I have some damage on the plastic bumper of my 1976 LM27. I would like to repair some cracks. Does anyone know what is the material of the bumper? How to repair?
I believe the material is butyl rubber and there are several firms that will supply a new profile on the internet, however, the ends have to be welded together and the new rubber needs to be slightly smaller than the circumference and stretched into position so it's not a job you can easily do yourself if you have to replace it completely.
The rubber is a "D" profile with a rebate to accept the hull to deck joint. This, together with the slight tension, locates the rubber into position and there is no adhesive used.
You should be able to repair it with Sikaflex 290DC as long as the cracks are not too extensive and the profile is not already sagging off the boat. As the rubber is under slight tension every crack will tend to slacken it somewhat .
Mask off the GRP above and below the repair area, inject the Sikaflex into the cracks as far as possible and fair off with an old credit card or somesuch before it sets. Once set you can also pare the excess with a stanley knife blade.
Regards
Mick
Last Edit: Sept 11, 2020 18:52:47 GMT by oceandancer
Good Evening. I'm from Granada (Spain). I have to replace the plastic bumper of my 1978 LM27 and I can't find it in my area. Can you tell me any firm which sell this?.