How to swell an o-ring

[gggGary]

While working on a set of carbs with float bowl seals I found this.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1854960

Interesting stuff and perhaps useful in a pinch when a new seal is not readily available.
I have followed Bob the oil guy's explorations on oil change intervals and such before.
He tends to shed light in an area usually filled with conjecture and rumor.

After trying to clean up the seals and maybe swell them, I gave up and ordered new ones. These were bad, "Bubba" had used some sort of gasket sealer on them already. It's a carb, seems like I always get punished when taking short cuts in carb work....

 

[RcRider89]

Nice info. Thanks for the link

 

[RatyXS]

Some of those chemicals may cause premature wear and cracking of the O ring though. If you use a little heat and a soft stretching method it works well, but you do need a o-ring the correct or close to correct dia.

 

[pcoumbe]

Never seen that before, that's pretty interesting, thanks Gary