The Diesel Stop banner

Super Duty Emblem Removal / Modification

14K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  dirtyeddie 
#1 ·
Anyone that has a 2006 F-Series Super Duty most likely has emblems where the black paint is peeling off of them. Ford will warranty these emblems. Some of you don't have the time to go to the dealership and leave your truck at their body shop until they can get them emblems replaced with new one's (that are going to peel again). So you can either remove the paint and have solid chrome emblems (which look good) or remove them and replace them with emblems you like (what I did).

Tools needed:

Clean cloth rags
Clean towel
Chisel
Plastic scraper
Drill & Bits
Scratch remover and/or buffing compound
Alcohol (isopropyl) + I also went through a six pack of Coors Light...
Gasoline (Goo Gone doesn't work on this stuff)
Rubber Gloves

Step 1.) Place thin bladed chisel with cloth rag placed over blade and end and GENTLY slide it in between the body and emblem. GENTLY apply pressure in a rocking motion and at the same time keep pushing chisel under the emblem. After the emblem comes off about an inch you can remove it with your finger by applying controlled steady pressure so as not to break the emblem while removing it. Once the emblem is removed you will be left with a rather thick coating of rubber in the shape of the emblem. This has to be removed no matter what.

HERE is a photo.

Step 2.) To remove the rubber coating you will take the plastic scraper and carefully scrape the rubber off by using a controlled jabbing motion and doing this while keeping the scraper scraping only the area with the thick rubber on it. Don't slip all over or you may scratch the paint outside of the area the new emblem or replacement emblem is going to cover. As you work your way across the emblem area you will find the rubber has been pushed into a glump. Rip the glump off with your fingers to keep it from gumming the scraper edge up and blocking your line of sight. Slow and steady is what we want here. Don't get too aggressive during the process.

HERE is a photo.

Step 3.) Put your rubber gloves on and get one of your shop rags out. PUT OUT YOUR CIGARETTE and then douse the rag with a generous amount of gasoline. Hold the gasoline soaked rag over the residual gummy stuff that was left over from step 2 and wait a few minutes. Now take the plastic scraper again and do the same as you did in step 2. You will notice the residual rubber is also being pushed by the scraper into a little mound.

Remove as much as you can of these little mounds with your fingers until you have as much gone as possible. Then take the gasoline soaked rag, re-soak it and use a clean area of it to wipe the area where the label goo was. The gasoline now should remove all of the goo and goo residue. Scrub in a circular motion and scrub aggressively.

Step 4.) Remove your gloves and get a new clean shop rag. Use the Isopropyl alcohol to Wipe off a 1x1 foot square around the entire emblem area. Now is a good time to get another cold beer too. Make sure all of the old goo / glue / residue is gone while you are enjoying your cold beverage. I wanted to be absolutely certain so I looked long and thoroughly enough to be able to enjoy another cold beer during this step. Even after all of the goo is removed and the area is clean you will probably see a little line around where the old emblem was. Use your Buffing compound / scratch remover and go over the one foot square you just prepped previously.

This will get rid of these lines and any small scratches you put on the paint while removing the goo with the scraper.

HERE is a picture.

HERE is a picture.

Step 5.) Take your cloth you used for the isopropyl alcohol, wet it with some more isopropyl alcohol and remove any compound or wax residue left on the paint from step 4. Even if you can't see any DO NOT skip this step.

Step 6.) Take your New Emblem, peel the back and stick it on. If it is a replacement the holes will match right up. be careful to have the emblem level as you place it onto the paint. The stuff on the back is very sticky and once it touches the clean paint it can NOT be lifted back off (to re-align for instance).

HERE is a picture.

HERE is a picture.

(Optional) If you went with different emblems you may need to do some drilling like I did. I needed to open the holes already in my body to be able to level the new emblem. Had I not put it up to the body I would have stuck it on and it would have been way crooked. Make sure you check your emblem position BEFORE you peel the back and stick it on! I VERY CAREFULLY drilled the new holes and then covered the very little bit of bare metal with a permanent marker (an old gunsmith’s trick) you could do better. I cleaned the area with alcohol once more. Then checked the alignment once again and finally carefully placed the new emblem on making sure that they were placed LEVEL. You only get one shot at this! Once you’re done, open up another cold beverage, stand back and enjoy your work! Total time is about 2 hours. Good luck! It's not too difficult as long as you have the things I mentioned.

HERE is a picture.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Comment on your step #1, instead of taking a risk and using a tool to "pry" off the old emblem, I used high test fishing line. Take a length between both hands and in a "sawing" motion cut off the emblem. The factory emblems have two alignment pins. You have to thread the fishing line past them when you cut far enough into the adhesive. It takes a couple of lengths of fishing line because of the friction/heat on the nylon, but it works well.

Scott
 
#3 ·
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TexasTruck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Comment on your step #1, instead of taking a risk and using a tool to "pry" off the old emblem, I used high test fishing line. Take a length between both hands and in a "sawing" motion cut off the emblem. The factory emblems have two alignment pins. You have to thread the fishing line past them when you cut far enough into the adhesive. It takes a couple of lengths of fishing line because of the friction/heat on the nylon, but it works well.

Scott </div></div>

That is what I said too... I used one of those scrapers and bent the old style stock badges from 04 and below in half... They are not as rigid...but they were going in the garbage anyways... so no big deal!
 
#4 ·
TXtruck and Layson

You don't use the thin chisel to "PRY" the emblems off. You place a cloth over the thin blade and you just apply parallel pressure under the emblem. The Parallel pressure assures you will not bend the old emblem or more importantly that you don't bend the body metal / scratch it. Getting the labels off the way I did it was about a 30 second process, trouble free. Maybe I should have shot a video clip of it. The fishing line way sounds like a P I T Azz
 
#5 ·
Dude I am not trying to pick a fight... The emblems on my truck have been on and off so many times now that I have gotten pretty dang quick at it.

The only reason I mention the fishing line is too have another option out there. Personally I would not use a scraper with cloth around on my new paint job...just my .02... The fishing line is pretty dang easy and is not going to damage your paint in any way. It just saws right off.

You have a great write up... I am just making some suggestions...so people have more options ...

thanks,
Steven
 
#6 ·
Cleaning items with gasoline and drinking beer just sound like a reason for receiving a Darwin Award! My .02 cents!
 
#7 ·
last thing you here a ******* say is:

"Here hold my beer and watch this!"
 
#8 ·
Eddie -- Try the fishing line method. Use 20 lb. test Ande. Keep the line lubricated with oil. It's a lot easier than the chisel/scraper with absolutely no risk of paint or body damage.
 
#9 ·
Gasoline,chisels and beer are not good for my paint!!! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif
 
#11 ·
Instead of fishing line, use dental floss, its already lubed with wax. Works great!

Scott
 
#12 ·
Nothing sadder than a man who can't drink a few beers and still work on his truck without screwing it up... just sayin'...

Well maybe besides one who can't back a boat trailer into a boat ramp stone sober... yeah I guess that's even sadder and more prevalent these days.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top