Sugru to the rescue!

My more permanent fix for the ATV ignition switch nut that I ruined; Sugru!

For those that don’t know, Sugru is a moldable glue… Think a cross between super glue and silly putty. Or like a really thick moldable silicone RTV/gasket maker.

It’s a silicone putty or dough that comes in a packet, form it however you need and in 24 hours it cures to become a rubber. Sticks to almost anything, waterproof, electrically insulated, good to 265°F and -45°F, holds a fair amount of weight, and comes in about 15 colors! (And I just found out you can mix it to blend infinite colors- wish I’d known that before I did this fix, I could have matched the green fenders closer!)

A fellow on edcforums.com got me one of their home hacks starter kits for the secret santa gift exchange this last December.

A great idea to get me, since I tend to improvise and MacGyver things a lot…

But amazingly, it’s taken me this long to find a use for it! (The stuff takes 24 hours to set up, and I either need a Now fix, or If I have 24 hours,  I can use a stronger, more traditional adheasive.. )  But this ti.e, a more traditional adhesive wouldn’t have held/set fast enough, nor would the automotive standard, RTV silicone gasket maker.  And super glue wouldn’t be strong enough…

As I said, a perfect place for Sugru, and I even had green to (almost) match the fenders! Used a whole pouch, to get a good “bead” diameter on it, for hold and a smooth look.

My theory is since it’s rubber, to take it off the next time, I can run a razor blade between the Sugru and the fender.

Then make a cut, say 1/8″ wide out of the ring, and peel it off the switch.. Then to reapply it, simple place it on the switch (it will have the threads molded into the inner curve for hold) and re sugru the gap I cut out, back together.

Even if its really stuck to the switch (it probably is!) And I have to cut it away from it, I’ll still have a rubber ring that can be reapplied with silicone RTV, or more Sugru. ☺

I will have to re label the off/on, since the wiring tension on the switch meant it wouldn’t stay rotated(and actually wouldn’t let it turn completely thete)to the right place.  But that’s a simple fix, if I can find our label maker… If not, I’ll make a stencil and air brush it on; still simple.  😎