MTFCA Forum

Where are you coil fixers getting your tar from these days?

Drop by any commercial roofing job with a dozen donuts and talk to the guy working the tar pot. I'm sure he'd give you a couple of big pieces of tar.

Now I,m not in the coil business but I’ve done about 20 over the years. I’ve never needed to buy tar. I do my removal of the old cap over a few sheets of newsprint or a large piece of cardboard and I capture all that comes out. I remove the side of the case where the cap sits first. Never broke one yet. It makes the tar and cap removal as easy as it can be. I make up the empty space created in the cavity by the much smaller replacement part by using wood bits. I usually leave the glass insulator in place. Works very well. I bend a spout in a small can and clip on a pair of vice grips as a handle. A propane torch, used outside of course, provides the heat to melt the tar.

Roofing contractors that do flat roofs, commercial bldgs, or in lumber yards usually have pieces of roofing tar laying around where it’s been stored and moved around.

When you contact roofing contractors looking for coil rebuilding tar specifically ask for Type III Steep roofing asphalt.
Ron Patterson

Here is a photo.

I once used roofing tar and beer cans to repair rotted wheel wells on my '80 Jeep Cherokee 35+ yrs ago.... a glob will do yah!

There are three or more heat levels, you have to get the highest one.

That one Ron showed you weighs about 80 pounds and costs around $150.

Almost a life time supply though!