RCCrawler Forums

rckjeep · 07-13-2011, 05:18 PM

Well I've been resisting using my last CJ8 body to cut out the hood & grill. So I'm trying this brake fluid method on an old CJ8 body to try and salvage it. Unfortunately all the painted CJ8 bodies have holes in the hood I won't need for the KOH Jeep I built so realistically I'll end up cutting up the last body. We'll how it goes.

hoyt · 07-14-2011, 02:32 PM

Does anyone know if brake fluid will also remove shoe goo. I have a body with several pieces of lexan shoe goo'd on and really dont wanna have to go through the process of gluing everything back on..

Duuuuuuuude · 07-14-2011, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoyt

Does anyone know if brake fluid will also remove shoe goo. I have a body with several pieces of lexan shoe goo'd on and really dont wanna have to go through the process of gluing everything back on..

I think it does. Not sure though...

hoyt · 07-14-2011, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

I think it does. Not sure though...

Well in the grand scheme of things I guess regluing the pieces wouldnt be that big a deal. May give it a shot.

Thanks

shelby · 07-14-2011, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoyt

Does anyone know if brake fluid will also remove shoe goo. I have a body with several pieces of lexan shoe goo'd on and really dont wanna have to go through the process of gluing everything back on..

Have you tried wd40 yet?

matt_22 · 07-16-2011, 02:49 AM

Brake fluid worked for me! I let it soak for 15 min then applyed another coat of brake fluid and started scrubing with a simi soft brush and bam ! Started coming right off

nick84 · 07-16-2011, 07:29 PM

i have redone a body by using over cleaner to remove the old paint. did an awsome job.

WAM · 09-23-2011, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt_22

Brake fluid worked for me! I let it soak for 15 min then applyed another coat of brake fluid and started scrubing with a simi soft brush and bam ! Started coming right off

Seeing is believing. URC has YT videos of DOT3 and DOT4 removals. Bottom line is both worked for exterior enamels, but only the DOT4 worked well for inside lexan paint. Wet it and leave for an hour. Wipe out the goo with a BF damped rag and repeat. No scrubbing. Takes 20 seconds of work and an hour of waiting for each application. Expect 3-5 applications (ie 3-5 hrs) to get the job done. He used a quarter of a small bottle, $3 from Wal Mart. Probably some paint jobs are easier than others. I'd bet RTR factory paint might be the worst.

fourxblz · 09-23-2011, 09:47 PM

Follow-up on the mineral spirits...
Don't use it. It will fog the lexan.
When I first tested it I only used on a Q-Tip. Worked well, but you can't clean a whole body that way. Heavier amount on a rag caused the fogging.

fourxblz · 09-23-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WAM

I'd bet RTR factory paint might be the worst.

That's the problem I ran into. Will have to try the DOT4 because DOT3 didn't do anything.
Years ago I use to dilute acetone with rubbing alcohol to remove Pactra paint. Somethin like 2 parts acetone : 1 part alcohol. Worked with no problems, but mostly used to clean up paint bleeds.

WAM · 09-23-2011, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourxblz

That's the problem I ran into. Will have to try the DOT4 because DOT3 didn't do anything.
Years ago I use to dilute acetone with rubbing alcohol to remove Pactra paint. Somethin like 2 parts acetone : 1 part alcohol. Worked with no problems, but mostly used to clean up paint bleeds.

I used acetone to strip the aluminum beadlocks and the paint practically exploded off them. I think you might be able to use it to pre-treat stubborn paint, but I'd try to keep it from actually touching the lexan. I think heavy contact will craze the plastic and make it subject to impact failure.

kunas · 09-24-2011, 05:37 AM

ive had good luck with brake fluid as well

heinie_21 · 09-25-2011, 10:36 AM

me too. my subaru stops significantly better with brake fluid

federally · 09-25-2011, 08:44 PM

Go the brake fluid route. TheJang on Urc tested a bunch of methods and the only one that worked perfect was the brake fluid, the others either didn't work very well or fogged the lexan

hotrodsonoma · 10-02-2011, 03:45 PM

well should be getting a used body in the next cpl days in the mail.going to try the brake fluid idea.will post pics as well during the process.this will be the first time i have done this.

66sprint6 · 10-03-2011, 11:08 AM

Check out my BlueBronco 1.55 thread and you will see how well it works. I also did it to the CompCourier with perfect results. Dot4 fluid is great. It can strip ShoeGoo off, it didnt on the Courier if I was careful not to get it where the glue was but regluing isnt a bad idea either.
Matt

Jahred59 · 12-11-2011, 08:11 PM

Thats a great idea. I almost threw away one of my old bodies. Luckily I saved it, I knew I'd come around to it. New paint job it is!!

WAM · 12-12-2011, 08:20 AM

Good luck with it. I guess I'm no longer a believer. I've been stripping the Pactra paint from a crawler body for a week now. I'm making progress, but nowhere near what I saw in that Urc video. This was just your run of the mill rattlecan paint intended for inside lexan bodies, so dunno why DOT4 didn't work better. I can soften the paint somewhat, but to little advantage. Most of the paint is being ground out with a wire cup wheel on a Dremel.

Once the body is sufficiently clear, I'm going to repaint it with water-based Faskolor which is said to be more easily removable, ie repairable.

m0nster · 12-13-2011, 02:25 AM

when buying brake fluid, look for DOT 4, it worked very well and does not fog or weaken lexan.

i've used it to remove laquer , enamel and acrylic spraypaint. as well as acrylic airbrush paint.

and for those asking why, bodies are expensive. and if the body is still in good shape, but ugly, or you dont like the color, its an easy fix.

i've repainted the same losi 8ight body like 4 times..

rcntncrawler · 01-31-2014, 08:00 PM

It seems the longer the paint has been on, the harder it is to take off. The tooth brush made a big difference for me over using a rag or sponge. My hobby shop told me to get Spray Paint Graffiti Remover from Home Depot. It removed the paint, but made the lexan look milky. I had the best success with Dot 4 Brake Fluid. Dot 4 is rarely found at auto parts stores, but it can usually be found at WalMart. If you can't find it there, try a Bicycle Shop. Hayes hydraulic bicycle brakes use Hayes Dot 4 brake fluid. I work at a bike shop, so I thought I would share this tip. Good luck.

01-31-2014, 08:00 PM	#80
rcntncrawler Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Knoxville Posts: 131	Re: stripping paint from lexan It seems the longer the paint has been on, the harder it is to take off. The tooth brush made a big difference for me over using a rag or sponge. My hobby shop told me to get Spray Paint Graffiti Remover from Home Depot. It removed the paint, but made the lexan look milky. I had the best success with Dot 4 Brake Fluid. Dot 4 is rarely found at auto parts stores, but it can usually be found at WalMart. If you can't find it there, try a Bicycle Shop. Hayes hydraulic bicycle brakes use Hayes Dot 4 brake fluid. I work at a bike shop, so I thought I would share this tip. Good luck.

07-13-2011, 05:18 PM	#61
rckjeep I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: San Jose Posts: 5,207	Well I've been resisting using my last CJ8 body to cut out the hood & grill. So I'm trying this brake fluid method on an old CJ8 body to try and salvage it. Unfortunately all the painted CJ8 bodies have holes in the hood I won't need for the KOH Jeep I built so realistically I'll end up cutting up the last body. We'll how it goes.

07-14-2011, 02:32 PM	#62
hoyt Quarry Creeper Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rockaway Posts: 489	Does anyone know if brake fluid will also remove shoe goo. I have a body with several pieces of lexan shoe goo'd on and really dont wanna have to go through the process of gluing everything back on..

07-16-2011, 02:49 AM	#66
matt_22 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: roswell Posts: 305	Brake fluid worked for me! I let it soak for 15 min then applyed another coat of brake fluid and started scrubing with a simi soft brush and bam ! Started coming right off

07-16-2011, 07:29 PM	#67
nick84 Newbie Join Date: May 2011 Location: Mishawaka Posts: 8	i have redone a body by using over cleaner to remove the old paint. did an awsome job.

09-23-2011, 09:47 PM	#69
fourxblz Newbie Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 11	Follow-up on the mineral spirits... Don't use it. It will fog the lexan. When I first tested it I only used on a Q-Tip. Worked well, but you can't clean a whole body that way. Heavier amount on a rag caused the fogging.

09-24-2011, 05:37 AM	#72
kunas Rock Crawler Join Date: May 2011 Location: at your moms Posts: 658	ive had good luck with brake fluid as well

09-25-2011, 10:36 AM	#73
heinie_21 RCC Addict Join Date: May 2011 Location: Utah County Posts: 1,802	me too. my subaru stops significantly better with brake fluid

09-25-2011, 08:44 PM	#74
federally Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Grandview, IA Posts: 356	Go the brake fluid route. TheJang on Urc tested a bunch of methods and the only one that worked perfect was the brake fluid, the others either didn't work very well or fogged the lexan

10-02-2011, 03:45 PM	#75
hotrodsonoma RCC Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: In the woods Posts: 1,155	well should be getting a used body in the next cpl days in the mail.going to try the brake fluid idea.will post pics as well during the process.this will be the first time i have done this.

10-03-2011, 11:08 AM	#76
66sprint6 RCC Addict Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Murfreesboro Posts: 1,537	Check out my BlueBronco 1.55 thread and you will see how well it works. I also did it to the CompCourier with perfect results. Dot4 fluid is great. It can strip ShoeGoo off, it didnt on the Courier if I was careful not to get it where the glue was but regluing isnt a bad idea either. Matt

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12-11-2011, 08:11 PM	#77
Jahred59 Newbie Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Las Vegas/ Hawaii Posts: 46	Thats a great idea. I almost threw away one of my old bodies. Luckily I saved it, I knew I'd come around to it. New paint job it is!!

12-12-2011, 08:20 AM	#78
WAM Rock Crawler Join Date: May 2011 Location: SoCal Posts: 949	Good luck with it. I guess I'm no longer a believer. I've been stripping the Pactra paint from a crawler body for a week now. I'm making progress, but nowhere near what I saw in that Urc video. This was just your run of the mill rattlecan paint intended for inside lexan bodies, so dunno why DOT4 didn't work better. I can soften the paint somewhat, but to little advantage. Most of the paint is being ground out with a wire cup wheel on a Dremel. Once the body is sufficiently clear, I'm going to repaint it with water-based Faskolor which is said to be more easily removable, ie repairable.

12-13-2011, 02:25 AM	#79
m0nster Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 347	when buying brake fluid, look for DOT 4, it worked very well and does not fog or weaken lexan. i've used it to remove laquer , enamel and acrylic spraypaint. as well as acrylic airbrush paint. and for those asking why, bodies are expensive. and if the body is still in good shape, but ugly, or you dont like the color, its an easy fix. i've repainted the same losi 8ight body like 4 times..

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Thread: stripping paint from lexan