HAIRSPRAY it's not just for hair.

[macabethiel]

Following my shameful air filter saga I decided to tackle the cause of some very small oil staining on my driveway from the Jeep WJ.

I traced the source to the intercooler hose between the inlet manifold & the top of the heat exchanger that looked quite oily. There was a very small leak where the hose fitted into the core. I tried just tightening up the clip but to no avail.

When I pulled the hose off I could see that the hose was still in good condition so the pipe did not need replacing as I feared (£120 plus VST from Jeep, £70 on e-bay from Poland).

The connecting boss on the top was a substantial alloy outlet with the usual bell end arrangement but for some stupid reason the round profile on the connection has a machined flat on it at the top so the hose clamp has to seal around the flat as well as the round part of the connection. I tried a better clip, no joy.

Online the tip was to clean both surfaces thoroughly to remove any oil or diesel then spray the hose inside surface with Hairspray, give it a couple of coats - let it dry -refit and clamp.

It worked a treat now no blow past or leak, apparently this trick has been used for years to fit handle bar grips on motorcycles.

 

[Wallace]

Elnett wasn't just for Mods on their scooters! :augie Not heard of letting it dry first though, unless it acts like the varnish on cylinder head gaskets with heat.

 

[zippy656]

From what I remember hairspray was pva... Could be wrong.

 

[macabethiel]

Elnett wasn't just for Mods on their scooters! :augie Not heard of letting it dry first though, unless it acts like the varnish on cylinder head gaskets with heat.

I think for stuff like bike grips you slide them on as soon as you have sprayed the surface it initially acts as a lubricant, then when in place it dries.

I let the first coat dry on the inside of the hose as per the info I got off the internet, then when I applied the second coat I pushed the hose on within a minute or so afterwards. I guessed it would be the best of both worlds.

I checked it again today - all nice and dry with no sign of leaking.

 

[macabethiel]

From what I remember hairspray was pva... Could be wrong.

The list of contents on the Hairspray can is very very long probably a variant of pva in there somewhere, the good part is that you can remove the hose later on without damaging the hose. PVA is also very good as a general sealant as it gets into the pores especially on absorbent surfaces.

I considered using Spray Adhesive (Bostik type) but my worry is that it is a bit too strong and could damage the hose when removing it at a later date.

What got me looking on the internet in the first place was I know some of the MB Technicians used Spray Adhesives on water hoses at work but to be honest it always seemed a bit of an overkill.