how to get old Ziebart off?

Post by **RogerRust** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:10 pm

It looks like a previous owner had some Ziebart spare so sprayed it in the engine bay.

It looks terrible, what the best way to get it off.

The engine is out and most of the ancillaries will be out soon so I could use paint stripper if I have to. I just wonder if it will wash off with thinners or panel wipe?<br>

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Post by **Matt** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:18 pm

You might be lucky - it might just peel off!

Failing that I would try thinners/white spirit/panel wipe

If you can try to do it in a warm environment

Post by **aupickup** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:28 pm

white spirit i would think,, only problem with that is it will make it one big gooy mess, so try peeling first

Post by **Luxobarge** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:50 pm

I've done this loads of times, hateful stuf, I hate it, I hate it!

Best I've found is with a hot air gun and a scraper - that will get the bulk of it off. Then wipe with rags soaked in whatever you find cheapest - white spirit, petrol, paraffin, spirit wipe, so long as it's oil-based stuff, don't use celly thinners for example as it'll take the paint off too.

Then finally put a tray underneath to catch the excess, and "wash" it off using the spirit cleaner and a long-haired paintbrush.

When you've done that lot you'll never use the stuff again yourself, as it's such a pain to get off, and doesn't do a great job of rust prevention either IMHO - use stone-chip paint for that!

Why do people put this stuff in engine bays? Nuts!

Post by **RogerRust** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:52 am

It's not very thick, just like a tarry layer of paint It won't peel I've tried scraping it off with limited success.

Post by **Leo** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:17 am

Cellulose Thinners should get it off or you could apply a spray on body shutz and then paint over, just depends how much time you can put into it, probably very rusty underneath

Leo

Post by **ASL642** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:11 am

What about using a hairdryer? Might soften it without melting it into a liquid mess,

Post by **paulhumphries** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:11 am

Something I've never tried - rather the opposite as my experiences with 3 x MGB's is they need every bit of rust prevention possible

What about steaming off ?
The small steamers that are like a kettle are a waste of time. I adapted a wallpaper steamer hose with a length of copper pipe that had flattened end and it worked great at cleaning engines.
I suspect whatever you use will simply soften the Zeibart to allow it to be scrapped or wiped off.

Paul Humphries

Post by **RogerRust** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:05 pm

I peeled, then wire brushed then paint strippered then ceullose thinnnered.

Finally resprayed.

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Post by **Sidney'61** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 10:10 pm

Looks fantastic, well done, but how did you manage to respay it so well in this weather?

Post by **RogerRust** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 8:39 am

I've got a built on garage with a heater it was about 18 degrees in there.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:00 pm

Nice job!