In relation to my other thread about dual zone swapping, I'm trying to figure out what kind of plastic this housing is made from so I can enact a permanent repair, I'm trying to find a solvent that will actually melt the plastic as it's proven to be resistant so far testors plastic cement, Acetone and Lacquer thinner, all these solvents do is make the plastic nice and clean lol.

It's really a minor repair, and at this point it's really more about just determining what plastic this is.

 

What kind of repair did you have in mind here? Maybe using a soldering iron to melt the plastic? I am actually kinda surprised the Testors didn't do the job......

 

I broke off this little locking tab taking apart the box, it's kind of insignificant really because the piece it's holding is sandwiched between the two halves of the box.

But it's spawned a discussion on a miniature modelling group about the different ways to repair or bond plastic and what kind of plastic it actually is to see if there's a solvent that will make an actual bond between the plastic, and what type of adhesion methods would stand up to 15+ more years of thermal cycles in summer heat and Canadian winter cold.

Like I said it's pretty insignificant and it's more about the discussion at this point.
So far I haven't been able to determine which kind of plastic this could be and I don't want to break off more pieces of it to do a burn test lol.

 

Don't plastic parts of that nature generally have a casting stamp, or some such, stating what variety of plastic it is, and if its recyclable?

 

I thought so too, but I've had the entire thing apart and there doesn't seem to be any kind of stamp on it anywhere

 

throw the clip out and forget it. best plastic bonding agent i have seen is the 10, 30 or 90 second expoxys that bodyshops use. find a bodyshop supply store. its expensive.. $50 and requires a specific caulking gun and tips that mix the expoxy.

 

Some people just don't get it I guess

 

I don't know of any repair that will be strong as the original plastic. It's just too small a piece to glue or plastic weld and have it not break again. Will a screw though the housing work?

 

I think I might pin it if I can figure out a good way to do so. It's a modelling technique where you insert pins into the parts before bonding them. it would hold well enough to hold up, but it's almost like surgery lol.

 

what i do get is the clip surface area is to small and irregular for any method to fix including pinning. bonding the hvac box will work. ford did it right from factory on the 90's taurus. if the box needs to be reopen you cut the box.