumman Aircraft we used Aerospace Protectant 303 on the interior consoles of the F-14's fighter jets. It works well on vinyl,rubber,plastic, fiberglass and leather. A little hard to come by. I ordered a spray bottle from my local Ace Hardware Store . About $12 a bottle. What's good for a $60 million jet should work well on a $60K Vette. I'm sure some of the forum care car suppliers can get it for you.

cfl70

i use bbq sauce....


just kidding

k-line

Found 3M silicone paste on ebay. about $22 shipped.

MyRedC6

Used this on my S2000 for 5 1/2 years. All seals were in great shape when I traded it in for my C6