Spray Adhesive Nightmare!

[birdmanp]

Previous owner stripped the Weekender interior, and covered the ENTIRE interior with speaker box carpet. Removing the carpet has been tough, but the residue is a problem. Anyone have any experience with something like this? I have tried the wife's nail polish remover, brake cleaner, carburetor cleaner, and Goo Gone. This stuff is on so thick, that none of those make a dent in them. I tried a steel wire wheel, but it removes paint along with the adhesive. I think it needs some form of gel to put on it and "soak" for several minutes, then scrape off with plastic putty knife. Can anyone recommend a product or method?

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'71 Bus (ex weekender someone stripped - in process of converting to "8" passenger)

Millwright/Rigging comes natural to me. I guess I am just used to fitting big things in small places.
Clarkson Industrial Contractors

[busdaddy]

Heat gun and a plastic scraper followed by a 3M stripe eraser wheel and maybe laquer thinner.
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[birdmanp]

I thought about using the stripe remover wheel, but figured the screw holes and sheet metal edges would eat it alive. I hadn't thought about the heat gun...on my way to garage now!
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'71 Bus (ex weekender someone stripped - in process of converting to "8" passenger)

Millwright/Rigging comes natural to me. I guess I am just used to fitting big things in small places.
Clarkson Industrial Contractors

[Hoody]

Get yourself a respirator and s gallon of Xylene. I would have some fans set up from afar to move the air. Work in square foot areas at a time. Paint it on and it should eat right through it. I would use a plastic scraper. Test it in a area that doesn't matter first to see if it removes the paint. Good luck!

[birdmanp]

Okay, so the heat gun works to remove all the leftover fuzz, but by the time it gets hot enough to peel the glue off, a plastic scraper will melt, and a metal putty knife takes the paint off with the glue. Off to the store to get some xylene or gel Goo Gone.
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'71 Bus (ex weekender someone stripped - in process of converting to "8" passenger)

Millwright/Rigging comes natural to me. I guess I am just used to fitting big things in small places.
Clarkson Industrial Contractors

[wcfvw69]

I 'think' it was acetone that removed old glue and residue for me. I've also had luck with Goof off as well. It removed the original carpet glue on my 67 that was 50 years old. I let it soak and it did take some elbow grease.
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[alman72]

wont the xlylene take the paint off too?

[williamM]

OR- you could be the dirty rotten PO who just glued over top of the old glue- (apologies to "stock natzi" )-- some times I'd rather adjust valves-
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[slave1pilot]

Did you try Adhesive Remover?
3M makes some. I've used it before for tape residue
It doesn't harm the paint.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQYA7W/ref=s..._i=desktop
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Currently:
1963 Ragtop Beetle
Previously:
1967 Beetle
1968 Beetle
1970 Beetle

[notchboy]

Acetone in a spray bottle and a rag. Lots of rags.
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[alaskadan]

Most of those things will eat paint. Glue residue really sucks when you are tryin not harm paint below. Mineral spirits shouldn't hurt paint but needs time to work. Soak a rag in it and clip it up over an area to work. Plastic over that helps limit evaporation too. I had to get the old glue off the roof of my van where the mouse habitrail insulation was. Pita but I wasn't worried about the paint.

[KrisBalfe]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-4-in-Wire-Wheel-Brush/3195517

[scrivyscriv]

If it's anything like the stuff on Beetle interiors you can get it off with vinegar or a steamer.

or you could try something made for removing spray adhesive:
https://www.bindingsource.com/3m-trade-adhesive-remover-6040-pale-yellow-6-25-fl-oz.html
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[avoll]

MEK will take it off but the smell will gag you.
There really isn't no easy way to get it off from my experience.
I ended up wire wheeling and sanding the whole inside and painting.

Defiantly be easiest to cover what you can back up with something and just focus on removing the rest.

If I had to do it over again, I would strip the bus of anything that would come out/off and have someone wet blast the paint and glue off. The glass sand makes a mess though.

[Abscate]

Without knowing the glue you will need to try acetone, MEK, and thinner , xylene on a small area and see what dissolves it. All of those chemicals are different polarity and soften a different class of adhesives.

What they do all share is the need for lots of fresh air ventilation and outdoor air movement. All of the chemicals are nasty
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[slave1pilot]

[Terminatez]

[TomC]

Have you tried plain old gasoline? I was in the same situation as you and I was getting pretty frustrated with Goo Gone, etc. not touching the adhesive, when my son tried some gas on a spot and to my surprise it worked like a charm! It softened the adhesive and didn't harm the paint.

Of course, your mileage may vary according to the chemistry of the adhesive. Try as many solvents as you can, but start in a hidden spot that's easy to repair.

Before:

After:

TomC

77 Westy Deluxe - sort of
72 Super Convertible

[birdmanp]

WOW! Will definitely have to try this one! I can't imagine the wife will be excited if it works (gasoline odor gives her headaches). Did you use anything to neutralize the smell after removing the adhesive? Or was it just father time and good ventilation?

[Abscate]

Gasoline is mostly aliphatic hydrocarbons so COLEMAN fuel or white gas will give the same solvent effect without the stink of gas. Pet ether would be even better but I don't think you can buy that in hardware stores because you can make bad things with that.
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