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Boy G
Expert
Date registered: Feb 2007
Location: Bushveld, South Africa
Vehicle(s): Diesel G's: 617A and 602
Posts: 1683
| What is the underbody sealant on a G?
I am removing the old underbody sealant on a rusted body using a heat gun and scraper. It is a little unpleasant.
1. Anyone know of a solvent?
2. What is this stuff that is on it?
3. Can I buy it and re apply it once my repairs are done?
4. What are similar products I can consider?
Thanks! |
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GwagenLover
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Winston Salem, NC USA 27104
Vehicle(s): 2016 G550 & 2016 GLE350
Posts: 473
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
I spent a short time looking for the oil filter on my new G550 yesterday.
It appears it has to be underneath the engine somewhere.
While looking, I noticed the underside was coated with a soft undercoat material.
I tried not to touch anything, but I somehow got it on my shirt and jeans. ot including my fingers.
The old G's had a wax coating, but any spray undercoat should work just fine. |
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Boy G
Expert
Date registered: Feb 2007
Location: Bushveld, South Africa
Vehicle(s): Diesel G's: 617A and 602
Posts: 1683
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Thank you.
What you describe and what i have do not sound the same, and what I have is most certainly not wax.
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GwagenLover
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Winston Salem, NC USA 27104
Vehicle(s): 2016 G550 & 2016 GLE350
Posts: 473
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Andrew, go to you tube and watch how the G is made.
The older ones were dipped in a very tough wax.
I questioned the MBenz mechanics today about the soft black coating my new G550 has.
They tried to say it was cosmoline. I did not question them further as I know what cosmoline looks like and what is on my G is not cosmoline.
It had a very soft consistency of black undercoat.
Any work done in this mess will result in the mechanic being a tar baby for sure.
409 took it off of my clothes. I will not mention the wife's comments.
I had a small area on the 2002 G to begin to show a bit of rust. I sandblasted it and coated it with undercoat.
Edited by GwagenLover 7/20/2016 7:44 AM
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bram_r
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2007
Location: the Netherlands
Vehicle(s): 1984 MB 280GE, 1982 MB 300GD, 1986 Subaru XT 4WD
Posts: 1659
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Do some searching on Terolan 53.
This is the stuff I used when restoring my G (and other projects).
This is from what I heard similar stuff which is used on the 460 underside seams and corners.
Link: http://www.loctite.co.uk/loctite-4087.htm?nodeid=8802619555841
gr. Bram
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Boy G
Expert
Date registered: Feb 2007
Location: Bushveld, South Africa
Vehicle(s): Diesel G's: 617A and 602
Posts: 1683
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Thanks Gerald and Bram,
On our local SA forum I have just learned, a bro has just done the same job and used a Sika product to replace, once he had removed the old stuff. He spent weeks removing the old stuff, and he has done it using the same method I am using, ie a heat gun and a variety of scrapers. This stuff is neither waxy nor tarry and you can spend hours scraping away at it and you will not even have any on your fingertips let alone your jeans. It is like ancient window putty. I am sure the recipe is changed from old to new, judging by your comments Gerald.
I am still some weeks away from getting the old stuff off!
Thanks for the link Bram! |
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NHDave
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Dec 2013
Location: Seacoast NH.
Vehicle(s): 2004 AMG
Posts: 464
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
If this coating has a silicon base, you might want to try Xylene, AKA Xylol. Xylol used on cured silicon breaks down the bond, making silicon brittle.
It's commonly used on boats to remove old sealant. Against a smooth fiberglass surface, a flat scrapper makes a short work removing unwanted like sealants. A stiff brush might be your preferred tool considering the textured surface your dealing with.
Have you tried a stiff brush with xylol, lacquer thinner, turpentine, denatured alcohol, kerosene, gasoline, to see if it can be dissolved/dislodged?
Worth trying. |
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bram_r
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2007
Location: the Netherlands
Vehicle(s): 1984 MB 280GE, 1982 MB 300GD, 1986 Subaru XT 4WD
Posts: 1659
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Boy G - 7/20/2016 11:31 PM
Thanks Gerald and Bram,
On our local SA forum I have just learned, a bro has just done the same job and used a Sika product to replace, once he had removed the old stuff. He spent weeks removing the old stuff, and he has done it using the same method I am using, ie a heat gun and a variety of scrapers. This stuff is neither waxy nor tarry and you can spend hours scraping away at it and you will not even have any on your fingertips let alone your jeans. It is like ancient window putty. I am sure the recipe is changed from old to new, judging by your comments Gerald.
I am still some weeks away from getting the old stuff off!
Thanks for the link Bram!
I think I removed most of the old stuff with a grinder with a (sturdy) wire wheel on it. Brutal, but works okay and fast.
Wear some old overalls, good (!) safety glasses and hearing protection and get dirty 
gr. Bram
Edited by bram_r 7/21/2016 7:11 AM
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Boy G
Expert
Date registered: Feb 2007
Location: Bushveld, South Africa
Vehicle(s): Diesel G's: 617A and 602
Posts: 1683
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Thanks again guys. It is progressing quite well mechanically. I will try xylene before I send it in for sandblasting to get the last of it off.
Just BTW I removed the heat shield under the transmission tunnel and found a bit of a rat's nest in there also.... More work.
I will make work of trying to upload some pictures from my tablet to show you but in a nutshell I am a sucker for an old homeless street child G. This current rebuild is really bad. Some pics here from the SA bro's site. The car has been dubbed the Chicken Coupé.
http://www.mb4x4.co.za/index.php?threads/oyoyo-now-chicken-coupé.29...
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J.R.
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Southern Maryland
Vehicle(s): 00 G500, 09 911 4S, 11 Cayenne S, 86 280GE (sold)
Posts: 828
| RE: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Discussed previously
http://www.pointedthree.com/disc/forums/showthread.php?tid=13070&po... |
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Boy G
Expert
Date registered: Feb 2007
Location: Bushveld, South Africa
Vehicle(s): Diesel G's: 617A and 602
Posts: 1683
| RE: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Thanks, I did search the site before posting and did not find this reference using the search words in my thread header. Apologies for the rehash.
However, if the stuff that is stuck onto the bottom of my G's body is wax I would not have bothered to post here. The stuff I am trying to get rid of is about as thick skinned as some US presidential candidates I know of.
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J.R.
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Southern Maryland
Vehicle(s): 00 G500, 09 911 4S, 11 Cayenne S, 86 280GE (sold)
Posts: 828
| RE: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
I just posted it in case folks like yourself had not found it yet and on the off chance that it might lead to the answers you seek.  |
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Boy G
Expert
Date registered: Feb 2007
Location: Bushveld, South Africa
Vehicle(s): Diesel G's: 617A and 602
Posts: 1683
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Thanks J.R. - understood. This forum is a great resource for this type of thing.
There must have been a change in the gunk they use. Although it was necessary to get this stuff off because of extensive rust underneath it, i would in retrospect maybe not have tackled this one if I knew how tough this old stuff is to get off. And there are so many nooks and corners under the body that power tools just cant reach.
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J.R.
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Southern Maryland
Vehicle(s): 00 G500, 09 911 4S, 11 Cayenne S, 86 280GE (sold)
Posts: 828
| Re: What is the underbody sealant on a G?
Boy G - 7/23/2016 4:00 PM
And there are so many nooks and corners under the body that power tools just cant reach.
...and I bet that stuff gums up every tool you are hitting it with. Sounds like a nasty job. |
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