Removing bedliner...

[JoshT]

Short story: Anyone got tips for removing sprayed in bed liner from my truck? I'm thinking heat gun and patience.

Long story:
Had a small lawn and garden battery in the bed of the truck and did not realize that it had turned over. Battery acid ran out all over the bed liner and caused it to start lifting.

I know that something like baking soda is best for neutralizing the acid, but I doesn't have any at the moment. I removed the battery and everything else that was in the bed and flushed it out first with water, then Dawn dish soap and water, and finally flushed with water again. If nothing else hopefully that at least diluted the remaining acid.

I suspect that some acid has gotten under the liner. I want to start removing the liner and properly neutralize the acid but I don't really know how to remove the liner that hasn't started lifting. I'm thinking a heat gun and pair of gloves will do the job, heat sure makes the edges turn loose during the summer.

FYI the liner is a Reflex brand spray in that hasn't aged well. Been planning to remove the liner and have it resprayed for a few years, this just gave me some final motivation. Once I start I'll be removing all of it, but this acid area is the primary objective. Once finished I'll either have it resprayed professionally or a DIY like Upol Raptor Liner.

 

[_dj_]

If you use a heat gun wear a respirator. Me personally I'd take it somewhere that does sandblasting it's not that expensive and would take about an hour.. Plus it will give a great adhesion for sealer/ primer


_dj_

 

[JoshT]

There ain't going to be anybody going at my truck with a sand blaster. Not saying that it won't work, I just don't trust them. I don't need the whole damn truck stripped and repainted, and I don't trust their abilities to properly mask what needs to be masked. Seriously there's about a 75% probability that once returned I would need new rear glass, bed sides and tailgate repainted, new tail lights, and new rear bumper due to over spray screwing all of it up.

 

[_dj_]

Lol I can definitely understand your skepticism.. A sand blaster in the wrong hands could be a nightmare. My father inlaw does all my blasting work.


_dj_

 

[MPRanger]

I used to install those bed liners. Your going to need to score the liner down the bed of the truck (usually about every third or fourth rib) in sections. You'll need something to pry with, a lot of patience and just start pulling. If the liner starts to break off in little pieces you can use a heat gun to soften it first. Are you going to have the liner redone? If so good. You'll just need to get this chemical called MEK it's sold at most hardware stores. You'll need it to clean the oils and acid and whatever else off the bed before the new liner will stick. If not you're going to need to get some primer or paint or something because if the shop cared about your truck when the liner was installed your bed is going to be scuffed up pretty ruff so the liner would stick. I used to use 36 grit sand paper on a die grinder to take the bed to bare metal. Hope this helps.


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[JoshT]

Thanks dude that helps a lot. Unfortunately I don't think they did a very good job of prepping the bed for the liner, pretty sure that's the reason the bed rails started peeling up the way they did. The goal right now is just to get the old stuff off and make sure I got all of that battery acid cleaned up. Once that is done I'll clean and hit the needed areas with self etching primer and sealer primer, just to give it a little protection. I also run a hard tonneau cover so that will give it more protection from the weather.

Next big step on the truck is pulling the engine back out to fix an oil leak at the pan or rear main. With the new motor that kinda takes priority over the bed. Once that is done we'll see about getting it re-sprayed.

 

[JoshT]

Got out today and started messing with it a little. The adhesion on this liner isn't great. Once I got a corner up it started pulling right on off. Will get a box of gloves tomorrow for protection from any residual acid, then I'll put a little heat on it and start ripping the stuff out.

Been thinking about it and I don't believe that I am going to have it resprayed quite the same as it was. I think I am going to get the bed rails repainted, install plastic caps, and keep the liner below the rail. Think that the plastic caps will make for a better seal with my undercover tonneau. That'll all be decided later and I'll make another thread for it.