Someone told me to spray with WD-40 before storage to help protect them. Others say silicone spray, others say absolutly nothing. What is the consensus?
Re: Spraying bellows with...............to extend the life?
The last thing you want to use is WD40. Any petroleum based product is murder on rubber. Silicone will not hurt it and may help protect it from one of it's major enemies, ie, ozone. However, as mentioned above, the best is to keep it relaxed by leaving your outdrive down.
Re: Spraying bellows with...............to extend the life?
Every Spring and fall ,I put a pair of rubber gloves on and coat every nook ,crany,and fold in my bellows with marine grease.Inside and out.Has kept my bellows in like new condition without a single barnacle.Charlie
Re: Spraying bellows with...............to extend the life?
The rubber billows are oil resistant, you get some oil sling inside from the u-joints and thus the billows are designed to have oil/grease on them. Keep the sun off them and in the relax position. I think 5 yrs is too soon to replace but depend on what they look like and the environment. Mine is only in the water about 20-25 days a year the rest of the time it stays inside with the outdrive down. Very little sun exposure and they still look fine after 5 yrs.
Never sprayed with anything.
