Rant: I used a piece of bubble gum to fix a coolant line leak for a whole shift

So the main coolant line on our old 2008 Haas VF-2 started spraying a tiny jet right at a fitting last Tuesday, and we were out of the right size hose clamp. I mean, I was desperate, so I grabbed a piece of gum from my pocket, chewed it up real good, and packed it around the leak. It actually held back the spray long enough to finish the run of 50 aluminum brackets. Has anyone else ever used a truly ridiculous temporary fix that actually worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbara_moore731mo ago

Saw a video where a guy fixed a cracked radiator with an egg white, wild stuff. Your gum trick is up there.

sam_hayes31mo ago

Egg whites can work for a radiator because the heat cooks them into a seal. Gum in a machine is different, it just gets sticky and attracts more dust. That gunk can really mess up the moving parts over time.

aaron_kim461mo ago

Seriously, gum and egg whites? @barbara_moore73, I'd be worried about what that gunk does to the machine later.