Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

[Andy M.]

Hey all,

This is a friends Monte Carlo that he asked me to help him out with. I tried clay. I tried wd-40. I tried M105 and 205 and PRC151, in a last stitch effort. This stuff has just been left on there and baked on the hood.

Any suggestions?





Thanks

Andy

[Tuck91]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

What clay did you use?

I would definitly try the Pro Line Red Clay.

[the_invisible]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

My Insurance Company covers the cost of repaint of damage caused by tree sap.

That is a good enough indication that tree saps are permanent, such that the insurance company is willing to pay for such damage.

Enzymes are often used to remove tree sap off a variety of material, and enzymes are not safe for any paint.

[CieraSL]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

What clay did you use?

I would definitly try the Pro Line Red Clay.

That is really bad. If I had to guess, I would say it probably needs to be wetsanded down and buffed out. I hope I'm wrong, but that's my guess.

[Murr1525]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

Can try some glass cleaner, or 50/50 IPA.

[Tuck91]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

I would say it probably needs to be wetsanded down and buffed out.

I wouldnt recommend that just yet.

Perhaps the Pro aggressive clay with a little passion will remove it.

[the_invisible]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

I am interested to know how this will turn out using Meguiar's Red Bodyshop Clay (which is the same as the Claymagic red clay in case you cannot source the Meguiar's part locally).

[Kevin Brown]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

I would recommend that you do a complete wipe down of the car using Meguiar's D120 Glass Cleaner Concentrate.

I would mix it stronger than the recommended 10:1. This product contains alcohol (as well as other ingredients) that will remove any dried on or fresh tree sap. It really is incredible to see!

You can mist it on small sections (1'x1'), let it sit, then wipe with disposable cotton towels. If there are any stubborn remnants, simply saturate a small rag with the concentrated glass cleaner and place it over the sap until it loosens its bond (use anything from 1:1 to 3:1 water/glass cleaner as a starting point).

You certainly don't want that stuff melting into your buffing pads or onto the paint should you decide to buff the car... which you may need to do if the sap "stained" the paint (read that to mean damaged, dissolved,or etched).

I would wish you good luck but you won't need it because this really works.

[cnfowler]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

Andy, I feel your pain. However, I may have a solution. During a detail on an 05 Corolla, I stubbled upon an easy way to remove tree sap. There is a degreaser you can buy at the auto parts store or Wal-Mart. Its in the purple bottle. It use to be Castrol Super Degreaser, now I think its just Super Degreaser. Its about $8 for a gallon.

Wet the hood. Put some in a spray bottle (use full strength) and squirt a little on each spot. Do one at a time. Use a damp terry cloth towel and gently rub each spot. The sap just melts away. Rinse it down and continue on to the next spot. I did 5 spots like this on the Corolla. Two were on the headlights and three on the painted surfaces. It only took seconds per spot and there were no negative effects to the panels. These spots were also not fresh. They were baked on in the Florida sun for months. They were rock hard, just like what you were describing. Give it a shot. I really think you'll be surprised and it will avoid some really aggressive measures.

Colin

[Andy M.]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

I used the blue dline Meguiars clay, (mild). I don't use the red stuff, (aggressive) since I know it would probably need a rotary after that. Although Frank (Shyneman) showed me how to use it and gave me some really good lessons I still need practice. I would have to order some of the D120. Thanks guys for all your responses. Like I said, this stuff is like rock hard. Even when I thought I was making some headway, all it did was smear it a little. I was like what the heck. I guess I'll be calling customer service tomorrow to see how long it will take to get some down here to Philly. I will keep you updated.

Thanks again I appreciate it and this is exactly why this forum is here. We help each other.

Andy

[Murr1525]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

If you have Nxt, you can try it on a spot. The D120 may be better of course.

[Ryan L.]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

I agree with Kevin. I had a huge spot of rock hard sap that I couldn't get off with anything.

I was at a Open Garage and I asked Kevin about it and he put some full strength glass cleaner on a towel and held it against the sap for a couple seconds and wiped it right off.

Try it!!

Ryan

[Andy M.]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

I agree with Kevin. I had a huge spot of rock hard sap that I couldn't get off with anything.

I was at a Open Garage and I asked Kevin about it and he put some full strength glass cleaner on a towel and held it against the sap for a couple seconds and wiped it right off.

Try it!!

Ryan

I will be calling Mr. Stoops tomorrow! LOL

ANdy

[adrian0726]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

That same thing happened to me once, I remove all of it with 2 coats of bug & tar remover, I leave the product for about 5 minutes, that solve my problem.

[the_invisible]

Re: Need Help! Worst case of Tree Sap I ever seen!!!

Would it be advisable to use household or Meguiar's consumer glass cleaner in the time being?

That same thing happened to me once, I remove all of it with 2 coats of bug & tar remover, I leave the product for about 5 minutes, that solve my problem.

That's what I would do as well to deal with relatively fresh tree sap.

I also store a couple brands of Bug & Tar Remover at home. Some are better than others in removing certain substance.

For example, Turtle Wax's Bug & Tar Remover works better than the competition at removing gummy asphalt like substance. While using products from non-Meguiar's brands may be against one's conscience, but desperate stains call for desperate measures.