Rieco Titan motor caps disinegrating

[BlackButte]

Less than two years out the plastic caps on my jack motors were disintegrating. After a year I can see the replacements are doing the same. I imagine the UV light is doing the damage. They start sloughing powdery residue, the center of the caps start separating and if you try to remove a cap it'll crumble apart.

My unit is stored outdoors but I'd think the caps would last longer than a couple of years. If these did have to be removed to operate the jacks manually they would surely come apart and have to be replaced.

I'm thinking of trying to cover them some way to protect from the UV rays. Maybe coverring them with a same size circle of 3M tape.

Have any of you had this issue and what have you done to protect the caps?

[covered_wagon]

Nice write up on helping me to understand....I thank you.

[Bert_the_Welder]

covered wagon wrote:

I see, but why does everything have to be planned basically for the garbage. We are very wasteful. A European lady I met said that she is surprised how much low quality there is in America, that everything is very expensive in Europe, but made to last she said. I think it's cheaper in the long run to build it right in the first place. Your company's reputation will hold well too.

That's a very deep dark hole of a topic. Suffice to say, SOME European countries/people don't put up with junk when it comes to mid to major purchases. And the people and gov't hold companies to account. Unlike N.America and other second world countries where Walmort culture rules the day. It's quantity not quality. As long as one looks like they have more then there neighbour/friends then that's what counts.
Something lost on N. Americans and especially US Americans, is China produces junk because they are asked to by N.Amer. brands. Then stack that on top of hugely populated places like California, demanding everything be label as cancerous. That leads to more "eco friendly" products. But that's in appearance only. Due to using "greener" base materials to comply with Cal., products like synthetic rubbers, plastics and other former petroleum based products fail sooner. Ironically, creating more garbage. Add further to this companies now owned by stock holders who want bigger and bigger returns without thought to the down stream effects. As well, the public has allowed politicians to be bought by these corporate bodies so they are powerless and in collusion.
Etc, etc, etc.
It's a very deep, wide hole. 😄

[covered_wagon]

Bert the Welder wrote:

covered wagon wrote:
They can make plastics that last for years as my Happi Jack caps been out in the sun for 17 years and still holding. Knowing what you are saying about the Reico Titan Caps I probably would have Line-X put several coats of Bedliner on them or have stainless Steel caps Custom made

They use to make plastics that lasted for years.....
Now planned obsolescence, cheap over quality, and California declaring everything causes cancer and must contain 50% vegan edible oil product, are the guide lines.

I see, but why does everything have to be planned basically for the garbage. We are very wasteful. A European lady I met said that she is surprised how much low quality there is in America, that everything is very expensive in Europe, but made to last she said. I think it's cheaper in the long run to build it right in the first place. Your company's reputation will hold well too.

[Bert_the_Welder]

covered wagon wrote:
They can make plastics that last for years as my Happi Jack caps been out in the sun for 17 years and still holding. Knowing what you are saying about the Reico Titan Caps I probably would have Line-X put several coats of Bedliner on them or have stainless Steel caps Custom made

They use to make plastics that lasted for years.....
Now planned obsolescence, cheap over quality, and California declaring everything causes cancer and must contain 50% vegan edible oil product, are the guide lines.

[covered_wagon]

They can make plastics that last for years as my Happi Jack caps been out in the sun for 17 years and still holding. Knowing what you are saying about the Reico Titan Caps I probably would have Line-X put several coats of Bedliner on them or have stainless Steel caps Custom made

[Grit_dog]

Paint 'em.

[TxGearhead]

Krylon Fusion is made for painting plastic and works great, no prep.
Run down to your local WalMart and buy 4-6 of their kiddie Halloween candy buckets. Tie the bails to the wires for the jacks and cover the top of the jacks.

[Bert_the_Welder]

BlackButte wrote:
I like the ideas of a plastic specific paint and roughing up the surface for the paint to stick. Two of mine are so powdery I'm not sure anything will stick to them.

If the powdery-ness is just surface oxidation, should sand off. Don't need to rough up the surface very much to get the paint to stick. But definitely hit up R/T for free replacements first. Worth a shot. Then you can start fresh with paint on the new ones.

[BlackButte]

I like the ideas of a plastic specific paint and roughing up the surface for the paint to stick. Two of mine are so powdery I'm not sure anything will stick to them.

[Bert_the_Welder]

Rustoleum makes a spray paint that works with plastic. See if R/T will send you new ones.
Pretty sad quality and sad you have to paint them. Maybe a tin foil hat over them when in storage.

[BlackButte]

Rieco did send me new ones along wiht a replacement motor when one of mine failed just inside of the warranty peiod. Their customer service was great for me at that time. I do like the way the powdercoating is holding up comparred to the Happijacs I had. It is also nice not to have to fight the rust on the inner tubes like I had to with the Happijacs.

But I do have to agree with dhull that the nice folks at Rieco dropped the ball big time on the caps they are continuing to use. When you buy a dog you shouldnd't have to pay for the fleas... and then keep paying for them...and pay again.

Thanks for the great ideas and info.

[dhull]

Mine did same. I called them on it. They said I could get new ones. I said I wasn't going to pay to replace them every 2 years, I'd put soup cans on them first. They did send me a free set! Yeah I'm now putting the 303 on them. It's just ultra cheap plastic! I have a 1970 aluminum Gamefisher boat sitting out back that has a plastic emblem on it now only riveted on at one end that you can still bend. It's not brittle! So don't tell me you can't make good plastic...

[jdc1]

How about using that stuff that they advertise on late night shows, FlexSeal?

[Kayteg1]

303 is great on rubber and fiberglass.
For plastic I'd paint it. I did it on my swimming pool valve cover.
Might be good idea to sand it a bit and clean with alcohol before painting.