revilla Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 One more in the "Removing ..." series: I need to remove some fairly tough and well-attached silicone sealant from a painted surface (along the bottom edges of the scuttle panel where it sits on the side chassis rails). It resists the usual "sticky" solvents. There are various "silicone removers" available that claim to break down the polymer chain and reduce the silicone to jelly. Does anyone know of anything like this which is safe on car paintwork? Thanks, Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 2, 2016 Member Share Posted January 2, 2016 Top four of these give some (different) hints about what it is. Usual ground rules.Sounds like a comparison is needed. :-)Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F355GTS Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 We used the product below on a Ferrari front wing (fake shields had been bonded using silicone) it worked perfectly http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOND-IT-SILICONE-SEALANT-REMOVER-EATER-125ML-NON-DRIP-GEL-/360964442422?hash=item540b284936:g:umoAAOSwo8hToBkO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 @Jonathan - So sounds like a choice between benzene, toluene or the silicone remover from the DIY store, which Ian James "doesn't think" will attack the paint. Given that option 3 i) should be easy to get hold of, ii) sounds less likely to eat paint and iii) probably won't explode or kill me, I think I'll give it a try on a bit of hidden paintwork first. If it doesn't do any harm I'll try it on the silicone. Since that IVA trim thread is reasonably recent I will prod Ian to see if he has any more evidence to back up his comments. I will report back on success or failure. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 @Mark - Thanks for that. Reading the info on that product it does say that you should protect surrounding paint with masking tape which suggests it may be harmful to painted finishes. Did you have any issues with paintwork when using it? Did you actually apply it directly onto paintwork? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F355GTS Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Had no problems with the paint however we left it on only until the silicone went a bit soft then rolled it off with fingers followed by a machine polish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Roll of what you can with your thumb then use wonder wipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 Can't shift any if it at all with my thumb. It's really well stuck on. Can't even lift an edge. I had to slice it with a scalpel to get the scuttle off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICHCAT7 Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 My son works in a body shop and they use something called a toffee wheel, run in a drill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Got some Unibond Silcone Sealant Remover from B&Q.Warnings on the packet included that it was unsuitable for use on aluminium but I tried some a bit of paint that would be covered once assembled and deliberately covered a bit of bare aluminium just to see what it would do.Left it on for 3 hours - hadn't done anything to paint or metal. So it appears safe.Have now applied to the silicone to see if it does anything to that! Will report back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 3, 2016 Member Share Posted January 3, 2016 We're glued to our seats.:-)Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Pleased to report that it has eaten the silicone to soft crumbly jelly without any effect whatsoever on paintwork or aluminium, despite the warning on the packet re. aluminium. In the end I used a soft wooden cocktail stick to scrape the remaining silicone off the surface and it just peeled away and disintegrated with very little effort indeed.The packet contained a lot of health warnings about skin contact and in particular eye contact. Dibutyl hydrogen phosphate & bis(2-ethylhexyl) hydrogen phosphate. Material Safety Data Sheet. Use with care.@Jonathan - Given the above I wouldn't think it suitable for releasing you from your seat, but thanks for sticking with with me for the final gripping installment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 3, 2016 Member Share Posted January 3, 2016 Well done. It's good to know there's a solution.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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