Miracle Plastics Cleaner?

[WaynePierce]

My 1985 J's interior plastics have yellowed. I don't know if former owners smoked or if this is a natural process for these plastics, but... Is there a cleaner that will take the yellow out and return them to tan(ish) without just replacing them. I have one piece that was lost and replaced by an avionics shop a couple of years ago but my wife says we can't afford to replace the interior. I'm kidding, I don't think we can replace them at this time either. The plane's interior is brown cloth and the interior doesn't look terrible but anywhere it shows what it used to look like and what it looks like now is ... remarkable. Have any of you found anything that applied with liberal amounts of elbow grease brings them closer to original?

 

 

[tmo]

SEM paint

I owe MS an update on my interior redo, which I will get to in due time, but the amount of work vs results obtained is IMO worth the effort.

Edited June 28, 2022 by tmo

[EricJ]

You can remove the pieces and do any repair with the usual ABS plastic repair techniques and then repaint them with the SEM Super White, which makes it look like new.

This stuff:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PL24O4

[PT20J]

ABS plastic yellows and becomes brittle over time when exposed to UV light. Mooney used relatively thin sheets to keep the interior components as light as possible and the parts thin further when conforming to the mold during the thermoforming process creating weak spots that often crack. There is no way to clean them since the yellowing is caused by a change in the plastic itself and is not just a surface film. If it has yellowed, it is probably also becoming brittle and the best thing to do is remove all the plastic and repair any weak spots and then paint them with SEM. There are many threads on MS about various repair techniques. Personally, I've used 2-3 layers of glass cloth impregnated with ABS cement from the hardware store with good success. If I really need to strengthen an area, I use the same cement to glue a piece of ABS sheet on the back side. This is especially useful to strengthen holes where the side trim clips in. I also use the glass cloth/ABS cement to reinforce all the screw holes which are common cracking points. SEM Phantom White is close to the original color.

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[PT20J]

Another good reason to remove the interior is to inspect the tubular structure for corrosion if that hasn't been done recently. 

[WaynePierce]

21 minutes ago, PT20J said:

Another good reason to remove the interior is to inspect the tubular structure for corrosion if that hasn't been done recently. 

That was done two years ago during my first avionics upgrade. !  

[tmo]

1 hour ago, PT20J said:

Another good reason to remove the interior is to inspect the tubular structure for corrosion if that hasn't been done recently.

Right. Couldn't agree more. Beware, as it can add months to the process...

[Hank]

Your local automobile paint supply shop will.sell SEM in almond. First thing I did when I bought my C. Remove interior panels, clean, patch cracks / holes and paint, then reinstall. 

[PT20J]

BTW, SEM makes a lot of products. The one you want for the panels is SEM Color Coat. You can get it in rattle cans. That's how I did my first airplane. On the current one, I bought two quart cans and had the panels sprayed in the paint booth of the restoration shop at the museum. It's amazing how much plastic there is when you get it all removed. There are SEM Youtube videos showing how to prep and use the product.