Stripping Undercoating

[Endangered Species]

What is the best way to strip undercoating besides sand or media blasting?

Is there a good chemical striper that is good to use. I am stripping my Belvedere and need to get the undercoating out from the inside rear quarters and wheel wells.

Thanks

Kevin

 

[RGAZ]

What is the best way to strip undercoating besides sand or media blasting?

Is there a good chemical striper that is good to use. I am stripping my Belvedere and need to get the undercoating out from the inside rear quarters and wheel wells.

Thanks

Kevin

Don't bother with media blast, it has a hard time getting the soft undercoating sprayed on. I took all mine off with a propane torch and a metal putty knife. It actually comes off pretty easy once the metal is heated off. It can be tedious, but heat, then scrape, heat then scrape, repeat until you get down to metal.

Eastwood has a "softener" for easier removal, but I have not tried it yet.

Here is a picture... The right fender liner is clean, the inner still has the undercoating.

 

[Domino]

Heat gun for less fumes.

 

[Pistol Pete]

Don't bother with media blast, it has a hard time getting the soft undercoating sprayed on. I took all mine off with a propane torch and a metal putty knife. It actually comes off pretty easy once the metal is heated off. It can be tedious, but heat, then scrape, heat then scrape, repeat until you get down to metal.

Eastwood has a "softener" for easier removal, but I have not tried it yet.

Here is a picture... The right fender liner is clean, the inner still has the undercoating.

That's how I've always done it (and yes, it sucks). I was in Eastwoods showroom some months back and they had a few cans of their undercoating remover on the discount rack. I asked the guy behind the counter if this stuff actually worked and he got all indignant and said "Of course it works!" Yeah, ok, sells so well it's on the $2.00 shelf. :tongueflap:

 

[74sundance]

I used a heat gun and a propane torch, both work well but wear gloves the propane torch will bite you sooner or later (Trust me) gas in a spray bottle and steal wool will remove the rest.For really fast work use a propane space heater,I did my floor with one the under coating practicaly fell off the car.

 

[Endangered Species]

Ahhh Yes the old heat gun and propane trick. I have both so at least it won't cost me much. Just never thought about using them for the undercoating..... This sure sounds fun now that it's 90 flippen degrees out.

Hey guys thanks for you help

Kevin

 

[Cranky]

I've done several cars and tried just about everything and there's really no easy and quick way but I ended up using a heat gun and did it in the middle of winter lol. Please please don't use gasoline.....there's lots of safer things to use besides that.

 

[66_B_Body4ever]

Listen to Cranky...no gas! don't become a statistic! I too have used the heat gun and propane torch. Make SURE you have good ventilation! If you can access the rear of the panel and gently heat the metal the undercoating will almost lift off at just the right temp with the least smoke inhalation...unless you like that sort of thing...

 

[Donny]

90 degrees out? And you're complaining? Come to south Texas my friend!

Media Blasting dosn't clean the undercoating off that well? Are you kidding me? I blow that stuff off like dust; especially MOPAR undercoating! Ford undercoating is a different ballgame! Here's an 'after blast' pic of a Challenger, notice no undercoating, and this car was lathered in it!

[/IMG]

Propane softens it up really well, but, I concur, use gloves, I use gloves on everything all the time!

 

[74sundance]

Yeah gas isn't the safest thing to use,I just use a fine mist from a spray bottle out side if it did ever catch fire it would go out as fast as it started lol.

 

[Endangered Species]

Listen to Cranky...no gas! don't become a statistic! I too have used the heat gun and propane torch. Make SURE you have good ventilation! If you can access the rear of the panel and gently heat the metal the undercoating will almost lift off at just the right temp with the least smoke inhalation...unless you like that sort of thing...

Thanks for the pointers. I'll keep the door open and fan going.


"90 degrees out? And you're complaining? Come to south Texas my friend! "

Donny, NO WAY!!! I don't know how you guys from the South take this crap. Give me the wind the snow and 20 below. I can always put more cloths on. :grin: It was so nice up here this February with 2 1/2 foot of snow on the ground and the tems hovering around 0. :yes: LOL

Thanks

Kevin

 

[Small Block]

I've gotta confess. Life is tough around here. Yes i'm laughing. The shop is 75 deg and the Savoy is on the rotisserie so we didn't have to lay on our backs scraping undercoating. Spray it down with diesel and go to bed. Use a heat gun tomorrow and all will be fine. No gas and no propane torch.
Small Block

 

[Donny]

If we see 50 down here, it's darn right cold! Year round shorts for me folks!

 

[morbidgoat]

another option that i used was a wire wheel on a die grinder, but it wont get every where

 

[Endangered Species]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've gotta confess. Life is tough around here. Yes i'm laughing. The shop is 75 deg and the Savoy is on the rotisserie so we didn't have to lay on our backs scraping undercoating. Spray it down with diesel and go to bed. Use a heat gun tomorrow and all will be fine. No gas and no propane torch.
Small Block


If we see 50 down here, it's darn right cold! Year round shorts for me folks!
__________________
-Donny

LOL..... Last summer was perfect, I don't think it ever hit 90, it was in the high 60's low 70's all summer. There were nights at the track where the DA was 400-500 feet. the car was flying. Dad just called me and said it was 95+ deg in Martin Mi. and the DA was 4000-5000 feet.

My lilly white legs don't get along with this blasted sun! LOL :grin:

I don't know how you guys can stand this weather. Like I said before I would rather put another shirt on or a coat. I think the last time I've seen it this hot for this long on in 1988.

Back to the undercoating, I'm going to hit it with the heat gun tonight and see how that works.

Morbidgoat, I hit it with the wire wheel on my 4" grinder the other night and it about riped the thing out of my hand. LOL... that's what got me asking if there was an easier way.

 

[morbidgoat]

i used a 90* die grinder with the little 2" wire wheel it worked pretty good but you better have safety glasses on cause it threw junk all over. but using that size wire wheel it didnt grab and jump like yours did but hey whatever works i wont ever harass someone for doing something that works

 

[Endangered Species]

i used a 90* die grinder with the little 2" wire wheel it worked pretty good but you better have safety glasses on cause it threw junk all over. but using that size wire wheel it didnt grab and jump like yours did but hey whatever works i wont ever harass someone for doing something that works

I didn't try the 90deg die grinder. I'll give that a try, Thanks!

I did start to use the heat gun... do I have to worry about warping any panels? I don't think it can get that hot but I just want to make sure before I screw somthing up I can't fix. Right now I'm working in side the trunk and I'm trying to get the coating off the inside rear quarters.

Thanks again for all your help.

Kevin