Whats The Right Glue For This Plastic?
 

While replacing some center console lights, I snapped a piece of the black structural plastic that surrounds the radio inside the dash. I tried Gorilla Glue but it did not hold. I don't want to try too many adhesives because its tough to clean up the mating surfaces each time. What works for this kind of plastic?

If you have a Hobby Lobby or similar look for Tenax 74 - they call it a "plastic welder" but it's applied with the brush in the cap about $3 if I remeber correctly. Only thing I ever found that would repair even Bakelite type plastic. If you cannot locate this product and have some of that type of plastic add some pieces of the plastic in a coffee can with Xylene till melted -use as glue.

How about the coolant tank?
It does have a small crack about 1/4 in and is loosing presure . Does the regular PVC cement works?

I have never done a coolant tank (yet) :rolleyes: I wouldn't think that PVC cement would work. In the JEGS catalog they suggest using Moroso A&B Epoxy for coolant tank repair.

repair plastics
 

On most hard plastic(styrene) and yours, try Krazy Glue, fast, minimum clamping required (hold for 20 seconds). Usually works and holds. On Poly (soft plastics) such as water bottle, use soldering iron (flat surface) this will melt crack or use hot wax gun. Either way, I have had success with these. good luck, Abe G

Actually I just remembered I have some glue that came with a model house kit that goes with a German train set. I figured German plastic - German glue, why not? I dabbed some on and it sort of melted the plastic a little. It has a handy needle on top for getting those tight places. I glued the piece in and hoping for the best!

You can test the plastic to determine what it's made of. If it's styrene then nail polish remover (acetone) will soften it. Place a drop on an unimportant portion of the plastic and let it sit for a couple seconds and then wipe it off with a paper towel. If the plastic now has a rough or hazy apperance then super glue will work well to bond it back together.

If the plastic remains unchanged then the only thing I can recommend is to use an epoxy and figure out a way to reinforce the bond, such as splicing some pieces of material on the sides of the crack. Epoxy doesn't bond very well to plastic so sand it first to give it something to bite in to. I would use some thin pieces of hobby-shop grade plywood for the reinforcement, it comes in sheets as thin as 3/64"

I think the coolant tank is polyethylene. Nothing likes to stick this material as it is very inert. I'm not familiar with the moroso epoxy mentioned above but I would think the only thing with any hope of lasting more than a few hours would be a soft silicone, particularly the clear type. I don't think RTV silicone would work since it sets up too hard. Polyethylene must really be melted in order for the repair to have any staying power. I can't imagine any repair on coolant tank lasting since the plastic becomes distressed and brittle.

-Robert

Just an update - thanks for the replies. The Supranol glue worked. I didn't tempt fate too much, but it passed the "wiggle test" after sitting overnite. The center console is back together, with Gorilla Glue holding down the veneer on the switch panel. The rest of the wood dash pieces look like more of a challenge, since it looks like someone tried to refasten them at least once before.