How to remove white sealant?
 

What is the easiest way to remove the factory white sealant that is put between welded metal parts, you know the one that suppose to keep water from leaking in and all?

Elbow grease, a torch and a chisle/paint scraper.

I've used a heat gun and an old chisel or putty knife.

A Putty scraper is what I was thinking of, but it didnt come to mind. A heat gun is probably better to use than a torch. Listen to914GT!!:D

after putty knife try elbow grease and a wire brush

why remove it?

thanks guys, i'm removing it because rust, number one cause to remove anything and its starting to peal aprt, plus the factory did a piss poor job on making it nice a clean.

As previously mentioned awhile back, you can mount a cup style wire brush from the welding supply house on your angle grinder and get all but the tight corners. Those wire brushes are very stiiff.

Chrisreale - a torch would be more fun though! Like one of those big propane suckers for burning weeds... and don't have to bother with new seam sealer as no seam left to seal.

Fortunately, I'm getting my freshly painted car in a week or so and the rust bucket is going to go away...

But I did strip the trunk and floorpan:

I used some paint stripper adhesive remover that I got from Home Depot to soften the stuff up.

I used a 1" chisel since putty knives are too flexible

I wore padded gloves to save my hands

I used a propane torch to cleanup the little bit that remained.

Good luck and take your time at it.

Joe C.

now that i am getting it up, where can i buy new stuff to put in? or is there something else that would be better than that seam sealant

Autobody supply houses have tubes of the stuff (caulking tubes). New products are poly and last a long-long time. You should use a rust converter first. It is liquid like water and will find the rust for you. This conversion process leaves behind a white/gray zinc that will help protect the car in the hidden rust areas. Topcoat with RasONil or POR15 and then seam sealer.

Joe C.

well what i normally do to get the rust problem solved i take this dremel fine sander tool and put a rust stone on it and go at it. Ones its removed i take and put this rust treatment primer stuff by NAPA. Then i do another coat or so then im set. Is that good enough?

Any of you used the 3M seam sealer that fits the caulking gun? I swear this stuff looks and smells like regular old acrylic latex caulking (not the silicone stuff). You don't think they'd be taking the same cheap caulking and increasing the price by about a factor of 10 would you? No I'm sure they would not do anything like that ... it must be something really special just for cars. (yeah, you bet).

lol yes i just used the 3m sealant, called "fast & Firm". I can tell you that firm its not, or atleast not after 24 hours. Kinda seamed like puddy. No matter i put truck bed liner on top of it so it should stay real firm. The tube was stupid though, i had to use a can opener to cut the base seal and use it to push the sealer out. Hmm maybe thats why they "recomened" the 3m gun, stupid marketing scams!

Poly works. Even the stuff from the Home Defect in colors. Don't know about the 3M scam, but latex would be a poor choice.