Anyone come up with easy makeshift substitute for Air Cleaner box Grommets?
05-30-2020, 05:56 PM
#1
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Join Date: 09-16-2014
Location: Calgary, AB Canada
Posts: 128
Anyone come up with easy makeshift substitute for Air Cleaner box Grommets?
I've got a 2008 HHR SS. I just pulled the air cleaner box off to have a look at and clean the spark plugs. Doing that destroyed two of the three grommets. The part number for the ones used on the Turbo is 25920906 but they're similar to those used in all the other HHR models.
I need to get this car back on the road quick and make a long road trip quite asap. Since SS HHRs are so uncommon around here I'm going bet none of the dealers stock the part and they will have to order them in from somewhere. I don't have that kind of time to wait. I need to figure out something makeshift and quick. Has anyone come up with a McGyver substitute/makeshift jury rig fix of some kind that works okay?
The more I deal with dumb design issues on this car, the more respect for GMs engineering I lose. I love driving the car but these stupid little design and material selection problems are frustrating.
I need to get this car back on the road quick and make a long road trip quite asap. Since SS HHRs are so uncommon around here I'm going bet none of the dealers stock the part and they will have to order them in from somewhere. I don't have that kind of time to wait. I need to figure out something makeshift and quick. Has anyone come up with a McGyver substitute/makeshift jury rig fix of some kind that works okay?
The more I deal with dumb design issues on this car, the more respect for GMs engineering I lose. I love driving the car but these stupid little design and material selection problems are frustrating.
05-30-2020, 06:17 PM
#3
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Join Date: 10-13-2011
Location: Welland,Ont Canada
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I found these here in Niagara Falls, Ontario
https://www.fallsgmpartsworld.ca/oem...lator-25920906
or generic grommets from Home Depot as FMG suggests
https://www.fallsgmpartsworld.ca/oem...lator-25920906
or generic grommets from Home Depot as FMG suggests
05-30-2020, 06:18 PM
#4
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Join Date: 05-01-2014
Location: California
Posts: 7,819
2 of mine are in bad shape, but the airbox isn't going anywhere. It's insulated from the intake manifold/valve cover.
Like FMG says, you could try a hardware store. I wouldn't be too hopeful to find one that works. Perhaps they'll have a rubber cork that can be modified. Post #336 here, I bought one and modified it for a different purpose. https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/2-0l...-54350/page34/
Perhaps get new metric bolts to replace the studs, drill holes in the appropriate spots, and sandwich the airbox floor between two rubber washers? I drilled 2 holes in this thread. https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...rbox-ss-56180/
Call your local dealer's parts department, you might be surprised how quickly they can get them.
Like FMG says, you could try a hardware store. I wouldn't be too hopeful to find one that works. Perhaps they'll have a rubber cork that can be modified. Post #336 here, I bought one and modified it for a different purpose. https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/2-0l...-54350/page34/
Perhaps get new metric bolts to replace the studs, drill holes in the appropriate spots, and sandwich the airbox floor between two rubber washers? I drilled 2 holes in this thread. https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...rbox-ss-56180/
Call your local dealer's parts department, you might be surprised how quickly they can get them.
05-30-2020, 09:36 PM
#7
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Join Date: 09-16-2014
Location: Calgary, AB Canada
Posts: 128
Well, I came up with a McGyver solution using materials and items I had at hand. I think it might work pretty well but it'll depend if the materials will hold up to the heat it will be subjected to. Does anybody know what sorts of temperatures those grommets see up there where they're located? Keep in mind, this engine is a Turbo so may run a little hotter than the NA mills.
It this works it'll be a way to replace those grommets for literally next to nothing.
It this works it'll be a way to replace those grommets for literally next to nothing.
06-02-2020, 09:17 PM
#8
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Join Date: 09-16-2014
Location: Calgary, AB Canada
Posts: 128
Well, first good test of the McGyver Solution I came up with and it seems to work. Drove the car back and forth across town at least 20 -25 minutes each way. Plenty of time to get engine up to normal operating temp. The material I used seems to have held up fine to the heat it was subjected to.
I won't have any time to photograph and document what I did for quite some time but if people are interested in carrying this experiment on as well, I will tell you the material I used to fashion my low-cost McGyver grommets.
To be a true mcGyver solution, you have to make use of materials you've got at hand in plenitude so I looked around and what I saw were a lot of empties.
As such, I made my two-piece replacement grommets out of artificial cork!
I used disks I cut (with a razor knife) out of Costco Kirkland Silver Tequila corks which are wide diameter for the base parts of the grommets and Costco Kirkland Gin corks which are narrower for the top parts of the grommets.. I drilled 3/8" holes through the disks for the mounting studs to go through. On one of the grommets I made, I also fashioned a hold down tab with the beer can tab which I opened at one end with a couple cuts made with a pair of side-cutters to make it work like a circlip. It'll be a few weeks before I'll be able to take photos and explain how I made my grommets but at least people now know what material I used and that it seems to work. If they sit and think about it awhile, they may be able to work out what I did or maybe come up with alternative solutions using the same material.
In a couple days I'm going to take the car on a several hour trip over the Rocky Mountains. The engine will really have to work in some of the passes. After that trip I'll know for sure if that material holds up to the heat under tough/high engine heat conditions but so far it looks like it will. The other unknown here is how will the material hold up over the long term. Only way to know is to test it. With any luck, the material will hold up and last a lot longer than the material the GM grommets are made of.
I won't have any time to photograph and document what I did for quite some time but if people are interested in carrying this experiment on as well, I will tell you the material I used to fashion my low-cost McGyver grommets.
To be a true mcGyver solution, you have to make use of materials you've got at hand in plenitude so I looked around and what I saw were a lot of empties.
As such, I made my two-piece replacement grommets out of artificial cork!I used disks I cut (with a razor knife) out of Costco Kirkland Silver Tequila corks which are wide diameter for the base parts of the grommets and Costco Kirkland Gin corks which are narrower for the top parts of the grommets.. I drilled 3/8" holes through the disks for the mounting studs to go through. On one of the grommets I made, I also fashioned a hold down tab with the beer can tab which I opened at one end with a couple cuts made with a pair of side-cutters to make it work like a circlip. It'll be a few weeks before I'll be able to take photos and explain how I made my grommets but at least people now know what material I used and that it seems to work. If they sit and think about it awhile, they may be able to work out what I did or maybe come up with alternative solutions using the same material.
In a couple days I'm going to take the car on a several hour trip over the Rocky Mountains. The engine will really have to work in some of the passes. After that trip I'll know for sure if that material holds up to the heat under tough/high engine heat conditions but so far it looks like it will. The other unknown here is how will the material hold up over the long term. Only way to know is to test it. With any luck, the material will hold up and last a lot longer than the material the GM grommets are made of.