I am in the process of applying Bilt-Hamber rust treatment with a coat of lanoguard, and have started on the front wing area. The passenger wing insulation foam is wet and is holding moisture. I have wrung out as much as I can and have put it in the airing cupboard to try and dry it out, but it is not making much progress.

Has anyone had any success drying it out ?  Or should I be looking for a replacment ?

Thanks

53 minutes ago, UKCobra said:

...and have put it in the airing cupboard to try and dry it out, but it is not making much progress.

That's odd, the laws of physics would allow the addition of heat to make any moisture to evaporate. How long have you left the insulation in the airing cupboard?

If it's not drying in the airing cupboard then it hasn't been wrung out enough.  I had the same issue with the rear insulation from a Mk3 Focus.  It'll only dry 'damp' rather than 'wet'.

I thought the front insulation was more like polystyrene though?  Not sure that could be rung out effectively?

You could try putting it in the washing machine on a spin-only cycle.  Though I have a feeling this type of material will be a pain to dry.  Might be quicker and easier just to buy replacements instead.

I don't know whether modern washing machines can actually do a spin without a rinse. Ours certainly can't and it's a fairly upmarket model.

3 minutes ago, mjt said:

I don't know whether modern washing machines can actually do a spin without a rinse. Ours certainly can't and it's a fairly upmarket model.

Are you sure?  It's listed as 'spin & drain' on mine, separate from 'rinse & spin'.

(And mine is an utterly sh*te model that I totally regret buying! )

Well I never!  Having had another look through the instructions I find there is a way to disable the rinse. It's only taken me 8 years to find that out .

17 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Are you sure?  It's listed as 'spin & drain' on mine, separate from 'rinse & spin'.

Mine too is very basic but still has a 'spin' function, repeated button presses offers option of speed...

LOL, did not think this would turn into a Washing Machine discussion !. It has been in the airing cupboard for 48 Hours, it was wrung out yesterday, I suspect it needs more. It still feels heavy on the lower end, which would indicate water is still in it.

So I will squeeze it again, and it is outside in the Sun, as the weather is nice. The drivers side had NOT absorbed any water. I am not going to put it back until it is fully dried.

Thanks again.

2 minutes ago, UKCobra said:

LOL, did not think this would turn into a Washing Machine discussion !. It has been in the airing cupboard for 48 Hours,

48 hours is nowhere near enough! I have an old 'dehumidifier' in my car (feels like a bean bag). It takes 3 to 4 weeks to dry out in my airing cupboard...

I have just been outside and squeezed very warm water out of it. The issue I suspect moving forward is that the outer covering is now compromised, so if it gets water spray or rain run off from the scuttle, it will saturate the foam again, so I will look to try and tape it with some waterproof tape to try and keep the foam from sucking up more water.

Update : Found a split, whoch would explain how the water gets in, and underneath the flexible plastic coating, it is a sponge like material, so again explains why it holds water.

Taping it up is the only option I suspect.

9 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

48 hours is nowhere near enough! I have an old 'dehumidifier' in my car (feels like a bean bag). It takes 3 to 4 weeks to dry out in my airing cupboard...

I considered getting a couple of those but don't have a microwave to dry them quickly.  Was wondering how long they take in the airing cupboard.  CBA with waiting 3-4 weeks for them to dry though!

I have just picked up two bags, and am testing them today. Last few mornings the windows have steamed up. I dont really believe it will help to be honest.

9 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

I considered getting a couple of those but don't have a microwave to dry them quickly.  Was wondering how long they take in the airing cupboard.  CBA with waiting 3-4 weeks for them to dry though!

I have several that are 'microwaveable' in 6 minutes but the one I mentioned is over a decade old and is about 3 times the size of the newer jobbies 😁 I find them very effective on my old car, I use 4!

3 hours ago, UKCobra said:

I have just been outside and squeezed very warm water out of it

What you need is a good old-fashioned mangle .

 

1 hour ago, mjt said:

What you need is a good old-fashioned mangle .

 

For our younger audience, thought I'd post a picture of a mangle 🤣 (You put material through the rollers where it squeezes out the water LOL)

delete

6 minutes ago, AntonovAN12 said:

Why not leave the foam outside in direct sun for a few days while the weather is nice?

You mean, like already said? "So I will squeeze it again, and it is outside in the Sun, as the weather is nice..." 🤣

I read it on my phone on lunch break and missed that.

One de-humidifying bag appeared to make no difference, will add the second. I am always skeptical of any social media claim/promotion on a product, it is in my experience normally BS. I used to use a portable heater in a motorhome, and that was the only way to keep the damp and moisture away.

40 minutes ago, UKCobra said:

One de-humidifying bag appeared to make no difference...

I use 4! 2 on dash, and one each on rear door cubby holes. During the 'winter season I dry them out every couple of weeks. One will make no difference whatsoever. The 2 I keep on the dash you can actually see a 'half moon' shape of dry glass amongst morning condensation.

Thanks for the feedback, I came to the same conlcusion, needs more of the dehumidifying bags to make an impact.