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DIY Guide To Removing Caliper Paint

5K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  tuner-stop 
#1 ·
I had some people that were interested in seeing if this would work.
About a year ago, the first thing I did to my RSX was paint my calipers Dark Ford Blue with Dupli-Color spray paint. It looked kind of cool at first, but in reality it was pretty cheap looking ("ricey") as most would say. Anywho, it started chipping off after a couple months which made it look all the worse. I tried using a wire brush to scrub it off, but it just wasn't cutting it. My calipers looked ridiculous and I wanted the paint gone so I wouldn't look cheap anymore.

So this is a DIY guide for those of you who, like me, suffered or currently suffer from Caliper Painter's Remorse, also known as CPR :)

Caliper Paint Removal

Products needed:
Aircraft Remover (paint thinner) in an aerosol can
Small wire detailing brush (size of a tooth brush) or a toothbrush
Painters tape (blue or green, half in.)
Latex gloves (double up when spraying the thinner)
Disposable towels (Place under the rotors to avoid paint getting on the ground)

Process:

1) Park in a cool area and on level ground. If it is hot, you will want shade for your own sake.
2) Make sure your car is on jack stands
3) Remove all rims
4) Tape off the surface of the rotors with painter's tape (I used 3M)
5) Put on 2 latex gloves on the hand you will be spraying with. (A.K.A. - Double up)
6) Shake the spray can of paint thinner well for a minute or two.
7) Spray the caliper conservatively with the paint thinner. Remember, if this gets on your paint, you will hate yourself. Do about 3 passes with the spray across the caliper.
8) Let the thinner sit on the caliper for 5 minutes to allow the acid to melt the paint. I recommend walking around to kill time or reading your favorite car magazine. I chose Motor Trend.
9) After the paint boils up and your caliper is no longer soaked with paint thinner, begin to wipe away the paint from the caliper. That's right...wipe. No scrubbing is needed. The paint simply falls off.

*A word of CAUTION: If you scrub your caliper and the little pieces of paint get on your arm, face, or hand, you will feel a very intense burning sensation. It will feel like your skin is melting off. I suggest you immediately immerse the area with water and wipe away with a towel as soon as you realize what has happened.

10) Use a Q-tip to remove paint from the small crevices of the caliper
11) Remove the painter's tape from the rotor and start on the next caliper.

Pictures for those that are visually learners:

Paint thinner

When I first painted my calipers

After half a year (Most had chipped away, but some a lot still remained)

The blue on the rotors is painter's tape. You can see the paint boiling off from the acid



Afters (The blue stuff is painters tape)





For those that are wondering:
My brakes work the same as they did before doing this project. I've driven on them for 2 days already and no problems, noises, etc.

Paint thinner is fun to use, but it is also very dangerous. I realize that it is probably not good for your rotors or brake pads. This is why I suggest that you spray conservatively and carefully. Treat it like spray paint and move in concise passes, not direct spray shots. Do this, and you will get good results. Don't do this, and you will have an accident on your hands.

Total time expectancy: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Remember: Prep is key.
 
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#3 ·
Good work.:thumbsup: Paint stripper in a tin can that you brush on will do the job as well (less masking). You can get those at Home Depot.
 
#11 ·
I remember you talking about wanting to get rid of that paint from the previous owner. I'd give it a shot because the paint literally just melted. I didn't have to scrub at all. I would think paint, no matter how applied, whether by spray, brush, or powdercoat, would have the same reaction to paint thinner.

Aren't our valve covers powdercoated...and rims? I would think if people use this on their VC and rims, that it should work on calipers that are powdercoated as well. It's fun stuff!
 
#22 ·
You don't need to. Paint thinner is not very violent stuff. Your rotors and pads will be fine. If anything, paint thinner is oil based and leaves kind of an oily film. I suggest cleaning the whole area with either lacquer thinner or brake cleaner afterwards.

One more thing, OP, paint thinner is not acidic.
 
#24 ·
I had some people that were interested in seeing if this would work.
About a year ago, the first thing I did to my RSX was paint my calipers Dark Ford Blue with Dupli-Color spray paint. It looked kind of cool at first, but in reality it was pretty cheap looking ("ricey") as most would say. Anywho, it started chipping off after a couple months which made it look all the worse. I tried using a wire brush to scrub it off, but it just wasn't cutting it. My calipers looked ridiculous and I wanted the paint gone so I wouldn't look cheap anymore.

So this is a DIY guide for those of you who, like me, suffered or currently suffer from Caliper Painter's Remorse, also known as CPR :)

Caliper Paint Removal

Products needed:
Aircraft Remover (paint thinner) in an aerosol can
Small wire detailing brush (size of a tooth brush) or a toothbrush
Painters tape (blue or green, half in.)
Latex gloves (double up when spraying the thinner)
Disposable towels (Place under the rotors to avoid paint getting on the ground)

Process:

1) Park in a cool area and on level ground. If it is hot, you will want shade for your own sake.
2) Make sure your car is on jack stands
3) Remove all rims
4) Tape off the surface of the rotors with painter's tape (I used 3M)
5) Put on 2 latex gloves on the hand you will be spraying with. (A.K.A. - Double up)
6) Shake the spray can of paint thinner well for a minute or two.
7) Spray the caliper conservatively with the paint thinner. Remember, if this gets on your paint, you will hate yourself. Do about 3 passes with the spray across the caliper.
8) Let the thinner sit on the caliper for 5 minutes to allow the acid to melt the paint. I recommend walking around to kill time or reading your favorite car magazine. I chose Motor Trend.
9) After the paint boils up and your caliper is no longer soaked with paint thinner, begin to wipe away the paint from the caliper. That's right...wipe. No scrubbing is needed. The paint simply falls off.

*A word of CAUTION: If you scrub your caliper and the little pieces of paint get on your arm, face, or hand, you will feel a very intense burning sensation. It will feel like your skin is melting off. I suggest you immediately immerse the area with water and wipe away with a towel as soon as you realize what has happened.

10) Use a Q-tip to remove paint from the small crevices of the caliper
11) Remove the painter's tape from the rotor and start on the next caliper.

Pictures for those that are visually learners:

Paint thinner

When I first painted my calipers

After half a year (Most had chipped away, but some a lot still remained)

The blue on the rotors is painter's tape. You can see the paint boiling off from the acid



Afters (The blue stuff is painters tape)





For those that are wondering:
My brakes work the same as they did before doing this project. I've driven on them for 2 days already and no problems, noises, etc.

Paint thinner is fun to use, but it is also very dangerous. I realize that it is probably not good for your rotors or brake pads. This is why I suggest that you spray conservatively and carefully. Treat it like spray paint and move in concise passes, not direct spray shots. Do this, and you will get good results. Don't do this, and you will have an accident on your hands.

Total time expectancy: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Remember: Prep is key.

how will you have an accident from painted calipers?
 
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