insulation in '69 gtv

[roller]

i'm really tearing into the cabin of my '69 gtv.
i've taken out seats & center console & carpet.
i'm also taking out the thick insulation. there's a lot of dust...is the insulation a health hazard in any way? is it fiberglass or asbestos?

thanks,

john

[roller]

i'm guessing that my concern over the insulation of firewall/floor in my gtv is misgiven or is too ridiculous to respond to.

i looked more closely at the firewall insulation, and even tho it's the same color as fiberglass, it looks more like shredded cotton.

john

[jimcheney]

I tore all mine out without lung protection and I havent died yet. I was careful...

I dont know its composition though, I just knew i didnt like how it retained water. Mine had been seriously soaked from a leaking heater core.

[ossodiseppia]

I tore mine out ten years ago, well what little was left got torn out. I'm still alive and kicking to some degree. It wouldn't surprise me if that stuff has natural fibers in it. If you are planning on replacing the insulation, I'm very happy with the stuff I used on my car. It's easy to cut and install. If your interested in what I used, please feel free to check out my website. All of the info is there.

[roller]

great, thanks ossi.
good to know there's at least no short-term effect.
i'll check out your site; i'm going to have to replace it
with something.

john

[Keven]

John,

I tore all my insulation out,(what a mess!!) I wore rubber gloves, and a Home Depot cheapy mask. Better safe than sorry.

One note, is that under the carpet insulation, Alfa added more soundproofing
in the form of tar(bitmus sp?) mixed with asbestos. Be really carefull if you are
planning on removing this. I plan on getting it good and wet, wear a better
mask, and bagging the stuff as a scape it off. BTW they paint right over this
stuff. Good luck.

[roller]

yep, the stuff under the carpet is what i'm talking about. that's unfortunate if it's asbestos. i tore most of it out to clear the floor pans for replacing.
well, i hope i didn't inhale too much of it. thanks for the update.

what with the exhaust fumes and the asbestos, my health seems to be in jeopardy w/ this car.

i'm going to check the site to see if there are warnings about the asbestos.

john

[116_Veloce]

The original stuff is made of shredded fabrics and cardboard

[roller]

i'll go with that (the optimistic version).
the floor did look like shredded sweat shirts.
the firewall was the same color as fiberglass, but
looks more like a kind of cloth.
in any case, i'm going to be using the mask next time i tear into it.

john

[jimcheney]

Ok then, what is all that silver-backed stuff you see people put under their carpets as a modern replacement? Either that or does someone have a recommendation for a insulation replacement?

[Keven]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the stuff does have asbestos.
Its printed in my factory Alfa workbook. I think it helps soundproof as
well as insulate the cabin from exhaust heat.

You will probably be just fine, since most of it is incased in the tar.
I have noticed that removing it was not that dusty so far.

Also do take care of the exhaust smell, the likely culprits are the trunk seal.
Search the BB for this topic, because some have not had luck with certain
seals from Centerline and International. People do say the Re-Originals
does work. Also check that your tranny shift lever boot is not ripped.
There are two boots an inner and outer, inspect both.

Good luck, and start wearing a mask

[Jr. Z]

Insulation Composition Questions: I took some of these products to someone who knows about asbestos abatement & removal when I was taking the car apart & he gave me a quick analysis, no testing, just his best educated guesses on the composition of the different materials:
1) Black tar/bitumen based material right next to the floorboards, stuck down & painted over in primer or body color: He thought it DID have asbestos in it as the fabric reinforcement, but pointed out that is encapsulated & the fibers can't fly around easily. Take it out in chunks, dispose of correctly, don't cut/grind/shred the stuff, you should be OK. Wear particulate masks.
2) Cotton/chopped fabric material: He thought it looked like chopped scrap fibers, cotton & other, didn't see any sign of asbestos.
3) Pink Fiberglas material: Looked like pure fiberglas to him, just keep it off your skin if you don't like to itch. Wash in cold H2O & soap afterward to keep it from getting into the pores of your skin. The tar hard stuff on top of some of this looked the same as #1 above, same precautions about breaking it up.
4) Now the Baddie: The exhaust heat shields have a layer of PURE ASBESTOS on top of them, between the sheetmetal shield & the body. This is not encapsulated, needs to have every precaution against breathing the fibers taken. If you are going to remove or mess with it, do it inside a large closed plastic garbage bag & dispose of it properly, take it to the proper disposal facilities & tell 'em what it is.
Bruce

[Touringspider]

An Alfa restoration buddy of mine works in the environmental sciences and waste remediation field. His opinion on all these types of materials is that if you take sensible precautions your risk of injury is low if you are doing a single restoration. The key is not to make the material friable (that is, don't remove it from its encapsulated state and get it airborne). Thus, don't cut it, grind it, or blow it with compressed air (which is how all those old time brake techs got sick from the old asbestos brake pads). Also, your risk depends on your level of exposure. Occupational exposure is obviously more dangerous than a single occurrance.

My advice is to invest in a good face mask instead of those all purpose paper things with the two rubber bands. It may cost you more in the short term, but it is worth it. I wear mine religiously when doing any grinding, sanding, or just tearing out old carpets etc. If nothing else, it keeps your allergies from acting up. Oh yeah, read the label to make sure the cannisters are appropriate for your application, and replace them regularly.

Those exhaust heat shields do look scary, don't they...

Arno Leskinen
AROC National Concours Chair
102
115
116

[SeekGTV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jr. Z 1) Black tar/bitumen based material right next to the floorboards, stuck down & painted over in primer or body color: He thought it DID have asbestos in it as the fabric reinforcement, but pointed out that is encapsulated & the fibers can't fly around easily. Take it out in chunks, dispose of correctly, don't cut/grind/shred the stuff, you should be OK. Wear particulate masks. 4) Now the Baddie: The exhaust heat shields have a layer of PURE ASBESTOS on top of them, between the sheetmetal shield & the body. This is not encapsulated, needs to have every precaution against breathing the fibers taken. If you are going to remove or mess with it, do it inside a large closed plastic garbage bag & dispose of it properly, take it to the proper disposal facilities & tell 'em what it is. Bruce

[roller]

wow, thanks. i had no idea about any of this stuff before. if the asbestos in the driver's compartment insulation is in the layer of tar on top of the fiberglass and shredded cotton, then maybe i didn't suffer too much.
i'll be using a mask next time regardless.

thanks for telling me about the exhaust system! i didn't have a clue.
i'm assuming you're saying that the asbestos is sitting on the topside of the
exhaust system before it meets the chassis floor. i'm also assuming that it's just over the mufflers -- i don't see anything on top of the exhaust pipe.
what should i look for? is it a gray sheet? how is it fastened to the exhaust
(or the chassis)?

is there *anywhere* else on the car that has hazardous components?

thanks again, please forward relevant wisdom.

john