Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
Adhesive Surfaces, Preparing: Notes
Pre cleaning
Remove solid layers like dirt, rust, paint coats (CDC).
Cleaning
- To prevent spreading possible grease residue when grinding down afterwards, clean the adhesive surfaces with a lint-free cloth, soaked with isopropyl alcohol or acetone. Allow the cleaned surfaces to ventilate for 15 minutes.
Grinding Down
To improve adhesion, grind down the adhesive surfaces with grid 150 to 180 sandpaper. Use crossover griding process.
Only use sanding material based on silicon carbide (SIC) for grinding down the adhesive surface.
Cleaning
After the last cleaning procedure the adhesive must be applied within four hours, to prevent contamination as well as the formation of an oxide coating on the aluminum material. Repeat the preparations after four hours without application of the adhesive.
- Afterward clean the bare metal adhesive flange areas with a lint-free cloth, soaked with isopropyl alcohol or acetone, until no residue is visible on the cloth.
- Allow the cleaned surfaces to ventilate for 15 minutes, the adhesive surfaces must be completely dry.
Processing conditions
The ambient and material temperature when processing, must be at least "minimum temperature 15 °C (59 °F)" and a most "maximum temperature 35 °C (95 °F)".
Higher processing temperatures reduce the processing time.
Processing time at 15 ° C (59 °F) 80 min
Processing time at 18 ° C (65 °F) 75 min
Processing time at 20 ° C (68 °F) 65 min
Processing time at 23 ° C (73 °F) 60 min
Processing time at 25 ° C (77 °F) 50 min
Processing time at 30 ° C (86 °F) 40 min
Processing time at 35 ° C (95 °F) 30 min
NO RELATED
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.