Suggestions on plugging holes

[wrb3004]

Hello, I am running a 6' lightning cord extension cable from the rear trunk to the glove box so I can have better access to my phone. I need to drill a hole both into the trunk and into the glove box. After I want to plug these holes somehow. I could use some household caulk but was wondering if there was something better, not sure what is on the market.
Thanks for your help
Wayne

 

[Road-Kill]

1. Go to Lowes for the caulk. They offer everything you need and its in the paint area.:thumbup:
2. Be careful about drilling holes. We have had a few members accidently drill through wires, radiators etc.:yikes:

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

REMEDIES

1. Go to Lowes for the caulk. They offer everything you need and its in the paint area.:thumbup:
2. Be careful about drilling holes. We have had a few members accidently drill through wires, radiators etc.:yikes:

#1.- use a piece of " Gorilla " tape, it has the best adhesive of any tape I've ever used OR glue a small piece of plastic over the hole, CAULK won't stay in a thin plastic hole .......#2.- I actually did this Mod, and recommend removing the out-side panel so you can see the plastic structure of the glove box, it isn't flat, it has large ribs you don't want to drill thru, and there aren't any wires in the right side area ...... #3 - I used the OEM radio harness, I was able to strip out the MP-3 type cable from the rear trunk and put it forward into the glove-box ..... Mike :thumbup:

 

[MR. H1956]

After you drill the holes get a piece of rubber and glue it over the holes and cut a slit just small enough to run the wire thru so its tight around the wire so it no water will leak thru. Caulk is just so messy and tends to get hard and cracks and comes loose from what its stuck to when it drys out.

 

[asp125]

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1...1.64.psy-ab..0.1.123...0j0i24k1.0.17gvrzH2tv0

Small rubber solid grommet, and cut the smallest slit in it to pass the wire through, then smear a dab of RTV silicone sealant around the wire to seal it. Riding through a rainstorm, the smallest unsealed opening will let water seep through, or one day you'll be washing the bike and accidently aim the hose at the opening.

 

[MR. H1956]

P.s. when you drill the holes make sure to put tape over the plastic where the drill spot is.That way it won't crack while your drilling the holes and yes a good sharp bit.

 

[robhowen]

Get a plug

I suggest you determine a range of sizes for your hole, such as 1/4 to 1/5 inch (just an example). When you have a sense of your sizes, go to Ace Hardware, or other source, and look for a plastic plug something like the attached photo. Cut an "X" slit in your plug cap to push the cable through. The benefit of this method is that it will both hold the cable (the X slit grips against the cable) and protect from the elements. You may still want to use a drop of silicone or RTV inside the cap if you want improved protection from the elements.

Rob

Hello, I am running a 6' lightning cord extension cable from the rear trunk to the glove box so I can have better access to my phone. I need to drill a hole both into the trunk and into the glove box. After I want to plug these holes somehow. I could use some household caulk but was wondering if there was something better, not sure what is on the market.
Thanks for your help
Wayne

 

[wrb3004]

Thanks everyone

I didn't think about using a rubber grommet and I didn't know there was a Gorilla tape. The end of the lightning cable isn't very big. I don't think the hole needs to be much bigger than maybe 3/8". I like the idea of using a rubber plug and cut a slit in it. Thanks again.

 

[UtahPete]

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1...1.64.psy-ab..0.1.123...0j0i24k1.0.17gvrzH2tv0

Small rubber solid grommet, and cut the smallest slit in it to pass the wire through, then smear a dab of RTV silicone sealant around the wire to seal it. Riding through a rainstorm, the smallest unsealed opening will let water seep through, or one day you'll be washing the bike and accidently aim the hose at the opening.

This is the cleanest, most workmanlike way to go about it, I think.

You can get a nice assortment of them for $8.50 at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/RAM-PRO-Asso...e=UTF8&qid=1517510010&sr=1-5&keywords=grommet

 

[PistonBlown]

Personally I'm a fan of Sugru (https://sugru.com/) for this sort of thing.

If you've not come across it before imagine play-doh that dries to a hard rubber that's heat and cold resistant. It's comes in various colours and you can blend it to colour match.

On my Spyder I've used it to:

• Seal around the power outlet I added to my dash
• Seal around the cables that ran for my indicators and rear light when I changed my back fender
• Created rubber mounts for my pannier frame to stop it cracking from vibrations on gravel roads
• Create a dust cover for a bleed value on my hand brake conversion
• Repair a hole in the seat cover

 

[wrb3004]

Personally I'm a fan of Sugru (https://sugru.com/) for this sort of thing.

If you've not come across it before imagine play-doh that dries to a hard rubber that's heat and cold resistant. It's comes in various colours and you can blend it to colour match.

On my Spyder I've used it to:

• Seal around the power outlet I added to my dash
• Seal around the cables that ran for my indicators and rear light when I changed my back fender
• Created rubber mounts for my pannier frame to stop it cracking from vibrations on gravel roads
• Create a dust cover for a bleed value on my hand brake conversion
• Repair a hole in the seat cover

Wow, can do a lot with this product. Thanks for the info.

 

[4 MARIE]

After you drill the holes get a piece of rubber and glue it over the holes and cut a slit just small enough to run the wire thru so its tight around the wire so it no water will leak thru. Caulk is just so messy and tends to get hard and cracks and comes loose from what its stuck to when it drys out.

or use a GROMMET...duh

 

[ofdave]

If the wire being run from back to front is going through the holes being drilled, they will not be "plugged".
If they were plugged then nothing could go through them, right?
As 4marie said, "use a grommet"
most hardware stores carry them in a variety of sizes.

 

[Little Blue]

Hole Plugs

All very Good Tips. :thumbup: Remember Take your Time and It Should Go Well. Have Fun :yes:

 

[AY4B]

My Garmin 590 harness has a USB cable built in. When we installed the GPS, we just zip tied the port right on my Phone mount base. I got a short 6" lightning cable to make the connection to the Iphone. You can also wire in a USB port from any accessory wire on the bike. No need to run a cable all the way from the back.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Are you using your phone for music, streaming, or the like? If so, don't drill, don't mess with wires! Get a Bluetooth receiver and plug it into the audio input in the trunk and pair your phone to it. That's what I do with my extra phone I using for streaming. Mount your phone on the handlebar and it's right there where you can control it easy!

 

[stevencovert]

Grommet for sure!

This is the cleanest, most workmanlike way to go about it, I think.

You can get a nice assortment of them for $8.50 at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/RAM-PRO-Asso...e=UTF8&qid=1517510010&sr=1-5&keywords=grommet

I used grommets in several places to run cables. Once you have the length you want inside the glovebox the nice thing is pushing the grommet into place seals the wire and the slit you made also seals up well. The wife has a can of adhesive spray (rubber cement) for her crafts, I sprayed a bit onto junk plastic and used a QTip to dab on the grommets for insurance! Stays flexible. Don't want any excuses for dealer to say I messed anything up to get around a warranty claim! :agree:

 

[wrb3004]

Thanks everyone. I searched Lowe's, Running's and Ace Hardware for the right size grommets with no luck. I was actually looking for a solid rubber 3/8" grommet but I could only find on Ebay. At Lowe's I did find a 1 1/4" rubber washer with a 3/16" hole. I removed the right rear speaker and drilled a 3/8" hole into the trunk just below the radio connection. I already had the side panel off to change the oil filter so I drilled a 3/8" hole into the glove box. After running the lightning cable I cut a slit on one side of the washers and pushed the wire into the center hole of the washer. Then using a product called RAPIDFUSE All Purpose Adhesive I bonded the washer to both the inside of the glove box and the trunk. I then sealed the backside of each hole with a silicon caulk. I think it came out and looks good.