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TR2/3/3A Removing WD-40

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Redoakboo

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I am restoring a 1954 TR-2 and have stripped all the paint down to bare metal. A body guy said if you are not going to paint the parts right away, spray them with WD-40. It will prevent rust from forming. Now it's time to start restoration of the parts, what is the best thing to use to remove the WD-40 from the parts?

Dick
 
The owner of the paint and body shop that I've used won't even let a can of WD 40 into his shop ...so one of his employees told me....something about messing up the application of paint...but if your guy say's it's OK, I'd imagine something like acetone would be effective.
 
I know it is next to blasphemy but I have used wd40. (Ok, flame me). I used mineral spirits and/or paint thinner to remove it. I have also used straight motor oil instead of wd40. This was decades ago, so maybe paint has changed since. I got no fisheye or other ill effects in the fi nished paint job. An old time body shop guy had told me to do this when taking a long time to get body work done.
 
It's petroleum based, so most of the usual's would work. Carb cleaners, brake cleaners, Kerosene (if you have time for it to fully evaporate), gasoline (if you are careful not to blow yourself up), laquer thinner.
 
John hit the nail on the head with Kerosene. There is silicon in WD40 (the WD means water displacement and 40 means it was their 40th attempt). Silicon is a body / painters worst enemy. I'd start with kerosene, get it good and wet, wipe it off and NEVER REUSE THE RAGS you took it off with. Repeat the process and then go to your wax and grease removers. Last and because it does not leave any residue is acetone. You may need fish eye remover in your paint.
 
Got_All_4 said:
There is silicon in WD40 (the WD means water displacement and 40 means it was their 40th attempt). Silicon is a body / painters worst enemy.
Click to expand...

The normal, regular WD-40 in the blue/yellow containers has NO silicone. They do make a product containing silicone. It is sold in black/yellow containers.

See the WD-40 FAQ page below. They have one that specifically addresses what is in WD-40.
https://www.wd40.com/faqs

As CJD said, normal panel prep chemicals will remove regular WD-40.
 
I would use lacquer because a gallon of it is cheap enough and should get into all the places you cannot see by pouring it onto the car outside with a fire extinguisher handy. But, really if you are going to truly restore this car, you will be taking the panels off and blasting them and perhaps using some paint remove or whatever it takes to clean them off, so the lacquer thinner if needed can be applied as you go through each panel cleaning.

steve
 
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