| Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358835] |
Mon, 21 September 2020 19:48  |
Green machine
Messages: 184
Registered: July 2019
Location: North Vancouver BC
Karma: 5
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Hey guys,
I just pulled out my front fender wells/liners and removed all the ugly insulation. A large portion left a residue/adhesive that I’m wondering how to best remove. I tried goo b’ gone and label and sticker remover. It didn’t touch it. I plan to paint with rubber undercoating so would like a clean surface to start with. Barring any chemical suggestions, I’ll probably just attempt a gentle wire wheel on an angle grinder...
Suggestions?
TIA
Shawn Harris
North Vancouver,
Canada
1977 Palm Beach 403
|
|
|
|
| Re: Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358853 is a reply to message #358835] |
Tue, 22 September 2020 08:00  |
 |
Richard RV
Messages: 631
Registered: July 2012
Location: Full-timer for 12 years, ...
Karma: -17
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Shawn,
I've never seen a GMC that had anything at all on the front plastic wheel well liners...except patches and repairs - those didn't have insulation.
Please elaborate on exactly what you removed from where.
Richard
'77 Birchaven TZE...777;
'76 Palm Beach under construction;
‘76 Edgemont waiting its turn
|
|
|
|
| Re: Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358857 is a reply to message #358853] |
Tue, 22 September 2020 09:22 |
Green machine
Messages: 184
Registered: July 2019
Location: North Vancouver BC
Karma: 5
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Richard. Nothing to elaborate on honestly. My wheel well liners had the the same spray on insulation that is found everywhere on the coach. It was definitely from the factory. Perhaps it was a special order.
Shawn Harris
North Vancouver,
Canada
1977 Palm Beach 403
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358859 is a reply to message #358857] |
Tue, 22 September 2020 09:39 |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Shawn, GMC did not spray foam in that part of the coach. Your coach is 40
plus years old, and had a succession of owners, all who "knew better than
the factory engineers" how to insulate the engine compartment.
Ergo, spray foam in the wheel wells all over everything in the hope
that it will make the coach more comfortable and quiet.
And you are left with the sad result. Lots of GMC owners remove the
wheel liners, there should be some around that you might be able to
acquire. There is nothing but a sandblaster that will take that crap off.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon
On Tue, Sep 22, 2020, 7:22 AM Shawn Harris via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> Richard. Nothing to elaborate on honestly. My wheel well liners had the
> the same spray on insulation that is found everywhere on the coach. It was
> definitely from the factory. Perhaps it was a special order.
> --
> Shawn Harris
> North Vancouver,
> Canada
> 1977 Palm Beach 403
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358864 is a reply to message #358859] |
Tue, 22 September 2020 15:54 |
Green machine
Messages: 184
Registered: July 2019
Location: North Vancouver BC
Karma: 5
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Interesting. I pulled off a lot of that spray on stuff from the rest of the coach and this stuff seemed identical. I'll take your guys' word that it wasn't done at GM and that a previous owner had it applied it. All that aside, I guess I'll just try to remove the residue with something coarse. No sand blaster in my shop.
Thanks
Shawn Harris
North Vancouver,
Canada
1977 Palm Beach 403
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358868 is a reply to message #358864] |
Tue, 22 September 2020 19:43 |
|
Richard RV
Messages: 631
Registered: July 2012
Location: Full-timer for 12 years, ...
Karma: -17
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Shawn,
The reason I was asking for some elaboration on exactly where you removed the foam is because it's such an odd duck to foam a wheel well liner. There's no telling what was going through a PO's mind when some of the "improvements" were made. I'm assuming the foam was on the engine and top sides of the liners - if you're spraying it with bed liner perfect removal and the cosmetics probably aren't much of a concern.
If the spray foam appears to be that old it's probably pretty brittle and I'd think scraping it off might take a while but cause the least damage to the underlying plastic. Have you ever used a card scraper or scraper plane on wood? Same idea.
I think you dodged a bullet. Spray foam is very flammable and wouldn't play nicely with exhaust manifolds or headers, and forget about it if you have an engine fire. More modern spray foams might have fire retardant chemicals in the mix, but yours sounds too old for that.
Good luck with it.
Richard
'77 Birchaven TZE...777;
'76 Palm Beach under construction;
‘76 Edgemont waiting its turn
|
|
|
|
| Re: Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358871 is a reply to message #358835] |
Wed, 23 September 2020 08:31 |
Green machine
Messages: 184
Registered: July 2019
Location: North Vancouver BC
Karma: 5
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Richard,
It was actually on the wheel side of the liner not the engine side which is why I said it was ugly. It was very visible even behind the wheels. It was very brittle just like the original stuff I had already removed which is part of the reason I thought it was from the factory. The foam came off with a little elbow grease so its just the glue/residue that remains. You're right in that it doesn't need to be perfect to spray undercoat or bed liner because its sort of high build and textured so should hide most imperfections. It was just the adhesion part I was concerned about. I don't know much, but one thing I do know is that painting anything with decent results comes from proper preparation of the surface to be painted.
Good to know I dodged a bullet on a potential fire! After a full rehab on this thing it would have been a heartbreaker!
Thanks for the input.
Shawn Harris
North Vancouver,
Canada
1977 Palm Beach 403
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358884 is a reply to message #358835] |
Wed, 23 September 2020 19:17 |
Green machine
Messages: 184
Registered: July 2019
Location: North Vancouver BC
Karma: 5
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Thanks JP. I was thinking an angle grinder with a vinyl cup might work but I may not need to be that aggressive. I have a random orbit sander with plenty of grits. I'll give that a go first.
Shawn Harris
North Vancouver,
Canada
1977 Palm Beach 403
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358894 is a reply to message #358884] |
Thu, 24 September 2020 05:17 |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Shawn,
You probably shouldn't use anything that aggressive nor abrasive on wheel
well liners. They're made of thin, flexible plastic with an intentionally
slick finish so they'll shed debris easily, If you can't remove the
undercoating chemically, and DO want them (many of us in hot regions
don't), try to find some replacements. JWID.
Ken H.
On Wed, Sep 23, 2020 at 8:19 PM Shawn Harris via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> Thanks JP. I was thinking an angle grinder with a vinyl cup might work but
> I may not need to be that aggressive. I have a random orbit sander with
> plenty of grits. I'll give that a go first.
> --
> Shawn Harris
> North Vancouver,
> Canada
> 1977 Palm Beach 403
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358909 is a reply to message #358859] |
Thu, 24 September 2020 12:24 |
rallymaster
Messages: 662
Registered: February 2004
Location: North Plains, ORYGUN
Karma: -4
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Have you tried a wire brush?
Either hand operated or a slow electric powered one.
RonC
On Thu, 24 Sep 2020 06:17:59 -0400 Ken Henderson via Gmclist
writes:
> Shawn,
>
> You probably shouldn't use anything that aggressive nor abrasive on
> wheel
> well liners. They're made of thin, flexible plastic with an
> intentionally
> slick finish so they'll shed debris easily, If you can't remove
> the
> undercoating chemically, and DO want them (many of us in hot
> regions
> don't), try to find some replacements. JWID.
>
> Ken H.
>
> On Wed, Sep 23, 2020 at 8:19 PM Shawn Harris via Gmclist gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
>
>> Thanks JP. I was thinking an angle grinder with a vinyl cup might
> work but
>> I may not need to be that aggressive. I have a random orbit sander
> with
>> plenty of grits. I'll give that a go first.
>> --
>> Shawn Harris
>> North Vancouver,
>> Canada
>> 1977 Palm Beach 403
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
Ron & Linda Clark
North Plains, ORYGUN
78 Eleganza II
|
|
|
|
| Re: Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358927 is a reply to message #358900] |
Thu, 24 September 2020 19:50 |
Green machine
Messages: 184
Registered: July 2019
Location: North Vancouver BC
Karma: 5
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Yeah, on the tire side. The foam was still very much intact as well. In the corners it was about 4" thick, probably ~ 2" everywhere else. The liner is in good shape - still very pliable. Just some gouge marks from a 260 lb. guerrilla getting aggressive with foam removal using a flat prybar 
Shawn
Richard RV wrote on Thu, 24 September 2020 10:24Green machine wrote on Wed, 23 September 2020 06:31Richard,
It was actually on the wheel side of the liner not the engine side which is why I said it was ugly. It was very visible even behind the wheels. It was very brittle just like the original stuff I had already removed which is part of the reason I thought it was from the factory.
Shawn,
On the tire side of the liner...? Now that's just weird. The bullet you dodged was smaller caliber than I thought. 
Spray foam does not stand up well to any exposure. It ages out and is attacked by UV. It was a very odd application of the stuff on your coach. Insulation on the liner would tend to keep the heat contained in the engine compartment, and the liner itself wouldn't be cooled from free flowing air on both sides. Like I said, no telling what a PO was thinking.
Is the liner plastic still in good condition? I'd think that the liner would've gotten cooked from the exhaust and become very brittle.
Richard
Shawn Harris
North Vancouver,
Canada
1977 Palm Beach 403
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358938 is a reply to message #358935] |
Fri, 25 September 2020 11:17 |
Dave Stragand
Messages: 307
Registered: October 2017
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Get a kids wading pool. They are cheap and disposable.
-Dave
1978 Transmode near Pittsburgh
> On Sep 25, 2020, at 11:32 AM, Shawn Harris via Gmclist wrote:
>
> By way of a quick update...
>
> After I removed the fenders I left them outside with the inside up. Sort of like a cup if you will - except with holes. It's been raining like a SOB
> here on the west coast for days so it pooled up in some spots. Wouldn't you know it, where the water pooled the residue rubbed off with my fingers.
>
> Now to figure out how to submerge them somewhere...
>
> If i put them in the bathtub surely I would be served divorce papers shortly thereafter. :lol:
> --
> Shawn Harris
> North Vancouver,
> Canada
> 1977 Palm Beach 403
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
1978 Transmode (403)
Pittsburgh, PA
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358950 is a reply to message #358938] |
Fri, 25 September 2020 19:31 |
 |
pjburt
Messages: 436
Registered: February 2016
Location: Fresno, California
Karma: 1
|
Senior Member |
|
|
I use one when changing fluids. Put the drain pan in the pool and any drips or misses hit the pool and not the floor. Works especially well for changing Trans fluid.
Want to detail your boogies or hubs, put the pool under them and keep the floor clean.
Jerry
Dave Stragand wrote on Fri, 25 September 2020 09:17Get a kids wading pool. They are cheap and disposable.
-Dave
1978 Transmode near Pittsburgh
> On Sep 25, 2020, at 11:32 AM, Shawn Harris via Gmclist wrote:
>
> By way of a quick update...
>
> After I removed the fenders I left them outside with the inside up. Sort of like a cup if you will - except with holes. It's been raining like a SOB
> here on the west coast for days so it pooled up in some spots. Wouldn't you know it, where the water pooled the residue rubbed off with my fingers.
>
> Now to figure out how to submerge them somewhere...
>
> If i put them in the bathtub surely I would be served divorce papers shortly thereafter. 
> --
> Shawn Harris
> North Vancouver,
> Canada
> 1977 Palm Beach 403
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
Jerry Burt Fresno, CA.
73 Gmc 26' Canyon Lands
Members: FMCA - GMCMI - GMCWS
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358953 is a reply to message #358935] |
Fri, 25 September 2020 19:34 |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
|
Senior Member |
|
|
24"X36"x9" plastic mortar mix (or drywall mud) trays were $13.47 each when
I bought them at Lowes' today. You'll have to change their positions
periodically, but the lines should fit in those nicely.
Ken H.
On Fri, Sep 25, 2020 at 11:32 AM Shawn Harris via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> By way of a quick update...
>
> After I removed the fenders I left them outside with the inside up. Sort
> of like a cup if you will - except with holes. It's been raining like a SOB
> here on the west coast for days so it pooled up in some spots. Wouldn't
> you know it, where the water pooled the residue rubbed off with my fingers.
>
> Now to figure out how to submerge them somewhere...
>
> If i put them in the bathtub surely I would be served divorce papers
> shortly thereafter. :lol:
> --
> Shawn Harris
> North Vancouver,
> Canada
> 1977 Palm Beach 403
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Front fender well insulation residue removal [message #358984 is a reply to message #358953] |
Sat, 26 September 2020 19:14 |
Jp Benson
Messages: 649
Registered: October 2011
Location: Fla
Karma: 2
|
Senior Member |
|
|
It makes sense using water to soften the residue. I've seen water soaked polyiso foam and it does get quite mushy. So RobM's pressure washer idea is right on target.
That foam may not have looked very pretty but it did provide some structural integrity and might be why your fender liners don't have any cracks or splits. Mine are cracked in several places and I never reinstalled them. They do serve a very useful purpose but the upside of no fender liners is that engine heat is not trapped and it becomes very easy to inspect and access the engine compartment.
I think one of the reasons that fender liners split and crack is that they are connected to both the body and the floorboard. When the body separates from the cockpit floor (AKA chipmunk cheeks) stress occurs between the liner attachment points. So now that you've successfully removed the foam make sure that you have a good connection between the body and cockpit floor frame.
JP
|
|
|
|
GMCforum
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
