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Trouble with Removing Decals

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Old 02-11-2001, 11:35 PM
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I tried the brake fluid-on-the-decal trick, and the decals on the 2000 models must be of a tougher material than the earlier models. I also tried a heat gun and a 2000 psi pressure washer and the decals are sill there. I scraped a couple of the decals off and WD-40'd the adhesive off, but it's still a pain.
I'll try the local auto body supply store to see what they have.
Anybody else have any suggestions?
 
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Old 02-12-2001, 12:48 AM
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Heat gun and a lot of patience.It took me 3 hours to remove all decals from my 2001 500.It was worth it.I hate those condescending warning stickers.
 
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Old 02-12-2001, 07:32 AM
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Yeah, don’t expect the job to go fast and easy. I use a heat gun on low and apply plenty of patience. Those who suggest you can do it with a pressure washer are really using hot water pressure washers, different from us po’ folk with the cold water blasters. Whether you use air or water you need heat to get them off unless you want to spend two days doing it. I clean up the glue with Goo-Gone or Goof-Off, can’t remember which one. Goo-Gone is citrus based and safe on most plastics. Goof-Off can eat into some plastics so try it on the underside first to see what it does. Either way plan on going through the better part of a roll of paper towels. You have to wipe then toss the towel or you’ll just keep spreading the glue around. Those who say Polaris doesn’t build reliably into their machines have never tried to remove Polaris stickers
 
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Old 02-12-2001, 08:04 AM
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I had no problems useing a heat gun on low,along with a plastic scraper or plastic putty knife(any ridge plastic will work).
start by going back and forth across sticker with heat(slowly),once you see the sticker start to blister, use the scraper and keep working your way up(or down).
This meathod took me 5 min. per sticker.With no problems with scratching
 
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Old 02-12-2001, 08:13 AM
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From suggestions I got on this forum, I used a hair dryer (heating from the back when possible) and peeled them off using my fingers. Then cleaned the glue residue with laquer thinner.

The key is to not heat them too much, just enough to starp peeling.

Took me a little over an hour to remove a total of 20 stickers off 3 quads!
 
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Old 02-12-2001, 09:26 AM
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The trick is no trick at all, use paint remover and the stickers wrinkle up and come right off. I don't think I would use this method if I had one of the camo finishes unless you don't want the camo anymore.
Good Luck
 
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Old 02-12-2001, 10:19 AM
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DECAL TROUBLE:

One dollar is correct.That is he has the proper prociedure.I own a company called auto trim design and daily have to take decals off of all different types of surfaces,you know from pin stripes custom graphics to vinyl signs.The 500 scrambler I removed decals off of friday one side removed with just a quick jerk when cold ,but the other side was a pain in the a$$.WHAT THE BACKING OF THE DECAL IS ,IS WHAT MAKES IT A PAIN,POLARIS HAS CHOSEN TO PUT IT ON A SILVER METALIC BASE.ALL SILVER GRAPHICS ARE A PAIN TO REMOVE, HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE IN THE LAST OH LETS SAY 20 SO ODD YEARS.It just takes time if you have a stubern one heat it up with a heat gun and start picking at it from the corner and pulling away from the surface,if it appears to be comming easy give it a quick jerk and it should pull a good size peice off.Using this method I removed a few off with no problem.Use a slow evaporating or medium evaporatind thinner to remove adhessive,a fast evaporating will create to much heat and bubble your tank.Sorry there are no mirricles for this one.if it was on fiberglass or metal you could use a stripe eraser and have them off quick,and you could do that if it was an older machine that was faded probably would'nt even effect it,but dont try it on a new machine as it will dull out plastic from the friction.
 
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Old 02-12-2001, 01:28 PM
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ok, first off, do you own a saws-all?
 
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Old 02-12-2001, 07:59 PM
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How about an oxy-acetelyne torch?
Even better than that I have an underwater burning rig and Broco Rods that burn underwater at 10,000 degrees F. These rods will cut through steel, concrete, iron, stainless steel, nickel bronze, fingers, etc. I know that they'll do the job.
 
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Old 02-12-2001, 08:12 PM
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Howdie,

If your impatient w/ the heat gun, find and use a pressure washer that has at least 2500 psi and set the nozzle to a straight shot. This will make short work of removing the decals. Use lighter fluid to get the excess goo off that the pressure washer does not take care of.

It does'nt have to be a hot water washer either. W/ my pressure washer dialed in a the 2500 psi range on straight shot (no fanning) and the lighter fluid, it may have taken me a total of 30 minutes to drag out the materials, do the job, and put everything back.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO HIT YOUR GRAPHICS W/ THE WASHER SET ON A STRAIGHT SHOT OR you'll be learning how to put graphics one w/out getting all the bubbles in them.

Good Luck,

EC

BTW my quad is an 00' model
 
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