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White powder around air intake??

Joined
5 November 2002
Messages
3,487
Location
MN
Guys and Gals, I am replacing my air filter today and on the inside of the rubber "hose" that goes from the airbox to the intake, there is a lot of white powdery material. This is only on the inside. Is this a normal byproduct of the rubber? It is more like grase than powder. Just wondering if I should be concerned and replace this piece. Thanks!!
 
Excellent question - I saw the same around mine right after I bought the car - I removed it & cleaned it all off.
Would love to hear some comments on the source of this ...
 
Originally posted by project13nsx:
That is basically residue from washing your car. It's probably soap/detergent that's dried up. Ot it might be the clorine from the hard water you guys use.


I'm sorry, but that sounds like a real stretch to me ....... you're saying that enough water gets sucked up the intake from the duct, into the box, through the filter & decides to deposit on the intake duct to the throttle body???? First off that would be a ton of water to deposit that much material & why selectively only on the rubber (the TB was clean)?
I think there's more likely something going on with the rubber - I suspected it might even have had something to do with the mold process & not cleaned off before assembly.
 
I asked my mechanic that question a couple of months ago and got the answer it should be there to protect the rubber from drying.
 
Originally posted by project13nsx:
That is basically residue from washing your car. It's probably soap/detergent that's dried up. Ot it might be the clorine from the hard water you guys use.


I am a little skeptical about that answer.

------------------
92 RED/BLACK 5-SPEED
 
I think it is powdered soapstone,talc or similar material probably used as a mold release agent. From my highschool days working in a rubber glove factory. It was inside of mine and I've noticed the same stuff on new NSX's as well.
 
I also noticed this white residue on the inside of the rubber intake tube last year
....I also suspected it was a rubber mold release agent and simply wiped it off. I looked into the intake today and it has not returned so it is certainly not a residue from either the engine operation or cleaning (as some have suggested) of the vehicle.
 
Totally agree with Kinan on this one
smile.gif
 
Thanks guys! I agree it sounds like some kind of protection for the rubber. Since mine is a 91 and the rubber piece is in great shape, I will leave it as is. Thanks again!
 
Can you expand on this problem, BostonNSX?
 
i may have had that problem in the eighties....:rolleyes:

snurf.ahhhhh....
cocaine.gif
 
There are two things this could be both have already been mentioned.
1. Mold Release Agent
2. Bloom

Only an chemical analysis will be able to determine what it is.
The problem is that there not enough material to do the test.

Rest assured, whatever it is, it's not a problem.



Your Friendly neighborhood Plastics Engineer,

Fox
 
Last edited:
I wish i would have known it was supposed to be there before i cleaned it out :mad:
 
nsxtcy85 said:
I wish i would have known it was supposed to be there before i cleaned it out :mad:

I think you should read the posts again... It is not a rubber protector... It is either:

1. Mold Release Agent
2. Bloom

It will not harm the rubber to remove it...
 
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