Shifter cane vibration isolator - Anyone know anything about cast-able rubber?

[lelandEOD]

I’m installing a 70 series five-speed into my –40. I had to heat and bend the shifter cane at the base to clear my Tuffy console. Doing so seems to have damaged the rubber isolator (despite my application of thermal paste) so I will need to find a solution. I’m thinking of scraping/melting out the existing rubber and re-casting the upper cane onto the base.
I’m looking for feedback from those who know more about room temperature vulcanizing compounds than myself.
My Google-foo has not turned up much on this topic so I’m hoping someone can point me to a more appropriate material than a big tube of auto store RTV.
Your thoughts and feedback are appreciated!

 

[secretsquirrel]

I do some casting at work. I am not familiar with the part the your looking to remake. We use a few differant companies for our casting materials. There is Hapco, Inc. | Formulating the Future™ , Mold Making & Casting Materials | Rubbers, Plastics, Foams & More!. off the top of my head. I would look at hapco they have a pretty good range materials.

 

[Engineer8000]

I glued mine back together a while back with shoe goo rubber cement. So far it is holding tight.

 

[lelandEOD]

My concern is that, FIPG, for example, squeezed into the shifter cane’s interior void may not harden correctly (???). I’m looking at a few epoxy type materials to see if anything looks suitable as well.

Aircraft Spruce carries an aviation fuel tank/fuselage sealant that I’ve used in the past but at $120/pt, it’s quite the expensive experimental proposition!

 

[DSRTRDR]

Eastman has black stuff that you can form into any shape, vulcanizes in place with time - like for a grommet, but it is designed to stand up to the heat in an engine compartment, so might work for your purposes

 

[lelandEOD]

Eastman has black stuff that you can form into any shape, vulcanizes in place with time - like for a grommet, but it is designed to stand up to the heat in an engine compartment, so might work for your purposes

Do you know the product name? Looks like Eastman is a big petrochemical supplier and I'm having trouble finding retail products. What you are describing is pretty much what I'm after. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Cromagnon]

I have used castable rubbers from Smooth-On.com for making molded handles and strain releifs on custom electrical cables. They offer many different durometers and you can make it any color you desire. The most difficult part is making a suitable mold to hold the cane. Using plumbers putty to seal the area where the cane goes thru the mold may be an option (it worked on the electrical cables.)

 

[lelandEOD]

Perfect lead; thank you! I'm looking at their vytaflex line of urethane rubber. It looks like Amazon carries small quantities as well so GTG there. What kind of hardness level do you guys think would be most appropriate for the shifter cane? Too soft and I'd imagine I'd get a squishy/sloppy gear engagement feel; too hard and I suppose I'd just defeat the purpose of the isolator to begin with. Thoughts?

Something like this?
Amazon.com Vytaflex 60

 

[Cromagnon]

I have never looked at the vibration dampener so I do not have any idea how hard it is. There is a good article on determining hardness at Durometer Shore Hardness Scale . At the bottom of the page there are several examples of common items to help in an approximation. Shore 60A is between a pencil eraser and tire rubber. Let us know what you end up using.