Removing Sound Deadening Tar

[casuprock]

Removing the stock sound deadening material (tar) can be a pain. Using an angle grinder with a stiff wire wheel worked for me on some tough areas like the rear wheel well. The material dissolves readily in xylene. If you're lazy, you can soak a rag with xylene and let it sit on the material for a few hours. I just use xylene to get the residue that's left after scraping and wire wheel. Be sure to use a mask rated for organic vapors when using xylene and use gloves. Absorbed xylene hurts your nervous system, blood, liver, kidneys, and most importantly, your manhood.

 

[Dhan]

Good tip.

 

[Rob10_99]

I would suggest just using a heat gun, I've tried a lot of different things. Like dry ice(almost worthless for most types). But acetone or xylene takes off the rest really well.

 

[mike96]

Removing the stock sound deadening material (tar) can be a pain. Using an angle grinder with a stiff wire wheel worked for me on some tough areas like the rear wheel well. The material dissolves readily in xylene. If you're lazy, you can soak a rag with xylene and let it sit on the material for a few hours. I just use xylene to get the residue that's left after scraping and wire wheel. Be sure to use a mask rated for organic vapors when using xylene and use gloves. Absorbed xylene hurts your nervous system, blood, liver, kidneys, and most importantly, your manhood.

you talking about the mats that are on the inside of the car correct... last two times i removed some from the inside of the car i just used a putty knife and a small hammer. just get the putty knife on a good edge of it and give it a little tap with the hammer and most of that crap will come right up... then i used used a little bit of acetone to clean up the glue and small bits left over.

 

[Blurred Talon]

you talking about the mats that are on the inside of the car correct... last two times i removed some from the inside of the car i just used a putty knife and a small hammer. just get the putty knife on a good edge of it and give it a little tap with the hammer and most of that crap will come right up... then i used used a little bit of acetone to clean up the glue and small bits left over.

I did the same thing and mine came up like butter.

 

[casuprock]

I had an easy time with the stuff up front too, but the tar on the back of the rear wheel wells is a real treat...

 

[jdodds]

If youre having a hard time getting the stuff off, see if you can get some dry ice. Smash the ice up in a thick bag with a hammer and then let it sit on the sound deadener for a while. Youll hear cracking when its starting to work. Once the cracking noises start to go away, get a rubber mallet and give it a few whacks being careful not to dent the piss out of the panel youre working on. The black tar stuff will pop right off without leaving any residue on the panel. 10lbs of dry ice was enough to remove every bit of deadener in an integra I just did. For a DSM, I would go for around 15lbs if youre working by yourself. Remember to wear proper personal protective equipment. (gloves, safety glasses, and enough to cover most of your exposed skin. you dont want to get freeze burns. they suck)

Good luck.

 

[LiquidX]

Sounds like you know your hazmat safety course. I'm currently taking my HAZWOPER training online for my 40hr cert.

How much louder is outside noise after removing the sound deadner and how much weight is it in total? I know it isn't anything to make a difference but I'm just curious.

 

[jdodds]

I couldnt tell ya how much is in a DSM. Ive had my interior gutted so Ive seen where its all at. Actually, the reason I had my interior gutted was to add MORE sound deadener. I started the whole project yesterday and have added somewhere in the neighborhood of 20lbs to the car. Id gladly do it again after seeing what kind of difference it made. After a 20 minute drive, Im almost convinced Ill never remove this stuff. Hardly any road noise compared to before and the stereo sounds awesome for only having some cheap coaxial speakers on a 4 channel 50 watt RMS amp.

If I were to do it again, I would remove all the factory tar deadener panels and replace it all with a closed cell foam rubber type stuff. It seems like its more effective and lighter.

Oh and the Hazmat stuff comes from watching all the new kids in my national guard unit do stupid things and have to constantly correct them all. Ive seen too many injuries over the years that could have been prevented with a $3 pair of glasses or some rubber gloves. Ive actually watched someone spray aircraft coating remover onto a curved panel, causing it to splash straight back onto most of his face. No PPE at all on that one.

 

[blackhawkgsx]

I have removed the sound deadening material and the carpets and it was about 40 lbs that i removed it is a bit louder but not unbearable but then again i have no bs , solid motor mounts, 274 cams etc....

 

[92AWDHX40]

Dry ice, but mine pealed up without anything just a scraper.

 

[blackhawkgsx]

Did mine is was like 102* out side and i had my car in the sun windows up for 2 days and that seemed to help soften up the tar I just used a flat head screw driver and a scraper then some acetone to clean it all up

 

[SmoochDarling]

I gutted my interior, left it out in the sun for a day and then peeled it all away with a flat head screw driver. When I weighed it all it would have been about 30 lbs. Its louder, but I also removed a lot of the carpet deadening too around the firewall area. Now I can really hear the turbo spool up.

 

[dooblea]

They had a write up about that in one of the tuner magazines last month or two. I believe that guy used some drey ice(a lot of it) all over the floor and then hammer and chiseled big chunks of it off.

 

[robertseber]

where would one purchase dry ice would you just ask them for it in like freezer section or something at wal mart

 

[LiquidX]

where would one purchase dry ice would you just ask them for it in like freezer section or something at wal mart

You would need to go to a place that sells gas (compressed gasses) most likely as dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

okay, so i was going to remove my carpet to wash it and when i removed the back seat i noticed there was some water under my sound deadening material, making it easily come off, there isnt any rust but i just said f it and removed everything under the rear seats, the paint is different but its not bare. sort of a grey primer? color? do i have to worry about painting over that so it doesnt rust? it isnt bear metal. also, anyone got a link on how to remove the carpet without breaking trim pieces (side skirt kick panel?) and all that is included with it?

 

[laser_92]

Dry ice worked great on mine. and all tossed in a box the entire car worth of sound deadener (inside only) was around 30lbs IIRC. Took a couple hours. Guess I'll try xylene on the wheel wells next. Got well over 500,000 gal of it at work

 

[@TDC]

I just removed the sound deadening in my hatch. The entire hatch was full of some oil looking gunk! It was very sticky and would destroy anything that I would place in the hatch! So I decided to remove it! I used a gasket scraper and rubber mallet. It came off fairly easy.