Most effective headliner adhesive remover/solvent?

I've been fighting with stripping a junkyard overhead console frame of its nasty-ass adhesive remnants but seem to have been fighting a losing battle thus far. I've tried 91% isopropyl alcohol and various wire brushes, but still have a huge amount left that I'm none too enthused about removing with my fingernails.

My question is this... What is the best adhesive remover you guys can recommend that I'd be likely to find at a local Lowe's, AutoZone, or Advance? I've decided this is my project for the night, and it's consequently bugging me.

I look forward to any input you have. Thanks in advance!

Denatured alcohol, find it in any hardware/Wal-Mart paint dept.

Take your time, be gentle, and work small areas at a time using a little amount of the alcohol. Denatured alcohol is the real deal, and you need to be careful with it. Test in a small area first.

Start with WD-40 and a soft wire brush to get the chunky stuff, then escalate to mineral spirits and a plastic brillo to get the small crap. It took a couple of hours each to clean the ones I bought. Warning you now, stuff like Goof-Off will work faster but it will eat the plastic too.

Honestly, I ripped the cloth and gunky old foam off and threw it out, took it out on the back porch, scrubbed most of the remaining foam off, then threw it in the tub and scrubbed the remnants of the foam off with my hands and a bit of soap. The tiny layer of adhesive won't matter or even be visible by the time you put another layer of adhesive and 3-5mm worth of headliner fabric on it.

It's a moot point on try to remove ALL of the old adhesive. Just brush off all of the old crappy headliner foam.

Spray down the frame with a good coat of adhesive, and give the material a good coat to, give just a tad to get tacky and get busy.

I did my XJ about two weeks ago, so I know your pain.

Rest assured, with the new adhesive and material you will not see the old adhesive "popping" up.

Buzzstrike said:

It's a moot point on try to remove ALL of the old adhesive. Just brush off all of the old crappy headliner foam.

Spray down the frame with a good coat of adhesive, and give the material a good coat to, give just a tad to get tacky and get busy.

I did my XJ about two weeks ago, so I know your pain.

Rest assured, with the new adhesive and material you will not see the old adhesive "popping" up.

Click to expand...

^^^ agreed.

I found that hand cleaning brushes and even the little broom thingy on the vac cleaner makes quick work of removing the old foam. Get it clean as possible without overkill and recover.

wirebrush and black paint looks great way better then it was. looks real good with the new headliner

I've used that fuzzy attachment (round) on the end of the vacuum cleaner and was able to simply vacuum most all of it off. It's a nastey job.

What I had/am having trouble with is actually the foam rubber inside the sunglasses holder. That stuff is nasty in a way I have not experienced in quite some time, instead of just disintegrating it has decomposed into a disgusting layer of brown sludge. It seems to stick to everything. I'm thinking I'll just leave the holder closed and pretend it doesn't exist...

a plastic putty knife for body filler will scrape that off if its still in one spot