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silcone clean up

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Trevor Triumph

Jedi Knight
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Does any know of a way to clean the silicone fluid off painted surfaces. The clutch M/C was leaking down the scuttle, clutch pedal and the floor. I'm thinking acetone?

T.T.
 
Acetone will mess up the paint and still not remove all the silicone. I'd suggest PPG DX330 "Acryli-Clean". It's designed to remove silicone (and other waxes) without harming healthy paint. (But it will take off oxidized paint, so don't be surprised if the rag shows some color.)

Others have reported that Dawn dishwashing soap works well, but I've not had occasion to try it myself.

You may need to go to an automotive paint supplier to find the DX330.
 
Acetone is VERY strong stuff. If you worry about standard brake fluid eating your paint, you should worry about acetone doing the same -- no matter what kind of paint you have.

In the refinishing biz, it's an article of faith that NOTHING completely removes silicone. That said, VM&P naptha is a very good solvent for removing oils, waxes adhesives, etc. without harming paint -- even old-school lacquer. It will probably remove as much of your spill as can be removed.
 
What about using rubbing alcohol mixed 50/50 with water, or an official pre-painting product? Both are used by bodyshops to remove contaminants immediately before shooting a car. And silicone is one of the ones they watch out for because even a splatter will cause fisheyes in the paint.

FWIW, when I was putting everything back together and consistently spilling brake and or clutch fluid while trying to bleed the systems over fresh paint, I used hot water and Dawn soap, and the paint is still there months later.
 
Since the silicone will not harm the painted surfaces ,why not just wipe it off and FORGET IT??? The only issue with silicone is that you can have severe painting problems if you refinish latter.Never use it around a car that will be painted latter,it is death in a can for a re-spray......
MD(mad dog)
 
As MD said, unless you are getting ready to paint that area again, wipe it dry and forget chemical cleaners until necessary.
 
The problem IMO with the "hands off" approach is that the silicone-wetted area tends to attract dirt. Months later, you'll see the outline of the spill.
 
Trevor Triumph said:
Does any know of a way to clean the silicone fluid off painted surfaces. The clutch M/C was leaking down the scuttle, clutch pedal and the floor. I'm thinking acetone?

T.T.
Click to expand...

TT: Is this a recent paint job and do you know what product/system was used? This would be the best approach. Then you can contact the manufacturer and ask for advice. If the paint/system is unknown, it would be best to try the various silicone removal products on a painted surface that will not be obvious, like somewhere in the boot. We routinely use wax and grease remover on the DuPont Chroma polyurethanes. The stuff is almost bullet proof.
 
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