Roof rib removal

[IdahoDoug]

Eric,

To get the residual adhesive off, get a can of 3M Adhesive Remover. It's a white can with red writing and a white top. This sets it apart from their wussy line of consumer grade stuff and you'll likely need to go to an automotive paint shop supplier. Every town has a lot of these suppliers, but you may drive past them without knowing about them unless you're in the business. It's about $10 a can but well worth it.

You spray it on a 6 inch section, count to 10, and scrape with your plastic scraper. One pass to get the thick stuff off, then come back over it using a cotton rag with nap (like a bath towel - shaggy) and repeat the spray/count to wipe off the remainder.

If the shop can't find it, let me know and I'll provide the actual product number for you. I routinely use this when I'm removing adhesive backed badges to clean off the foam tape and its residue. I use a little scraper called a "Li'l Chisler" that is plastic and has sharp edges. The only think I don't like about this oddly shaped little gem is that its pink. Junk would consider this a plus, Beowulf probably would like it more of a Chartreuse...

DougM

 

[e9999]

thanks Doug, will go see if I can find it.
Man, this rib base tape is amazing stuff. Real strong adhesive. Never seen anything like it.
E

 

[IdahoDoug]

Welcome to the world of automotive adhesives - high grade Japanese style. What the heck are you doing up this late? I'm laying in bed playing on the wireless laptop with the wife sawing wood, so it's acceptable..

DougM

 

[scottm]

She's doing what with your wood??? Time to put down that laptop. I just got back from a trip to find my son's math homework and a "help" sign. Word problems at 2:30am, but I got 'em done.....goodnight.

 

[e9999]

She's doing what with your wood??? Time to put down that laptop. I just got back from a trip to find my son's math homework and a "help" sign. Word problems at 2:30am, but I got 'em done.....goodnight.

errr, *you* did your son's math homework?

see, that's why the Japanese build better trucks...

E

 

[NorCalDoug]

...To get the residual adhesive off, get a can of 3M Adhesive Remover...

DougM

Damn! I wish I would've asked when I was removing all the adhesive gunk after yanking off the 450's body panels. It's probably the same adhesive stuff that they use on the top. I took several hours with thumbnail, razor blade, plastic putty knife and various types of goo remover. The citrusy, orange oil based stuff didn't work very well.

 

[reffug]

Thanks for posting up the pics. After looking at them and contemplating the situation I think I'll just continue to wax around them and cuss about it. Doesn't look as if taking them off would be the wisest decision at this point.

 

[Rookie2]

Or just don't wax the roof. The only time you'll see it anyways is when you're cleaning out the gutters .


Rookie2

 

[e9999]

Yo Doug,
I went to a body shop supply place just in your honor.
Got a can that fits your description. It's called "3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner" part No. 051135-08987.
That the one? Doesn't seem that it's meant only for adhesive, they also talk about wax, tar, silicone etc...
E

 

[IdahoDoug]

Yep. I just hoofed it to the garage to confirm. You'll note it's made specifically for automotive finishes though other peripheral uses are mentioned. What that means is that it will not soften the paint, fog it or in any way harm it even after repeated uses in the same spot. Prudence would dictate that you move on and come back to a spot though, just so you're not constantly soaking one spot repeatedly to the point where you might accomplish some softening. I've never seen this happen even on brand new cars with softening prone fresh paint. Yours is obviously quite cured.

So, you can really go nuts with the stuff and it will wreak havoc on the adhesive while doing nothing to the paint - great product. The basic technique is to scrape off the thick foamy stuff and only resort to wiping when there are a few thin spots here and there. Scrape the crud onto the scraper, wipe this onto a rag and repeat for maximum progress. Wiping the final residue off is only time effective once there's just a bit here and there. Did you find a plastic scraper? This helps immensely as it's the right stiffness of plastic with a quite fine edge that's been perfected for years to do this.

One caveat would be to do your utmost to clean the area physically so there's minimal grit. Any grit will leave some fine scratching in the clear coat, so clean well. No big deal if you're re-covering it, but just giving you a heads up.

DougM

 

[e9999]

thanks Doug:
You do spray it on after cutting off most of the foam with a razor blade, right? not just on top of intact foam, correct?
yes, the dirt is an issue. There is plenty under the sides of the foam, hard to remove fully. But it's the roof so a few light scratches won't matter much.
I am using a plastic scraper/spatula, probably intended for spackle. Works well and I can redo the edge easily when needed.
E

 

[IdahoDoug]

Yeah, if you've got thick foam there it's best to minimize it with a razor, etc. The 3M stuff will degrade the foam down to booger status you can deal with by scraping with a sharp plastic edge, however. Work an edge of the foam loose with the scraper, fire the spray under the lifted area and repeat.

Also, use a heavy hand creme a while before you start as a barrier to the 3M stuff which will get all over your hands. Focus on liberally applying it and getting it into the cuticles, under the nails, etc. Will minimize intrusion of the chemicals into your skin.

DougM

 

[e9999]

Yeah, if you've got thick foam there it's best to minimize it with a razor, etc. The 3M stuff will degrade the foam down to booger status you can deal with by scraping with a sharp plastic edge, however. Work an edge of the foam loose with the scraper, fire the spray under the lifted area and repeat.

Also, use a heavy hand creme a while before you start as a barrier to the 3M stuff which will get all over your hands. Focus on liberally applying it and getting it into the cuticles, under the nails, etc. Will minimize intrusion of the chemicals into your skin.

DougM

man, that stuff must be potent. I saw it has Xylene in it...

Been using gloves for so long now that I feel naked without them when working on a car....

E

 

[IdahoDoug]

Yeah, gloves are good. I don't use them on this because I hardly touch the stuff by using the scraper/rag method and any contact is incidental, and gloves mess with my dexterity. Breathing it would be a bigger concern, so use good ventilation practices.

The lotion trick works great for other things like changing the oil, etc. 95% of the oil grunge comes off easily rather than being embedded in your pores and around the nails cause they're already full of clean lotion. Some also use clean oil in the same way.

DougM

 

[scottm]

Did you try heat? My wife worked for hours getting old flooring up at my old house, got nowhere. I finally grabbed the hairdryer I'd suggested and peeled it up in minutes. Not great for marital relations, but did the job. I don't know if a hairdryer could damage the paint, I know a heat gun could.

 

[e9999]

nope, didn't try heat. But the roof was in the sun, so wasn't exactly cold to start with.
E

 

[hoser]

I removed my roof rack ribs today. I used an eraser wheel. It was fairly easy and took about 5 minutes per rib. It removes the adhesive and foam stuff easily. You can use a cordless drill or air tool. I used about 1/2 the wheel for all 4 ribs. Be sure and do it outside as it smells like... erasers and creates eraser shavings.

http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/...DUCT&iMainCat=532&iSubCat=536&iProductID=1913

 

[e9999]

good to know for next time, if I do a roof job again - NOT!
E