Does factory undercoating break down

[blown motor]

My undercoating seems to run or bleed in places. Wondering if the components in it are starting to break down or separate. The first pic is the end of the torsion bar and the second is the tranny brace but I see it other places too. The shiny spots seem to be a bit softer and moister than the dull areas.

[shawge]

  My experience is that any solvent will break it down.

I'm fairly certain that the undercoating is an oil based product so it seems logical that if oil/grease (like in the areas you point out) gets on the undercoating then there is a chance of it softening 

[blown motor]

The ends of both torsion bars look like that. Why is it happening there? Does that point get warm from flexing?

[burdar]

That doesn't look like factory undercoating to me.  The factory stuff has a lot more texture to it and stays hard.  It can flake off over time but I don't think it softens up.  Your pictures look more like years of oil/dirt buildup.  I suppose it could be aftermarket undercoating. 

I don't think the factory sprayed undercoating that close to the torsion bar socket.  Take a look at this picture.  http://www.moparaction.com/Article/NEW_GOLD/11.jpg  It's of an A-body but you can see how they sprayed around that area...not on it.  The undercoating was sprayed before the torsion bars were installed.  If there was undercoating on that area, it would hinder torsion bar installation.

I think what you are seeing is oil and possibly grease leaking out of the torsion bar socket.

[7212Mopar]

Well, mine looks just like in your pictures. I can confirm at least for the cross member that it is not undercoating but years of build up. I cleaned mine and repainted already. I also plan to pressure wash the underside of the transmission tunnel whenever I get to it.

[blown motor]

Hmmm.  Then maybe it's an aftermarket undercoating that a PO applied. The entire bottom of the car has it including the wheel wells. It's to consistent to be a build up of dirt and grease. I also have the hood insulation pad which led me to believe that it was factory applied. Would they have changed product for the 74 model year?

[burdar]

If the car had a decent leak for quite awhile, it's very possible that the entire underside is covered in a thick layer of grime.  Even though your car came with full underbody sound deadening, they stayed away from certain areas.  I don't think they would have sprayed undercoating around the rear torsion bar socket when parts still had to be installed there. 

[jimynick]

Murray, the reason the torsion bar socket shows it, is because the factory recommends you fill the cavity with grease and that appears to have been coated over. The other spot appears to be suffering from an output shaft seal leak that would throw oil onto that area and also soften it. The factory stuff is harder than the hubs of hell wherever I encountered it on my sled, but it will wash off with a solvent. Look at the bright side, at least you have a floor to undercoat!