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Mon Jul 30, 2018 8:23 pm

I'm attempting to replace the door seals on my 1985 Westy.
What is the ideal method...mechanical, chemical, etc...to remove the old rubber cement sealant?

Mon Jul 30, 2018 8:35 pm

Haven't been there yet on the van, but I've used all these tricks in other applications:

https://www.hunker.com/13415254/how-to-remove-contact-cement-once-it-has-cured

- Dave

Mon Jul 30, 2018 8:43 pm

Someone on here has a better answer. Id say there is a solvent that will remove that.
You already tried the plastic putty knife?
Actually now that I think of it that stuff just peels off after 35 years in the desert sun. I think I remember it from my bay window days. Wasnt really well attached by the time the van came to me.

You need to avoid scuffing that nice finish under there.

Mon Jul 30, 2018 8:58 pm

AZ Landshaper wrote: You need to avoid scuffing that nice finish under there.

Yeah, I just pulled off what I could by hand, squirted a line of new glue into the channel over the old stuff, and stuck my door seals into place. They've been holding steady for 5 years and counting...

Mon Jul 30, 2018 9:21 pm

At some LAPS, and all auto paint supply stores you can buy 3M's Adhesive Remover. Available in aerosol and can, it can be used repeatedly to dissolve that stuff without damaging the paint under/around it.

For old stuff, you will want to keep it wet by continuously spritzing it and then when it's loosened you can scrape it off like a layer of jelly. Do a few feet at a time for the same reason - keep it wet.

Having said that, I did the same - just put new over old after wiping the old with a solvent - I think brake cleaner.

Mon Jul 30, 2018 9:52 pm

Try Goof-Off. I’ve had good luck with this on old door seal glue.

Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:13 pm

I haven't used the 3m adhesive remover on that but I did use it on rear view mirror bracket adhesive. It works great but the adhesive was only 1 year old. Be careful using it around plastic, rubber etc. The overspray ruined some plastic finish.

Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:32 pm

On a tip from a knowledgeable buddy (ragnarhairybreeks) I used a solvent called Toluene for this job. Found it at Canadian Tire, not sure where you might find it in the States.

Toluol also has the fantastic ability to thin goop-type glues, allowing you to paint the glue on very exactly when installing the doorseal that you’re replacing.

Mon Jul 30, 2018 11:08 pm

I was going to recommend xylene, aka xylol, but like tolulene it is some nasty stuff.

I've used 3M adhesive remover like Doug said, for another purpose, and that's the best and safest advice so far.

Mon Jul 30, 2018 11:35 pm

Yeah, what I like about it is it can be used over and over without paint damage, yet somehow 3M made it also satisfyingly strong.

The tolulene use for thinning - wow what a great idea. That crap is a nightmare to use precisely because it's so damn thick. Strands of it go everywhere except where you want it. Thinning and applying it with a brush would have been the shizz.

Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:45 am

Carburetor cleaner is probably Toluene. Read the ingredients. Toluene is everywhere, it's one of the solvents used in spray paint.

.....I'm afraid of Toluene. I set a fan to blow it away (and cower visibly). If not careful I get a headache from it (the next day). ---> I think <--- It took awhile to identify and accuse Toluene, but in the recent past I used it often (carb cleaner) without worry. And spray painting. And got headaches. I'm still not certain, but I think my body is telling me something so I'm currently steering clear of breathing it.

Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:31 am

Benzene is a known carcinogen, and toluene is benzene with a methyl group stuck on it.

Its nasty crap. Wear good gloves made of Viton (rubber, neoprene,nitrile, PVC) , do it outside in fresh air, and blow air on the job away from you.

Its highly flammable, flash point below room temperature.

Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:41 am

If anyone's tired of their van, I own a lighter free and clear.

Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:34 pm

Any aromatic hydrocarbon, like toluene and xylene, should only be used for cleaning if you are wearing a VOC mask. I suspect that SODO inadvertently got glue-sniffer's high from his toluene uses.

I use toluene a lot for a lot of cleaning tasks, mostly final cleaning. Most contact cements do use toluene and/or xylene in their solvents. You can actually re-activate the existing contact cement just by brushing on some toluene.

For the environmentally conscious, don't worry about disposal of toluene. You can dump the remainder into your gas tank when done. I use 10% toluene on dyno days in my turbo Audi's. Toluene is a standard gasoline fraction, but seldom used these days because prices paid by industrial users exceed what gasoline blenders will pay.

Another useless tidbit - - toluene has an octane rating of 114.