Hi everyone. I need some suggestions for a solvent. Acetone works in this application, but not well.
I have a piece of interior trim that had a rubberized coating from the factory. The rubber must have started to peel. The PO masked off a key area with factory lettering that needed to be conserved, then re-sprayed the rest of the piece with a thick, [edit: black], tar-like substance I can't ID. It is slightly tacky and can be scraped with a fingernail but it doesn't come off cleanly.
The trim would be $$ to replace because it's unique to a low-production model, so that's a no-go.
I want to mask off the same area, strip the piece, and re-spray with probably plasti-dip to emulate the factory finish. The finished piece doesn't have to be perfect, just a couple of steps above bodge, which it is now.
Acetone cuts whatever this goo is, but mostly makes a mess. What else should I try? Paint thinner? Brake-kleen? Napalm? (I kid about the brake cleaner)
if it is a bedliner type product I know brake fluid will take is off. Have you tried heat to get the stuff off?
i'd try mineral spirits first. it's pretty tame compared to stuff like acetone.
An unknown fluid on the interior? Better get your csi kit...
Try waterless hand cleaner on a rag. The type without grit. Cleans more stuff quickly and easily than you would imagine.
Thanks for the suggestions. The score so far:
Hand sanitizer- not much effect.
Goof off - works about as well as acetone.
Goo Gone gel - meh, not that great.
Isopropyl alcohol - no effect.
Methylene chloride based paint remover, use neoprene gloves. Black stuff is likely mastic.
In reply to conesare2seconds:
Not this:
This:
M2Pilot
HalfDork
10/24/16 11:05 p.m.
Can you cover it with dry ice long enough for it to become brittle & chip it off?
Try straight water. Let it soak for a minute then wipe.
I've found many times the mysterious tar like substance is gunk and dead skin from fingers and such. Very common on steering wheels, door panels and around switches. Water dissolves it, but it does take a good bit to get it all off.
Quick update. Citristrip did the job. I sanded the piece lightly, wiped down with isopropyl alcohol and sprayed a few coats of Rustoleum peelable rubber coating.
On the plus side, the coating looks nice and very close to stock. However, the 800-grit I used wasn't equal to the task. Also, I must have gotten a coat too heavy in places because the finish cracked here and there. There is also an area where one of the strippers, probably Goof Off, attacked the plastic piece itself.
No biggie. The proof of concept is sound. I'll sand it properly and refinish again.
WD40 is the first thing I would try
