SWB Fresh Air Vent

[Bernie B]

Has anyone tackled restoring the flapper valve for the fresh air vent system on a SWB? I have a few idea's, but just wanted to know if some has already found a cure.

Thx,
Bernie

[Toffynose]

Hi BernieB

I have the same question, has anybody done this to a high degree?

[keithcza]

I have the same question. I cannot find anything on this anywhere.

[haul]

good morning @all
please allow the question:
what did you want to do?replace the rubber, or the filter?
@bernd
what ideas do you already have?

best regards

[smedley]

My '67 wasn't too far gone...so I just cleaned it, treated the rubber with McGuire's and re-installed, but.....

There are several home moulding kits for small rubber pieces...out in CA TAP Plastics sells the kits.

So....

Drill out the rivets, separate the shaft and cable loop, zinc plate the loop and paint the shaft.

Make a mold of the rubber flapper and form, then re-rivet the whole thing. Yes, you can get copper rivets.

Whew! Mine looked "good enough!" So I passed. Once it's in place no one can see it!

[keithcza]

Thanks Mark. I have dismantled as you suggested, quite a bit of rust there so I'm going to blast the metal before repainting. Copper rivets could be a problem to find, i wonder if I can make them up out of copper nails.

[smedley]

You could just as easily use aluminum rivets...easier to find, and again, Who's gonna see'em?

When you get into the molding of a new flap..please share how it goes...photos??

Good luck!

[Bobs 67S]

Try your local saddle and tack shop or Tandy leather workers shop for copper rivets or here: http://www.hansonrivet.com/

[mathieulecomte]

I have rebuilt mine for my '66 912 using a product called Versimold.
There is a metal backbone under the original rubber, which I scrapped. I blasted and repainted the tubing part after drilling out the copper rivets (which can be found on Amazon - about 8$ for 100 pieces).

All the parts taken out of the car


Original flap with the support tube removed


Rubber scrapped to metal



Versimold is a silicone paste that comes in the consistency of a rubbery puck of hard-ish Play-doh. I used a pasta machine to roll a very even thickness and then covered the metal back bone and backed it to cure. I cut it (before baking, much easier) using a template i made before scrapping the rubber from the original flap. worked very well
I only had to then cut the holes and put new rivets in



Baked goods:


Before final install of rivets


I am pretty happy with the results


Matt
1965/66 912
South Orange, NJ

[smedley]

Nicely done!

A similar product, Sugru, would probably work as well. I have used it behind weather stripping...sorta as a more permanent dum dum.