Removal of AC vents on a 360 | FerrariChat

Removal of AC vents on a 360

Discussion in '360/430' started by BMWM5, Sep 14, 2010.

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  1. BMWM5

    BMWM5 Karting

    Jan 17, 2005
    121
    Wisconsin
    Looking for some guidance on removing the AC vents on a 360. I was able to remove the ring but cannot figure out how to pull the complete unit.

    Thanks
     
  2. apex177

    apex177 Rookie

    Oct 21, 2006
    23
    Los Angeles, CA
    Don't know if the 360 and 430 are similar, but on the 430 just get a firm grip on the vent and pull out the whole unit very gently. Good luck.
     
  3. Prov1x

    Prov1x Formula Junior

    Aug 8, 2010
    268
    Union, Ky
    Full Name:
    Rob Clarke
    I was trying to figure that out myself. I went to stickynomore, but it on shows the F355 and 348. i was cleaning my interior last sunday (treating the leather) and grabbed the center vent on the dash. It came right out. I thought I broke something. It dropped back in place. I read a thread where someone used oven cleaner and removed all the "sticky" crap. I was going to send my sticky parts in this winter when I store my car for the winter. I'm going to try the oven cleaner and post you with the results. Has anybody use this stuff and have any advice?
     
  4. mseals

    mseals Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 9, 2007
    24,468
    Kuwait
    Full Name:
    Mike Seals
    Robbie?

    I haven't used oven cleaner...but, I suspect that even if it works, there's a trick to it; how long you leave it on, etc. Personally, I'd hate to take the chance to screw it up...

    I'll be sending my stuff to Robbie (stickynomore).

    Besides that, I see it as supporting our sponsors here on the site.

    Mike
     
  5. Oengus

    Oengus F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed Silver Subscribed

    Mike just give them a gentle tug
     
  6. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
    Sponsor

    Sep 11, 2004
    20,845
    Southern Md
    Full Name:
    Robbie
    In my experiences, oven cleaner works about 10% of the time. I hear about how easy oven cleaner is to use all the time, but have yet to see anyone's "finished" product after using it. The only time I have found it will work is if the parts are so sticky that the stuff is falling off of it. Most parts don't ever get to that point before owners want them refinished. Other than that, oven cleaner will not loosen or touch most parts I deal with. Also if you leave it on bare plastic too long, it will start to eat into the primer coat on the parts..Be careful.

    What you are left with after the part is stripped is usually bare pastic that needs some type of coating to make look nice. Also you will need to replace any symbols, lettering, etc that is stripped off.

    Had an Fchatter recently put Goo Gone on one of his airvents to remove the sticky crap and then sent them to me. The Goo Gone ate into the plastic and ended taking an extra hour of sanding to smooth out the part--even then it didn't look as good as the vent he hadn't touched....

    Just be careful with what you use, these parts are not cheap to replace....
     
  7. El Peligroso

    El Peligroso Rookie

    May 28, 2008
    39
    Planet Earth
    #8 El Peligroso, Sep 16, 2010
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2010
    285ferrari -

    "In my experiences, oven cleaner works about 10% of the time" - in mine it worked 100% of the time.

    "The only time I have found it will work is if the parts are so sticky that the stuff is falling off of it" - not true, some of the parts I cleaned were sticky to the touch but FAR from having the stuff falling off.

    "What you are left with after the part is stripped is usually bare pastic that needs some type of coating to make look nice" - not true. The plastic beneath is polished and looks perfect without any further work.

    Guys I posted the oven cleaner thread on the F355 board. I have both a F355 & F360 and got REALLY tired of the stick stuff.

    To remove the F360 vents, use a small flat screw driver, gently insert beside the vent apply careful pressure and they pop out.

    Now, the oven cleaner - spray onto a small sponge. Rub down the parts you have removed. There is no need to allow the oven cleaner to penetrate. Just some light rubbing and the goo comes off really easily.

    Wash with water. Done !

    As mentioned before, if you rub too much over the markings they MAY come off. Only happened to the LOCK text on my right side door handle on the F360 and the L / R indicator text of my F355. I can live with it.

    I accidentally got some gunk on the leather (light tan) from the sponge whilst cleaning. took another sponge moist with ONLY water and it washed off perfectly.

    Too good to be true? Yes - try it and you'll thank me.

    If someone will explain to me how to post photo's I will.
     
  8. El Peligroso

    El Peligroso Rookie

    May 28, 2008
    39
    Planet Earth
  9. mseals

    mseals Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 9, 2007
    24,468
    Kuwait
    Full Name:
    Mike Seals
    Looks like an excellent job! Nice!

    Mike
     
  10. VTChris

    VTChris F1 World Champ

    Aug 21, 2005
    13,259

    Wow! They came out great!
     
  11. F430addict

    F430addict F1 Rookie

    Sep 17, 2010
    4,460
    As good as brand new...or better?
     
  12. alvav

    alvav Karting

    Apr 27, 2012
    123
    Montreal, Canada
    Full Name:
    Leonidas Vavougios
    I don't understand how the goo came off but not the labels.
     
  13. delaney

    delaney Formula Junior

    Nov 8, 2003
    704
    St Petersburg, FL
    Full Name:
    PETER DELANEY
    Agree with the other posts. Oven cleaner (not even the expensive ones) works very well. Simply spray, leave for ~ 5 minutes and then rub off using a rag under running water. You may have to repeat a couple of times, but the end result is the native black plastic finish.

    I did have to use a satin black spray on a couple of parts but that was because they were scratched. Most of the effort is actually getting the bits off..especially the door locks and the passenger side door grip. The cowling around the steering column also takes a bit of persuasion. I sort of cheated on the passenger door grip and didn't remove it...I used plain alcohol (iso-propyl...from Walgreens etc). Less harsh than over cleaner...just in case I got it on the leather.

    For all the bits (door locks, AC vents, handles, steering cowling etc) I reckon it takes ~ 8 - 10 hrs max... a couple of hours a night for a week.

    This process wipes off the 'LOCK' and 'arrow' signs on the vents...still looking for replacements, so any direction would be welcome.

    Happy rubbing!
     
  14. waterboy222

    waterboy222 Karting

    Dec 29, 2009
    54
    Grand Lake, OK
    I put mine in the microwave..

    Softened the coating up enough that a rag with acetone wiped the sticky off..




    On a side note, my machine shop is making me some aluminum vents that will be powder coated black along with the defroster vents that have a much wider flange to cover up dashes that have shrank.. Once they get finished, I'll post them up.. Should make a big difference..

    My only concern with the aluminum is sweating from running the a/c..
     
  15. donho

    donho Karting

    Oct 11, 2006
    154
    Naples, FL
    Full Name:
    Michael
    My guess is that they will sweat. The vents in my DBS have painted aluminum faces that I refinished flat black. They sweat like crazy in SW Florida.
     
    KC360 FL likes this.
  16. Finitele

    Finitele Formula 3

    Sep 26, 2007
    1,379
    DBC
    Full Name:
    DIR
    Thank you, I need to do this too
     
  17. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Aug 19, 2010
    971
    Greenville, NC
    Full Name:
    Jim
    I own a 360 and a 348 so I have had a lot of parts to clean. I tried all of the suggestions I saw on FChat (mineral spirits, oven cleaner, rubbing alcohol, etc) and they all took a good bit of work to get them completely clean. I checked with a local Indy shop that does this for customers and he gave me the secret. It is chimney cleaner. Any brand will do but you just spray it on wait 5 minutes and scrap it off. It was by far the easiest of all of the methods and didn't affect the plastic. I also used a Brillo pad (the plastic type) to get into grooves and clean up any residual that didn't come off as well as a plastic putty knife for larger pieces like the steering column.

    This is by far the easiest way to do it and what the professionals do. You can do a part in 10 minutes.
     
  18. modificator

    modificator Formula Junior
    Regional Sponsor Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 12, 2020
    321
    Florida
    Full Name:
    George
    I realize it's an old thread, but someone may still find it (I did :). After using several different methods to remove the sticky goo on high end cars (including a 360) I've concluded that many work (including a 99% alcohol) but acetone is definitely a BAD idea. Acetone dissolves ABS plastic used to make many parts and can make irreversible damage. Also acetone can remove the paint under the goo and we want to remove the goo, not the underlying paint. I've used acetone to "weld" cracked 360 door insert plastic though.
     
  19. KC360 FL

    KC360 FL Formula 3

    Jun 20, 2017
    1,677
    Melbourne Florida
    Full Name:
    KGC
    70% alcohol worked great for me. Took all the "goo" off without damaging the plastic parts. However it will remove lettering and you are left with a bare black plastic part-- something I don't object to. And you will probably want to use a cotton swab and lots of time to do it carefully and not affect the surrounding areas of leather.

    The vendors here who do the job for you look like they get amazing results and will re-do the lettering where applicable-- better than new. I'd have done that but the PIA of removing everything was more than what I wanted to do- plus the possibility of breakage of 17 year old parts deterred me. I just couldn't deal with the sticky feel of the A/C vents, door lock levers, etc.
     
  20. modificator

    modificator Formula Junior
    Regional Sponsor Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 12, 2020
    321
    Florida
    Full Name:
    George
    Agreed. Also I've noticed that Ferrari is using two types of lettering ("over the goo" - like over the thick goo applied to the door handles or AC rings) and "under the goo" (like under the thin goo applied over the climate controls). Luckily, if not rubbed too hard, only the "over the goo" lettering is lost.
     
  21. modificator

    modificator Formula Junior
    Regional Sponsor Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 12, 2020
    321
    Florida
    Full Name:
    George
  22. 8202632

    8202632 Karting
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jul 9, 2017
    128
    Memphis, TN
    Full Name:
    CDC
    I’m struggling removing the door pockets. Any guidance? I tried to follow the instructions on aldous voice and I can’t seem to pry it out
     
  23. modificator

    modificator Formula Junior
    Regional Sponsor Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 12, 2020
    321
    Florida
    Full Name:
    George
    First remove 6 M5 bolts visible on the sides using 3mm hex bits. Next remove 2 M4 bolts at the top near window glass (hidden under rubber seal) and 2 M4 bolts at the bottom (visible looking up from under the door), all 4 using 2.5mm hex bits (which some people don't have, so those screws may be hard to remove due to improper tool damage).

    After that, which places are still holding up, if any? Ferrari may have changed bolts and screws over the years so look carefully for any additional ones. Good luck.
     

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