Roof-Spoiler removal

[catfood12]

I was making progress along the M27 yesterday, when a fella in a Transit stated flashing and waving at me. I naturally assumed it was just van envy, but he drew alongside and said my rear spoiler was flapping loose and I should stop straight away !

I pulled off at J2, and found the thing was hanging on by about 5 inches of the glue. A light tug, and it came off in my hand ! I can't imagine the consequences if it had flown off at motorway speeds.



As photos above it was just bonded on, and the paint to which the glue was bonded has come off the spoiler itself. Whoever did it used plenty of glue, but the paint finish isn't particularly good, and it can't have been done with the correct primer or plasticiser.

There's bonded in threaded inserts in the spoiler, but the lazy twunts who fitted it in the first place didn't bother to use them.


I recendly saw @toonaroon's thread on his new spoiler fitting, and admired his blue-tak trick. I didn't know I'd be using it so soon.

Whilst I can probably get an answer from Google, can anyone recommend an adhesive to re-bond the thing on with ? I'm going to drill holes and fit some M6 studs too, is there a putty or sealer to use around the holes too ?

 

[Dellmassive]

Sikaflex 521 has been mentioned as a bonding agent.

 

[Jean-Louis Bourdon]

was it installed by VW or a previous owner?

 

[catfood12]

Sikaflex 521

Coolio, thanks for that.

 

[catfood12]

was it installed by VW or a previous owner?

It's not a genuine VW spoiler so wouldn't be dealer fit. I guess the previous owner had it done. He wasn't the tinkering type, so I wouldn't have thought he did it DIY.

 

[toonaroon]

Lucky escape there mate, I used Tiger seal and as you know bolts as well. Around the holes I used an anti rust compound (locktite) and also some clear silicone just in case I have to one day unbolt.
Oh yes, forgot to mention, I also keyed the surfaces first with a fine emery paper.

 

[rover220]

sika 221

 

[Littleblackflash]

looks like the adhesive bonded to the paint on the spoiler, which wasn't bonded to the spoiler.

If you look at a windscreen when it's been removed, there isn't any paint where the screen bonds in for this reason. When I fit spoilers, I ensure that area is masked from paint so you're bonding direct to the spoiler. Obviously the same happens on the van, but I have more faith in VW paint adhesion to the door.

 

[Ranger13]

Mine came off also when it was installed by CustomVanz I did a thread on it somewhere on here , luckily nobody was behind me at the time but I wasn’t happy, could have been a whole lot worse.

 

[Lukavell]

Does this look bolted on to you guys?

Please ignore the twigs!

 

[Lukavell]

Does this look bolted on to you guys?

It was! Two nasty holes in it now. Can't see how I could have taken them out properly.

 

[The Van Cave]

I have the same concern as you! I want to remove my rear spoiler, but I don't know if it's bolted or just bonded. I can't see any evidence from the inside that it is bolted, but your pics don't show any evidence either.

Gutted for you, are you going to reinstall the spoiler or get the holes filled and painted?

 

[Lukavell]

I'll get the holes filled and painted, there is a good paint shop just down the road from me.

I just wish I could have got the bolts out without destroying the holes in the metal work. As you said, it's very difficult without any evidence that they are there; I was convinced that there couldn't be any bolts!

The only way around it I can think of would be to very carefully drill through the top of the spoiler until you got a hole close enough to the bolt head to unscrew one or use a hole saw. The spoiler wouldn't be much good anymore but at least it'd be a neater solution for the van!

It looks like the bolts are screwed into a rawl plug type bracket that fits in the hole on the metal work.

 

[The Van Cave]

I'll get the holes filled and painted, there is a good paint shop just down the road from me.

I just wish I could have got the bolts out without destroying the holes in the metal work. As you said, it's very difficult without any evidence that they are there; I was convinced that there couldn't be any bolts!

The only way around it I can think of would be to very carefully drill through the top of the spoiler until you got a hole close enough to the bolt head to unscrew one or use a hole saw. The spoiler wouldn't be much good anymore but at least it'd be a neater solution for the van!

It looks like the bolts are screwed into a rawl plug type bracket that fits in the hole on the metal work.

Nice to have a good paint shop local, the chap I used back in my boy racer days closed a few years back, which is a shame because he was top drawer.

I was hoping I might be able to sell my spoiler and recoup a very small percentage of the money I seem to be unable to stop spending on my van! My hope is that because my spoiler isn't OEM that it is only bonded, but what I don't know is if the current spoiler replaced an OEM bolted one, or if it didn't previously have a spoiler at all and therefore might only be bonded.

 

[Lukavell]

Yeah it's handy, especially for instances like this!

So was I but I bent it, which cracked it when I took it off, fixable but not good. The front one came off very easily and is still in good nick.

 

[Noddy996]

@Lukavell If yours had just been bonded on do you think you could have cleaned it off satisfactorily, or would it still need the services of a body shop? (I have no idea what you would need to use!). I am also thinking about removing mine (from a Reflex Silver van too) as I would like to be able to put on a VW bike rack. Cheers, Andy

 

[Stay Frosty]

Not that there'll be a next time but sawing back and forth with 50lb fishing/brick line would have parted the Sikaflex up to the point where these two bolts stopped further progress... sorry chap, it's easy to be wise after the event.

 

[Lukavell]

@Lukavell If yours had just been bonded on do you think you could have cleaned it off satisfactorily, or would it still need the services of a body shop? (I have no idea what you would need to use!). I am also thinking about removing mine (from a Reflex Silver van too) as I would like to be able to put on a VW bike rack. Cheers, Andy

Yeah, there's no easy way that I know of but it can be done with a bit of elbow grease and WD40 or Silicone remover.

Not that there'll be a next time but sawing back and forth with 50lb fishing/brick line would have parted the Sikaflex up to the point where these two bolts stopped further progress... sorry chap, it's easy to be wise after the event.

I tried fishing line but it kept snapping as soon as any tension was put in it, no 50lb stuff in the garage unfortunately. My impatience got the better of me.

 

[Lukavell]

Good as new...

 

[Lukavell]

Lines look much cleaner now with the roof bar and rails. Also, when I finish restoring it I ought to be able to get my new canoe on top a lot easier!