Post engine fire clean up

[PbFut]

As some of you know, I had a pretty good engine fire 3 weeks ago. Hagerty has been decent to deal with on parts and allowing for self repair. I have the front clip off, engine out and 95% of firewall items removed. I was messing with various cleaning methods but not coming up with anything that does not require a great deal of rubbing with blue scotch-brite. The soot from burnt plastic is really bad. Has anyone with fire damage found a solution? Paint on the body panels escaped heat damage as far as I can tell but the soot will not release. I am no using sctch-brite on exterior. Polishing compound is working as that seem to be the ticket. But areas under removed panels and firewall is really bad. Tunnel and distributor area go too hot. Will need wire brush strip and prime. I have not removed interior as yet. So all that to ask for tricks in washing off this soot?

[LS short box]

After you remove everything off the firewall, then use various diameter "roll lock" fiber discs on a die grinder or hand drill.

[PbFut]

Yes for removing burnt paint, but what about areas not needing repaint? The fiber disc will put too deep of marks.

[Steeveedee]

The soot is likely chemically bonded to the paint via heat. I know you don't want to hear my solution. Sorry to see what a mess the fire made of your truck.

[howzzzit]

Will wet sanding work?

[PbFut]

All Exterior paint except hood is good. I experimented with polish used when I painted. Unless I find some heat damage, not expecting to, a good wipe down with paint prep and polish with compound will get it gack to 100. Firewall will need full strip to metal. Right fender on inside is heat discolored. I think I can strip to the hood channel seam and be good. Liners need strip and repaint. Cleaning just puts a step in that is not needed since I'll strip anyway. No getting around that the firewall is toast.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

I wondered about that bond to unprepped paint, glad it's not fused on there. We used to remove fresh graffiti from heavy equipment with Brakleen and a rag, but that crap wasn't applied hot

[3drburb]

If you have a Dollar Store (cheap) nearby, maybe try some oven cleaner along with Ajax or Comet with the heavy duty green scrubbing pads.

[LS short box]

For the firewall I was thinking using the roll lock discs. But yes if you have undamaged paint areas the roll locks would be too course.

[70STOVEBOLT]

Maybe try this?

https://www.amazon.com/Absorene-Eras...33467506&psc=1

[Jason Banks]

70Stovebolt, that looks like a good thing to try. OP might also try a Mr Clean Magic Eraser/Melamine sponge. They are essentially a very fine sanding sponge.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Try soaking it in wd 40?

[daddymoo2]

How about a pressure washing it and soap solution. Good luck.

[PbFut]

Originally Posted by 70STOVEBOLT

Maybe try this?

https://www.amazon.com/Absorene-Eras...33467506&psc=1

I had not thought about those eraser sponges. Thanks for tip.

[RustyPile]

Originally Posted by PbFut

I had not thought about those eraser sponges. Thanks for tip.

I've been following your thread and I find I find it quite amusing.. I feel really bad bringing you bad news.. I have some experience with fire damaged vehicles.. That black stuff is the remains of hot black smoke and burning particles.. The heat has bonded that stuff to the paint and it cannot be "washed off".. You will NOT be successful trying to "rescue" or save the paint, it is forever damaged.. Grind, sand, or otherwise remove the paint down to bare metal.. Treat the underlying metal and then apply any necessary fillers, primers, etc., and then apply color matched paint.. Feather it in with the surrounding undamaged area.

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by RustyPile

I've been following your thread and I find I find it quite amusing..

Amusing???

[PbFut]

Originally Posted by MikeB

Amusing???

LOL. I hope it was just a poor word choice. Rusty is correct, sort of. The black soot does come off if the heat in that area was not too hot. It goes from oily and easy to remove with soap and wash cloth to elevated abrasive needed, to burnt paint. The outside of cowl cover got too hot. Repaint required. Outside of fenders looks good so far. I was hoping to wire wheel inside fenders up to the hood channel but the channel is not acceptable. I will try to meet at the top corner but I am not confident. That means bringing the color out around to outside of fender and stop at trim. Bummer as the outside paint realy turned out well for driveway spray. I messed with AC cover yesterday. SOS on the really bad stuff. The smaller cover is really toasted. There is plenty room inside to try and reinforce with resin and some mat. Then experiment with the gelcoat. Why I am obsessed with the ac cover with all the other stuff looking at me I don't know. I just roll with what ever bugs me the most at this point. I don't really know if the cover is salvageable so I obsess until i figure it out. Then easier to move to next part. Then I don't lay awake all night thinking about different procedures.

[mr48chev]

Sorry but on that truck I am not understanding why you just don't just do it right and sand it down the same as if you were restoring it from scratch, and paint the whole firewall and stand back and tell yourself nice job and put it back together. With trying to cut corners you are never going to be happy with the results in the long run. In truth you will probably get it done faster by sanding it down and repainting the whole thing rather than dink around trying to save part of the paint.

[PbFut]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Sorry but on that truck I am not understanding why you just don't just do it right and sand it down the same as if you were restoring it from scratch, and paint the whole firewall and stand back and tell yourself nice job and put it back together. With trying to cut corners you are never going to be happy with the results in the long run. In truth you will probably get it done faster by sanding it down and repainting the whole thing rather than dink around trying to save part of the paint.

Yup, fire wall will go down to metal. The fire wall is probably the easiest part of the whole job. I used that photo because it showed all the levels of damage from burnt to metal to just sooty. It's all the little parts and other areas like door jambs. Respraying the truck doors forward is in the cards, but I'm hoping not to pull it. Just asking the group to see if there are tips or tricks is an interesting discussion. Looking for options is part of the fun. I openly spitball ideas simply as a study. Sorry if you pros are frustrated with my process. This truck is not a 60K restore. It's always been a nice driver and will remain such, nothing more. If I dink around finally coming to the conclusion of full strip and repaint, thats fine but driveway sprays are a different process to a full autobody spray both. If you are lucky enough to get panels looking good, a do over is something to avoid at all cost.

[RustyPile]

PbFut knows me pretty well, MikeB.. He knows that my amusement is NOT from his misfortune.. What amuses me is the many remedies you guys come up with.. WD-40, soap and pressure washing, and many other approaches, and none of them will work. That s**t is baked on and it will not simply wipe off with a household cleaner.. The paint on that firewall is totally ruined and PbFut, down deep, knows it..

PbFut, if you weren't half a continent away from me, I'd invite you to bring that truck to my shop... I'd break out my "heavy artillery" and that sooty mess would soon be a dusty pile in the floor.

[PbFut]

Follow-up
As usual I neglected to shoot any pics while in stages.
I disassembled the firewall. Wirewheeled all the paint off to the bright steel. The tunnel was really bad. Washed with an acetone based prep wash. Shot two coats of Shopline epoxy in and out on the firewall only. I got a little thick by the hood rail trying to get a good coat in the channel. Ok so that killed a day repairing the runs with some high build to not look like my normal spray jobs. Then laid down my normal 4 wet coats of single stage Urethane. The color matched out very well considering I had to buy a new quart of material. Hopefully the cowl and hood will duplicate this result when I get to it. The interior got a Lizard Skin treatment. Both sound and thermal. I think I got it a bit thick, but it will all be covered with jute and carpet. I masked off the the contact area for some of the items I felt would need a solid contact for a secure hold or future access. The doors cleaned up well with prepwash and a Mr Clean sponge followed by a light polish. Very fast and easy.

[Steeveedee]

You're doing a great job of bringing this truck back. Good on ya!

[Luke87gt]

What, what is the common source of engine fire and how can I prevent that from ever happening?

[PbFut]

Not common. I had a new 8 stack FI setup on top a small block. An injector or fuel rail connection failed and sprayed down the area with 60 pounds of fuel pressure. Fire got hot enough to blow the refrigerant seals and ignite the refrigerant and or oil. Things got very hot and oily smoke cooked into newly painted area. Burned most everything on both sides of firewall.

[MikeB]

How did you apply the Lizard Skin?