body and interior Heater box rebuild question

[Gordon]

In the FAQ heater box rebuild tech article, it gives parts needed to rebuild the heater box.  I've been in my heater box numerous times (in numerous 02's) over the years but I've never replaced the flap bushings/grommets.  I was in my heater box last year due to a leaky heater core but decided at the time not to replace the bushings/grommets.  Hindsight is easy, now I wish I had done it all at the same time since I have hot air leaking into the cabin.

 

Grommets, 6 ea. rubber, 7/16" outside diameter, 5/16" groove diameter, 3/16" bore, 1/32" groove width; note that grommets are available in different materials. Harder materials are better for this application [flap hardware pivot bushings]

 

Question, where do you find grommets/nylon bushings in this size. I've been to numerous hardware stores and the closest I could come was in attached pics. The nylon bushings I found are close but don't fit right.

 

G-Man

[jerry]

i've used rubber grommets found in the electrical section of your favorite hardware store.  having nylon or delrin bushings is overkill, i think.  nice to have, but, really?

[jgerock]

As Jerry said, use rubber grommets.  Maybe someone with a 3D printer can replicate these little bushings if they can find an intact set to examine.

[harold]

I found these bushings from McMaster-Carr.  They were not too tight on the shafts, and I lubed them with silicone grease on the ID.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#9600K108

 

These are rubber grommets.  The ID, though, is 13/64, just a hair over 5mm.  The ones with 3/16 ID that I tried previously did not allow the 5mm shaft to pivot freely

Edited May 2, 2016 by harold
Clarification

[echappe]

did you buy 50?

[harold]

Uh.. yes..   Need some?  I have a few left . (I also first bought 100 of a slightly different size which was too tight on the shafts - 9600K39.)

 

Harold.

[Gordon]

Harold, If I don't find any grommets at my local ma & pa hardware store (they've got everything), I'll be contacting you.

 

G-Man

[JohnS]

I ended up using the rubber grommets like others have done.  I found some nice nylon bushings that fit the shaft, but I couldn't slide them over the bends in the shaft, so just went with the rubber ones.

John

[worzella]

Not sure this is proper FAQ etiquette, but I saw this flash up as an ad as I was using the site, and I did not know a source was out there for a heater box rebuild. So I just wanted to post this on a random heater box thread for posterity.