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Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack


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comnavguy
User

Jul 22, 2010, 12:49 AM

Post #1 of 13 (5252 views)
Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

On late 80s and early 90s GMs, as a sealant on the bottom of the coil packs, GM used some green stuff is like hot chewing gum or worse.

I tried everything including Googone, DeSolve-It, terpentine, alcohol and all kinds of soapy stuff. NOTHING worked very well

UNTIL a neighbor suggested I try brake fluid. SAY WHAT? Brake fluid??? C'mon.

EUREKA! Unbelievable. Worked as if it were made specifically for this green goop. This green stuff was gobbed around the plug and wires, and contaminated everything it touched - tools and hands and then transferred to everything I touched, and was a nightmare to get off my hands.

Brake fluid was a godsend and disolved this mess as hot water melts sugar.

No apparent damage to wiring or rubber parts nor connections.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 22, 2010, 8:58 AM

Post #2 of 13 (5245 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

Interesting. Regular DOT 3 brake fluid is water soluable I understand DOT 5 is not. Totally different and probably wouldn't work for what you used it for. Careful as brake fluid can eat some paints so watch what it gets on. Would have to read warning label to know how nasty it is to skin but it's near impossible not to working on brake hydraulics and guess I'd be gone long ago if it was that badWink

T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 22, 2010, 9:50 AM

Post #3 of 13 (5241 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

I'm still trying to figure out what the green stuff was. I'm not aware of anything used on the coils by the factory.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 22, 2010, 1:39 PM

Post #4 of 13 (5233 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

The few I've dealt with used a goo that was yellow/brownish and icky. New module under coil pack came with more that was more like plain dielectic grease. I think the idea is just to disperse heat evenly - not sure?

I've never seen what I would call green used but someone may have been there before and used something all different - who knows?

I haven't run across much that won't clean off with the selection of......

BraKleen (usually like lacquer thinner)
Carb cleaner
Orange hand cleaner which is mostly lanolin
Good old WD-40!

Way back watched a tech clean hands with motor oil or ATF - works and now warnings that prolonged contact has caused problems with laboratory rats if dunked in it for 1,000 days. Heck - you think my brain damage came naturally? Heck no!

T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 22, 2010, 2:47 PM

Post #5 of 13 (5227 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

You must be talking about the filler used in the coils and some of the modules. That's actually the inside of the coil melting all over the place.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 22, 2010, 3:00 PM

Post #6 of 13 (5221 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

Good thought HT - I never smashed one open to see what was inside nor found one (coil) that oozed out stuff,

T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 22, 2010, 3:02 PM

Post #7 of 13 (5214 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

Remember the Chrysler modules and voltage regulators used to do it all the time?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 22, 2010, 3:42 PM

Post #8 of 13 (5207 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

So far never had one leak out?? Dunno - may take more heat than by chance happened to ones that failed.

Voltage regulators way back (the Mopar ones mounted on firewalls) used a gel if I recall on back side and wasn't sticky to the touch but with heat enough might.

So far I find cooling system rubber that hardest to clean off hands from hoses that had oil or gas wreck them,

T



comnavguy
User

Aug 26, 2010, 12:58 PM

Post #9 of 13 (5142 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

This green goo is not from inside. It is all around the plug and under the module, and i've seen it on several GM cars in junk yards. AND, carb cleaner, brake parts cleaner, acetone, etc., ain't going to begin to cut it.

I cleaned it with brake fluid. It took lots of rubbing with the scrub side of a Scotch Bright sponge and LOTS of brake fluid.


comnavguy
User

Aug 26, 2010, 1:03 PM

Post #10 of 13 (5141 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

Tom,

I didn't try WD 40, but none of the other stuff you suggested worked on this green goo.

Alcohol, acetone, brake parts cleaner, etc. just would not cut it. It evaporated too quickly and then the rag would get stuck.

I got my blue gloves and about 1/2 of a Scotch Bright sponge and went to work.

Thanks for the response.


comnavguy
User

Aug 29, 2010, 3:20 AM

Post #11 of 13 (5107 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

I just crushed open the coil, and it's solid with nothing inside. However, I removed the plug underneath the coil pack, and it has this green goo on it, and I'd be happy to smear a small sample on a piece of paper and send it to anyone who wants to see it and who sends me a mailing address.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 29, 2010, 4:52 AM

Post #12 of 13 (5102 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

I'm good but I bet Tom G would love some.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 30, 2010, 9:09 AM

Post #13 of 13 (5085 views)
Re: Cleaning horrible sticky from GM coil pack Sign In

Nah -Kitty would just have it all over the house!

T







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