Help with gunk used to seal holes

[sangram]

Hi

Doing a wire upgrade on a pair of Sony SS-K90ED speakers. Original used 18 AWG tinned copper wire, replacing with 15 AWG speaker wire split into individual wires (not fig. 8).

The speakers have two chambers, the lower one for two 6.5" woofers and the bass port, and has a cutoff at 300 Hz (actually it's just a single 2 mH iron-cored coil in series with the woofers, so it's not much actually), and the upper one for a Kevlar midrange and a grill-faced dome tweeter.

The crossover is in the lower chamber and the wire is routed through two holes in the shelf between the chambers. There is a rubber pipe through which the wire is routed and some kind of gunk to fill in the spaces and give an airtight seal.

I could not get this compund to come off easily, only the introduction of a hot soldering iron in a very undignified manner, melted the whole thing so I could get it out. Post the upgrade, I would like to replace the compound, but haven't the faintest idea what it could be. It's the colour of snot, and has the consistency of rubber. It's impossible to remove without extreme heating.

I searched on the forums for 'Caulking', 'sealant', and 'compound', all without success. Would like to know what it's called.

My alternatives (In case I don't get the above thing) are:

1. Plumbers' epoxy putty, which sets like steel, and though tough to get off, I'm familiar with it.

2. GE Silicon sealant, which is much easier to remove, but I'm not sure of the effectiveness of the seal.

What would you use?

[lndm]

Silicone is in common use in speakers. If it is a small hole, use whatever works.

[sangram]

Hi

Silicon doesn't adhere too well to the surface, and comes off real easily. It's also albino white in colour, and is not the yellowish stuff that was originally there. Was hoping to know what everybody else uses.

Do I need the rubber tube in the hole, or can I just fill it and forget it?

[AudialDelta]

I don't know what the plastic material is, so it's tough to guess what will definitely work. But I would try regular rope caulk. You don't need a the permanent bond the epoxy, silicone, etc. would provide. A closed cell foam tape may work too. Parts Express sells the black gooey speaker sealant.

Before you try anything, clean the surface with something that will remove residue or the previous material. Alcohol may work, or acetone, paint thinner, WD40, etc. But you also want to ensure that the cleansor is fully evaporated or removed.