Best choices for durable tree sap protection

phrider said:
The car has a mix of body colored and black plastics on it, so a very strong solvent like gasoline might create problems..........
Click to expand...
The last time I had some sap to deal with a month or two back I noticed my bug and tar remover didn't do a very good job. I then grabbed my ~90% IPA (rubbing alcohol) and it took it right off. The IPA is safe for your paint but it will remove your wax or sealer so be sure to redo that area.
 
Oak & Pine Sap bored thru 3 coats of 476S on my Dad's truck. Wasn't alot of dots, but big ones. Some came right off with a gentle scrape of a fingernail. Had to put a small dose of gasoline on a microfiber, and rub out some others. I've heard wd-40 works:secret, but I haven't tried that method.



Goes to show whatever you choose, even with multiple layers, there will be places that sap will get to.
 
Wd-40 leaves to0 much nasty oil, gasoline dries right up and shouldn't be a problem for body colored parts and plastic. They choose materials and paint from the factory specifically to be resistant to gasoline. Which is why gasoline doesn't leave damage when spilled around the gas cap, unless you've got a cheap Earl Scheib $199 laquer job.
 
IPA and Autoglym Tar & Sap remover didn't make the slightest dent in the sap. I think it's a mix of sycamore and eucaliptus saps, sycamore for sure. A mix of pin point and pin head dots.



I haven't attempted the gasoline approach yet. The toxicity and flammability issues put me off.



Scrubbing with clay seems to be the only thing that works.



The only thing that dissolves the sap at all is.... the Duragloss 501 cleaner / polish. It does it a little bit, so clay is faster. I'm going to talk to their tech support line to see if they have some other product with similar solvents in it, but more concentrated.



The 501 stands up to the sap for at least a week. Washing the car, with a little rubbing with a microfiber takes the sap dots off. We'll see how long this lasts -- my plan is to renew the 501 monthly during sap season, and wash weekly.
 
Duragloss experts...



I like to hear your advice on next steps -- given my interest is sap protection (this Volvo XC70 wagon was a pain to clay the sap off of, and I don't want to do that again soon).



1. Is there any benefit to topping with AW after the weekly wash of the car? (I'm getting the Duragloss Marine 591 wash.)



2. Is reapplying 501 on monthly intervals likely to be safer that just relying on AW?



3. For the winter semi-annual application (or maybe quarterly) of the 501, should I clean, do 601 then 501, or do 501 / 601 then 501 again?



4. Should I consider anthing else on top of the 501? Just AW after a weekly wash? Or add 105? Or try FK's 1000p as an extra protective layer?



5. Anything else?
 
Day 46 after detail with clay bar to remove sap, Duragloss Pre-Bonding Agent 601, then Duragloss 501.



The car was washed every 15 to 21 days. Up to 15 days, the sap dots come right off. I applied Aquawax on day 15.



Yesterday, after a 21 day "no wash" gap, I cleaned a sample area with Duragloss 521 Marine detailer -- all sap dots came right off, although some needed a little rubbing with a microfiber. The old Megs Quick Detailer removed the dirt but left many of the sap dots on a similar surface.



I washed the whole car with Duragloss 901 Car Wash Concentrate (at 1 oz per gallon) using a foam gun and a wool wash mit. Nearly all the sap came off except on a few flat areas on the heavily exposed side. The original 501 plus Aquawax was still beading, but I reapplied the 501 to the whole car. The 501 took off all but a few of the most subborn sap dots (a few areas with small pin-point dots of sap) -- and the car looks great.



If I get to it today, I'm going to spot clay bar the few tough sappy spots. I'll then reapply the 501 on those areas.





PS: Many thanks to AL-53 for suggestions on using Duragloss products. I'm tempted to try the TrackClaw sealant on the worst sap areas -- maybe even on a side-by-side basis with just 501.
 
sal329 said:
I would top 501 with Track Claw
Click to expand...
I scrubbed at those remaining sap spots with a microfiber and Duragloss Marine Detailer -- they all came off.



And as a test, I put TrackClaw on a panel and a few flat areas that seem to be the worst areas for accumulating sap spots. This is topping the 501 (seasoned by 24 hours), but after the scrubbing by the Detailer.
 
phrider- I'd somehow missed this thread earlier...glad to see you didn't let some of the less-than-pleasant responses put you off.



Also glad yo're making progress. I do think that topping the 501 will be helpful, and using something like the AW should be too- it's an additional sacrificial layer to take some of the abuse.
 
Accumulator, thanks for your comments.



Next time that I need to do serious sap removal, I'm prepared to try "Lowes odorless mineral spirits" with a terry cloth applicator (for its scrubbing ability).



If I get a chance to work on the Volvo XC, I'll wash and do a full coat of the Track Claw, then AW with the intermediate wash.



Because the last of sap season is in full swing here (Sept and Oct are hot months at the Tarpits), I should be able to get a full test.
 
I finally got ahold of the XC70 on July 5 to start my 2009 sap control program. The car had been washed by a variety of employee garage car washers and regular commerical car washes over the winter.



Fortunately, sap season hadn't started (or there was still some hidden sealant protection):



1. Washed with the DG591 Marine wash concentrate at about 1 oz per gallon on a Gilmore foam sprayer.



2. Clay bar -- this was easy this year. Maybe the sap hadn't started, maybe the sealant still offered some protection, and maybe the DG591 took off any sap. I didn't need to scrub sap in any spot. Or maybe one of those car washers really went after the sap (but they're certain to have said something....).



3. DG501 cleaner layer



4. DG601 pre-sealant



5. DG105 sealant, and had to do the haze wipedown in the dark



6. Next afternoon, did a cleanup/ wipedown with the DG521 Marine detailer followed by Aquawax



This is a white car -- and looks great. And sap season still hasn't obviously started, although with a few more 95 F days, it will. We'll see how the 501/601/105 combo compares to the 2008 approach of 501/601/501.





Now, what do you'all do on textured black plastic cladding like on the Volvo XC70's and XC90's??

.
 
phrider said:
.. what do you'all do on textured black plastic cladding like on the Volvo XC70's and XC90's??

.
Click to expand...



Wonder howt it'd respond to an AIO/sealant approach :think: That *usually* works well on exterior plastic IME but I never tried it on the Volvo 850 we used to have in the family :nixweiss



Hope you have a handle on the sap-protection!
 
How about DG #271 on the black cladding? Havn't used it personally but have always been happy with their other products. Looks like you enjoy them also.



I'm also wondering if you used DG #471 Bug and Tar remover as a 1st step to ease the removal of the sap prior to washing. The bottle says it won't strip waxes and sealants. Just spray on and let sit for a few minutes then wash.



Another great 1st step product is Surf City Grime Destroyer. Spray on, let sit and rinse. I would only use this product when your going to be applying sealant since the GD will prob remove your protection.



When I first starting reading this thread(today) I started to think of the DG marine products but then you ended up getting them and using them before I could reply.
 
Thank you, Accumulator.



I'm toying with trying either the Ultima Tire & Trim Guard or the FK 108 "Top Kote RVL Poly Protectant - Anti-Static" for the XC70 plastic cladding to address mild fading and protect it.



But first I'm going to talk to the folks at Duragloss.



PS: Satinsilver -- I posted before seeing your post. We are of like mind on the Duragloss marine products. I'll report back on my call.



PPS: The Bug Wash didn't help with the sycamore sap. DG501 was better at dissolving it.
 
The Duragloss suggestion for my black textured plastic was DG#271, the Rubber and Flat Black Dressing. This won't restore bad fading.



The Duragloss conversation also confirmed my experiment with Track Claw last year: Track Claw won't have the long-term durable protection that 501/601/105 would have.
 
IMHO if you keep the surface slick, the sap won't stick. :getdown



So what I do is use Turtle Wax ICE, top it with Lucas Slick Mist (which gives the most wonderful silky finish), and then ICE QD + a shop towel can quickly remove any sap droplets that got on the car.



The trick is to use QD every day thus giving you a siliconized surface to which sap won't stick. Otherwise I'd use detailing clay and/or TW Bug and Tar Remover (Liquid, not the spray or the aerosol) to get it off the surface. Stoner's Tarminator is a body solvent that can be helpful as well. It causes sap to swell up and soften, making it more vulnerable to being washed/clayed off.
 
silk said:
It will help make the removal easier, but tree sap will not bead up and roll off your car. It will stick !
Click to expand...



Hopefully one day, the paint companies will figure out how to put a real non-stick coating on cars. I wouldn't be shocked if 30 years into the future car paint is made from some kind of ceramic surface that is easy to clean.
 
For sycamore sap, TW B&T hand pump spray and Stoner's Tarminator didn't work.



Again, DG501 was the only product I found that dissolved the sycamore sap at all. Clay was effective in removing the sap, but it took a lot of work.



I have not tried mineral spirits -- and I haven't need to do so after using the DG combinations.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top