<VV> Underhood Padding

Tony tonyu@roava.net
Fri, 30 Apr 2004 09:59:15 -0700


At 1912 04/29/2004 -0700, Ken wrote:

>The pad is very oily, and was probably soaked from pressure forcing oil out
the dip stick before the rebuild.
>
>My plan was to spray the pad with engine degreaser. Allow it to soak for a
time. Re-spray, then rinse with the pad face down, while supported by a wire
mesh support. My thought is that if I can break up the oil, and rinse with
very
little water pressure, I can keep the damage to the pad to a minimum. If
necessary a second third or fourth rinse with a mild soap. 

I've cleaned oil out of them with engine degreaser... prolonged soakings in
degreaser, and then rinsed them carefully with a hose on "fine mist spray"  I
once soaked a pad with Gunk and then left it lying in the rain on a stretch of
gravel driveway over the weekend when 100% rain all day Sunday was forecast. 
Come Monday it cleared up and the sun came out (typical)...  got home from
work
that evening and not only was the pad degreased, it was dry as well.  Whatever
works.   Depending on how dirty it was, you may have to repeat the cleaning
process with some sort of cleaner (purple cleaner maybe) to flush the grime
and
dirt from it once it's degreased to make it gray again instead of coal-dust
black.   


By the way:  

If the pad is a bit fragile and is torn or peeling or sloughing off
sections of
itself after cleaning, spritz it down with a solution of Elmers white glue and
water, about 50-50 or so, or whatever will "spritz" through the spray
bottle.  
Wet the pad down good with the glue solution (don't drown-soak it), pat the
bad
sections down carefully (maybe hit them with some extra Elmers just in case)
and let it sit in the sun for a few hours.   It won't shed or flake or peel
anymore.   Make sure it's supported so it doesn't "cure" in a crooked shape.  
An extra spare rear deck lid works well (leave a heavy coat of wax on it
before
you do this) and lets you "reshape and form" a frail and tearing but otherwise
relatively intact pad.   

Getting the pad clean without having it come apart on you is the biggest
hurdle.   And don't over-do the Elmers.  Get help installing the finished
product so it doesn't tear or have a retainer pull through while you wrestle
with the pad.   The glue dries clear and doesn't show up on the pad and it
goes
a LONG way towards helping to keep the pad together and straight and
unfrayed.   

This also works with the fender pads as well.      


I got this trick from a guy with a nice late coupe in Concours at a show some
years back, when the replacement molded pads were unavailable and his looked
perfect so I asked, he told me, I filed the info away, tried it myself, good
results first time.    Now that same pad need cleaning again since it's been
under the deck lid for some time and gotten grimy once more...  

Last note:  

Do not attempt to clean a pad at the car wash.   The spray hose will blow
it to
pieces.    


tony..