Sticker Removal. ATTN: Ralph, todd & Kevin

[DocL]

Okay guys, I just took apart the rear lens. What a (insert expletive here) pain!! The water HAS to be boiling. After I finally got the lens seperated, the black backing looked like the elephant man, all distorted and bent. I heard a few cracks, heard something hit the wall (insert expletive here), and finally it came apart. Damage control report: No visible cracks, only a broken prong on the back.

Well, back to removing all the glue. It's everywhere!! I'll post an update when I'm done.

 

[uberjeph]

to get the glue off--may I suggest 3m adhesive remover? That's what I used, after heat gunning it open. It was easier to use this than picking it out of the gaps w/ a screw driver. A little more toxic tho.

 

[SigEpUCI]

uberjeph,
where did you get the heat gun, and how much did it cost?

 

[DocL]

Uber, I have used almost 1/4 cup of 3M adhesive remover along with repetitive boiling of the plastic. This stuff just won't come off. It's been almost an hour and I'v broken three gold and titanium dental instruments. I think I'm going to use use this stuff to cement my veneers on with!

I'll post another update soon. But the way it looks so far, this is going to be a 2 1/2 - 3hr job!

[This message has been edited by Dr.Lane (edited 26 February 2001).]

 

[Nsxotic]

Well, thanks for going first.... although it didn't help my confidence...

See, if I broke one of the prongs, I wouldn't be able to reinstall it on the car.... it would drive me nuts. But, as you know, I'm legally insane, so.... I hate messing with perfection! But I am very tired of the Acura logo being there.... wonder if I f--- it up so bad that I have to leave it off the car, if it will lokk good with no lens there?

------------------
Todd Arnold
http://www.geocities.com/nsxcessive/index.html

 

[DocL]

Well, it's back on the car without the Acura logo in just a bit under three hours. Would I do this again? No way it was very aggravating. Would I help my S. Florida friends? In a heart beat. It would have been much easier for me to have done it with the assistance of someone else that did it before.

Overall damage report: Nothing visible. No cracks in the lens. The edges that have to be pried back look like the Samsonite ape got a hold of it! If I didn't have the dental instruments it probably would've been a lot more diffficult.

 

[rquintero]

Way to go Rob!

So the boiling part didn't deform anything, ah?

 

[DocL]

Nothing was damaged by the boiling. I even boiled the thing five times to remove the glue. Come to think of it, I could have added a chicken and some veggies and made myself dinner at the same time.

Are you guys ready to give it a try this weekend??

 

[BladesNSX]

Ouch Doc. Sounds like a pain. Hey Todd, Ralph, I think we should bring our NSXs to the doc's. He can use some more of his tools. I am too impatient. Probably get frustrated after a few minutes knowing me. Todd remember putting the lowering springs on my car? Same headache...

 

[Nsxotic]

Hey Kev, we lowered my car last month and it was so easy..........!!!!! James and I removed the bolts from your control arms in the rear and didn't have to... that took all the time. We took them out of James' car, put his stock back in and put 'em in mine in less time than it took to do yours! I have friends coming down from Mass. this weekend so I'm unsure if I can get together for the mass boiling, but I'll try.

------------------
Todd Arnold
http://www.geocities.com/nsxcessive/index.html

 

[uberjeph]

well, sounds like you got it back on--congrats! I used a crapsman heat gun from sears, cost was $100 for the super industrial version that can actually do brazing, but there are cheaper ones. As for the adhesive remover, I just kept dumping it on...probably used a few cups...hey, it's cheap. With the heat gun, the black plastic part isn't warped at all. And you get to have a heat gun too after you're all done.

 

[SigEpUCI]

Uberjeph,
Where do you live? If you live in SoCal, how about letting me borrow your heat gun

!

 

[justin hall]

I am laughing out loud reading Dr. Lane's frustration (in a good way, no flame). I think I mentioned in the prior thread that I boiled mine longer than recommended.

as far as all the excess glue, what a f*#king mess, I used a xacto (I know that is misspelled, read it phonetically) blade and cut all the glue out. hope that helps.


------------------
Justin
'98 NSX-T Blk/Blk
o Comptech headers / exhaust / airbox
o Koni adjustable suspension w/Comptech springs and sway bars
o Volk TE-37 17/18” wheels

 

[DocL]

Well guys, having looked at the back of my NSX without the Acura sticker in the lens, I'm saddened to say that I think I liked the look with the sticker. The sticker broke up the somewhat long lens assembly. Now I have to open the lens up again and put some kind of sticker in. Any ideas? I was thinking a Calvin guy peeing. Nah, I'll just put in a Honda emblem.

BTW Kevin, I bent or broke all my titanium instruments that I had at my house, but I do have some root tip picks that would work really well.

 

[netNSX]

I just removed the rear lens cover and inserted the H into the Orange frame. However, when I re-boiled the lens to loosen the glue some of it was stuck within view. So like an idiot I got my girlfriends nail polish remover to take the rest of the glue off. I wont ever do that again! The lens instantly spider webbed. @%#@!!! Apparantly I missed my chemistry class, since the lens was heated, when I applied the nail remover it lowered the temp to 0 and thats all she wrote.
Any suggestions on what kind of adhesive to apply on the lens when I put it back together?

 

[pronto3000]

Dr.Lane, why dont you try this one instead of leaving the car without logo.
http://www.nsxsc.com/ezine_art/image016.jpg

Enrique
Crazy4Cars Racing

 

[Chris W]

For those who are considering the sticker removal project, BUY A HEAT GUN! Take it from me; don't waste your time boiling the part in water to try to soften the glue. I went to Walmart and purchased a $20 heat gun and had the lense apart in less than 10 minutes. And that's because I was trying to be careful. It's a dual temp heat gun from Wagner. You don't need to invest $100 in a heat gun that can strip chrome off a bumper.

As you wave the heat gun back and forth along the seam of the lense gradually pry the two pieces apart with a small flat blade screwdriver. Also, the glue softens and stretches like gum, so as you pull the pieces apart, slide a razor blade inbetween the two pieces and slice through the glue so that it separates them and keeps the glue from resealing itself. As you go around the lense in this manner it will be apart before you know it. As I ran the heat gun along the edges I used the same flat blade screwdriver to scrape off the glue from the lense and in the groove of the backing piece . The trick is to keep it hot enough so that the glue has the consistency of peanut butter and you'll be able to remove it easily without the use of solvents. Then, just use a good clear silicone sealant to join the parts together and you're done. You WILL NOT have to keep putting it back in the pot of boiling water and waiting for the hot water to soften the glue so you can pry a little more each time. I wouldn't attempt taking it apart any other way. The boiling method is a waste of time unless you plan on making soup in the pot for lunch while you boil the lense.

If you think this project is difficult, try removing the lense pieces from the left and right taillights. That, my friends, was a hair-raising task. Especially knowing that each assembly would cost me close to $350 for each side if I screwed them up. When I first bought my NSX I had a horrible problem with moisture in the lenses. I ended up taking all three taillight pieces apart 3 times when all was said and done. My moisture problem is gone though.