Removing silicone from wheels

[Marius]

I´m currently about split up my three-piece Image wheels again as I want to get the center part painted in a different colour.

 

Any tricky advise on how to remove all those bits of silicone-sealing on the rims ? The center part will be sand-blasted anyway, so no problem here. I already tried a sharp blade but it takes ages to do it properly.

 

Any ideas ??

 

Marius

 

 

[Nigel Riches]

Marius if the silicone sealant is the common or garden variety then you may find Benzene (not petrol, pure benzene) or Toluene will soften and remove it, go careful as both are highly flammable and toxic, both vapour and in contact, Regards Nigel.

 

or try this linkhttp://www.gesealants.com/sealants/diy/library/usingsealants/cured.shtml

could be safer than I have suggested

[popuplights]

You can get silicone sealant remover, I used some at the weekend in the kitchen. It was a brown goo in a tube. smear it on, wait a couple of hours and you can just wipe the silicone off. ISTR the stuff I used was made by corning.

 

Paul

[stevefoster]

Be careful the remove stuff isn't ali/mag corrosive. I will be trying so tonight on ali so can let you know.

 

/Steve

 

My racing pics, 7 DIY, race prep. Updated often here

Photo's of the year here

Hants (North) and Berkshire Area club site here

 

[Foxy Smith]

Ordinary white spirit will soften and breakdown most silicone sealants. Give it 5 mins or so contact and then scrub off with 3M non-woven abrasive pad. Won't touch ally, can't see likely to do Mg much harm either.

[heavenly7]

Benzene will work well however it is carcinogenic and should be used with extreme caution although chemist amoung you may well remember sprinkling it around the lab 20 years ago!