Removing anti-rust coating from inside the engine bay?

[Acme]

Hi,

I searched, and found nothing... But maybe I didn't use the right terms. So here it is. My car was sprayed with an anti-rust coating when I bought it 2 years ago, a bad idea for some reasons, but let's not talk about that...

Now, the stuff is everywhere, and particularly in the engine bay. I'm not pedantic about how the engine bay of my car looks, but right now I don't like it. It's... brownish. I guess the positive is that it won't rust. But it looks like shit.

So I tried to remove the damn stuff with an engine degreaser. Didn't work. I think this stuff is based on paraffin, not oil. So the degreaser is of no use....

Is there any way to get rid of this stuff "easily"?

Thanks!

[CLEANA3]

any pics too see how bad it is .

[Acme]

Yeah, I can post some pics tonight.

I read somewhere that 3M has some cleaning product that could do the trick... maybe.

[Acme]

Here's a pic:



Sorry, it's painful to watch, my engine bay is dirty but I'd like to fix that, starting with this stuff. `

A search on Google doesn't return a lot of info, but I found someone who suggested to use 3M's Adhesive Cleaner and Wax Remover. I don't know if it's a good idea but I suppose it's worth a try if I can find it locally. If I do, I'll post back my results.

If you have any other ideas, please share!

[CLEANA3]

DAM Get in there with a good APC and go to town

[Acme]

APC = all pupose cleaner I guess?

Yeah, there's a lot of work needed in there. I hoped that I could spray some stuff, wait a bit, then rinse... and that there would be no rubbing involved... but I supposed I'm just not getting what I want, am I...

[Q5 Bob]

Do you know the brand of the material, or the shop that applied it? Maybe they know how to remove the stuff.

[Acme]

I probably have this somewhere in the papers I got with the car. It was done at the dealship. I'll try and find out. Good idea, didn't think to call them. Yesterday I talked about this to a friend and he also told me that body shops have products to remove this stuff, but he said it was pricey. :(

[TDIaholic]

Depending on the composition of the wax they used, any good tar remover should take care of that. It probably won't come off easily though.

[Acme]

Yes, I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this!!

[pat_do]

castrol grease remover, a soft toobrush/brush, and a pressure washer will get this gunk off the paint.

[Acme]

castrol grease remover, a soft toobrush/brush, and a pressure washer will get this gunk off the paint.

I don't think the grease remover will have any effect, I tried an engine degreaser and it didn't do s**t. I think the stuff is wax based. I tried to find the 3M Adhesive and Wax Remover, but I can't find it in local stores.

[Mayu]

At about the 5-year mark into ownership of a previous car, I used a can of engine degreaser from Walmart. It worked like a charm and did as advertised... promptly removing all grease and lubricant from places that actually needed it and drying out some rubber belts/hoses/connectors. I, and anyone within earshot was also subjected to shrieking noises as, now dried out belts, rubbed on their pulleys any time I accelerated from a stop.

Moral of story - Do not use harsh degreasers. Instead, get a toilet brush or similar shaped dish brush (the circular head is perfect for cleaning behind and/or the backs of things), a mild APC and prepare for blood, sweat and tears.

[Acme]

Moral of story - Do not use harsh degreasers. Instead, get a toilet brush or similar shaped dish brush (the circular head is perfect for cleaning behind and/or the backs of things), a mild APC and prepare for blood, sweat and tears.

That will probably happen soon, as I don't see how I can get rid of this stuff without getting my hands dirty!

[Acme]

As a follow up on this "issue", I had good success with this:



Apply with a brush, let it sit for a few seconds, and wipe. Repeat as long as there is crap to remove. Don't scrub too much as there is a lot of dirt in the stuff and it'll buff right though the paint. I'll have to respray some parts, I wasn't too careful at first. Still, it's a pain to do because this stuff is everywhere, but at least this product makes it easier to remove.