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Showing results for tags 'rubber grommet'.
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I don't get much time to do anything on my P15, so just little projects is all I can tackle. I dismantled an old HP printer recently (to separate what can go to the landfill, and what is considered toxic waste, like the circuit boards), and saw the rubber paper feed rollers, and had an idea of a way to use them. Made a mandrel and chucked it up in my drill, then shaped the roller into what I need to replace the grommet that fits into the headlight bucket. The original wiring harness was molded in one piece - the grommet and the rubber sheath over the wires was cast in one go. I was already planning to run the ground wire back to the terminal block (instead of screwing it down at the headlight housing) and some time ago i found some new 3-wire heavy gauge stranded electrical wire (with a strand count similar to the original wiring) in the dumpster behind the local hardware. Rubber coated, not plastic like most of what you see being sold now-a-days. But I still needed the grommet. These paper feed rollers are just a hair smaller diameter than the original MoPar grommet, so it was a good match. In the picture, from left to right, is an original paper feed roller, my first attempt (I got the groove too deep & too wide on this one), the first successful one, then the original harness and the jig I turned it on. (On the first try I didn't have a lock nut on the jig, and the resistance of the wood rasp I used to make the rough cut spun the grommet a bit, and that tightened the nut, which compressed the rubber roller, which I didn't notice until I stopped the drill for a look-see, and the rubber was really pushed out of shape, and the saws-all blade I was using to cut the groove went too wide. Used the same blade on the second one, but the lock nut prevented the rubber roller just tight enough to keep it from spinning on the jig.) Now, will this type of rubber last? That's something I do not know how to evaluate. But if someone manufactures these, I've certainly never seen them available anywhere. And, should I coat the surface with silicone rubber?