how do I get all of this factory crap off of my floorboards

[albawhore]

(nt)

[jerry]

go to a welding supply store and buy about 20lbs of dry ice. crush it with a rubber mallet and pour it over one section at a time. cover with a bunch of towels or blanket to keep in the cold. in about 3 minutes you should hear popping noise. take a metal spatula and pry off large chunks.

move the crushed ice to another section and repeat. i've done 1 1/2 cars with 20 lbs. it'll cost around $1/lb.

[ryanOC]

i just used a chisel to get out large chunks

and then the smaller chunks

after most of it was gone, i used a large wire brush on a compressed drill to wipe it clean and also brush rust out

[02again]

I have successfully used a propane torch......simply warm it up and wipe it off.

It is Really that easy. If you're afraid of the flame, you might get the same results with a good hot heat gun.

[Guest Anonymous]

I have used every system to remove the tar. the best I have used is the electric heat gun method (dont get the tar too hot) and it peals off nice and easy with little residue. The trick is not to get it too hot. For the leftover glue use some minneral sperits.

sam

[02again]

One more thing, Pay attention to what you're doing and don't get near the fuel return line.

[02again]

I have successfully used a propane torch......simply warm it up and wipe it off.

It is Really that easy. If you're afraid of the flame, you might get the same results with a good hot heat gun.

[Jack]

I used the dry ice method and it worked well. I cleaned up the residue with 3M Tar and Adhesive remover.

[RandyMolson]

I did the dry ice method...it was messy with all those frozen tar chips flying around...it trashed my clothes. I didn't have an insulator I could spare trashing, so my dry ice evaporated before I could finish the job.

I used a heat gun and putty knife for the rest of the car. That is quite a bit slower and more tedious. But I think I preferred it because it is less messy.

In both cases, after the bulk tar removal, I followed with a solvent wipe down. This course also can take a while.

I also had portions that had some type of glue smeared on it as well. I used a rotary drill w/ wire brush for that.

[Timbo]

If you go with dry ice do so with lots of ventilation. Lots of CO2 in a confined space won't be good for your health.....

[jerry]

If you go with dry ice do so with lots of ventilation. Lots of CO2 in a confined space won't be good for your health.....

i think you MAY be confusing dry ice (carbon dioxide) with carbon monoxide which is very dangerous. dry ice is/was commonly used in dance houses and stages for the smoky effect.

it WILL, however attract mosquitoes if they're nearby.

ASK ME HOW I KNOW.

i'm also confused with the earlier post describing how messy it is...

i don't get it. was not my experience. really

Edit: I stand corrected, come to think of it, i do recall getting a slight headache after dealing with this. that memory must have been suppressed by the more irratating memory of the mosquitoes.

[cyclopticgaze]

CO2 is heavier than air, so it will sink and form a layer on the floor. If you go that route, ventilate by opening DOORS and running a fan. Just opening windows will still allow it to build up.

It is bad for you; people who suffocate in confined spaces usually do so not because they run out of Oxygen, but because CO2 levels get so high that they can't exhale enough of it out of their blood.

[Guest Anonymous]

it will burn your skin just like HEAT. Be careful

[-=Charley]

I used the dry ice method and it worked well. I cleaned up the residue with 3M Tar and Adhesive remover.

ditto, but the sheets on the vertical panel between the wheel wells is different.. used a heat gun on low and scooped it off.

[Mike Self]

Turn the air waaaaaay down on the air chisel and use a single bevel blade (like a wood chisel blade).

When you have the air chisel on full blast (with very low air pressure) it'll go "chunka-chunka-chunka" so slowly you can see the chisel move. Then you can control it and pop big chunks of tar off without gouging the floor. Worked like a champ for me on both an '02 and a Honda CRX.

mike