suggestions for removing tar like substance from floors

[cardude]

not on my stang but I have a 53' truck and the previous owner decided that putting a think tar like substance down on the floors and then in some spaces a tan sticky glue to hold the carpet ( in the corners) and like a tar paper over all of that.

long story short I am ripping it all out to do it the right way and need some suggestions on what I could use to get that crap out easier. I am scraping it out with a screw driver / scraper, but is like tar / body sealer type of stuff all over the floor.

any suggestion would be appreciated.

 

[Rent-A-Racer]

I used a drill attachment from 3M for my undercarriage. It's a stripper wheel made for just such an application. Sorta looks like a "scotch-brite" pad.

 

[Ozsum2]

Depending on how thick/tough it is, maybe an air chisel.

 

[charlies]

cardude,

I have the exact same thing in my stang. I have been working on it, and tried all kinds of things...sandpaper, and wire wheels, both of which which are almost totally useless, wire brushes, etc. by far, the best thing has been a scraper. it's not fast, and it's not fun, but it gets the job done well.

you know, it makes me think...all these people (myself included) slopping por-15 all over the place...10 years from now, everyone is going to want to know how to get that gunk off to get at the rust underneath it.

 

[Hack]

Have you considered trying a solvent? If you could work outside with no possible sources of ignition nearby, perhaps a solvent like kerosene would do the trick. Or maybe something more bio friendly like one of the orange derived cleaners or simple green. That would also lessen the chance of fire or a waste disposal issue.

Something sticky like tar, scraping or grinding tools just aren't going to do much. They'll just clog up. I don't think sandblasting would do it either.

Of course, if you try this - start really small. And please be careful.

 

[Paul619]

when we remove the sound deadening material to put in dynamat we use dry ice and a scraper... works pretty good for me.

 

[GaPonyFarm]

Adhesive stripper will help... for sure it will take up the glue and should break down the tar, so it can be scraped off. Any left over tar, can be cleaned up pretty well with mineral spirits.

You still need to sandblast, sand, or use a wire wheel to get the reside completely out, so it can be primed or painted. If using POR-15, it won't be as big a problem.

 

[Platonic Solid]

PEELAWAY 7

 

[2nd Mustang]

I found some adhesive floor tile stripper at a home improvement store (can't remember which one though or the name of the product) that was water soluble and turned the floor tile glue to a soft paste which wiped up with a rag. It did it so quickly, I could do one square feet at a time and it didn't leave any residue. That was over 15 years ago and the new floor tile still is intact.

 

[reenmachine]

My '83 RX-7 race car had a major case of this -- the factory matting turns into petrified tar after a bunch of years. I basically cooled it and then chipped the bulk of it out with an air chisel. The trick to finish it off was to cover the whole floor with rags soaked in mineral spirits (in a well-ventilated area), wait, then wipe it off.

If you care to read about the whole process, go to www.reenmachine.com/pro7, click on "Build a PRO7" and then ".03 Strip It!" on the nav at the left.

 

[nosaj122081]

I found a pretty good system that I use/used to get off nasty old undercoating, it might work in this situation; I first heat it up with a torch and scrape the bulk off with a putty knife. I then use one of those 3M paint removal pads the other poster spoke of, in a drill. At this point theres just a real thin layer that can be wiped off with a rag and some thinner... The result was nice clean metal.