Chassis cleaning tips
Discussion
Hi
Just wondered if anyone out there had any tips for chassis cleaning? Had the car up on stands at the weekend to change the front brake pads and got a chance to look properly at the underside. Main rails look pretty good but the outriggers ain't pleasant
Have the feeling I'm going to be told it's elbow grease, physical effort and scraped knuckles, but if anyone's got experiences of particular products, tools or methods that work, I'd much appreciate it.
cheers
smurf
Just wondered if anyone out there had any tips for chassis cleaning? Had the car up on stands at the weekend to change the front brake pads and got a chance to look properly at the underside. Main rails look pretty good but the outriggers ain't pleasant
Have the feeling I'm going to be told it's elbow grease, physical effort and scraped knuckles, but if anyone's got experiences of particular products, tools or methods that work, I'd much appreciate it.
cheers
smurf
I would advise not using a jet wash unless you plan to spend many weekends on your back waxing the rails. The biggest problem is muck on top of the outriggers. It's very difficult to get it all off without damaging the paint and wax. A trick I've learned is to park the car on well drained land and put a lawn sprinkler under it. Move it around from time to time. This will slowly soften and rinse away mud, horse muck etc. leaving the chassis clean and easy to inspect. The next thing to do is to dislodge and stones trapped between chassis and body. Once the chassis is thoroughly dry you can give it a quick coat of brush on wax oil.
This I do each year. It takes a couple of weekends but it's worth it if you intend to keep your pj
This I do each year. It takes a couple of weekends but it's worth it if you intend to keep your pj
tvrbob said:
A trick I've learned is to park the car on well drained land and put a lawn sprinkler under it. Move it around from time to time. This will slowly soften and rinse away mud, horse muck etc. leaving the chassis clean and easy to inspect. The next thing to do is to dislodge and stones trapped between chassis and body. Once the chassis is thoroughly dry you can give it a quick coat of brush on wax oil.
How do you come up with these ideas Bob??!!
My hint is go for Tectyl WD 504 rather than Waxoyl as it does not metl off as soon as you start the engine and is much more stone resistant.
get some POR15 from Frosts and a can of Waxoyl to go over the top then prepare for a LONG time scrubbing and grinding the chassis. I found a drill with wire brush bit was best. Started off with visions of show car style clean chassis, ended up just plastering it as best I could as it's impossible to get to a lot.
Don't, I repeat DON'T get POR 15 on your skin!!!! (unless you want to look like a freak/grubby for the next fortnight).
Don't, I repeat DON'T get POR 15 on your skin!!!! (unless you want to look like a freak/grubby for the next fortnight).
Al 450 said:
Don't, I repeat DON'T get POR 15 on your skin!!!! (unless you want to look like a freak/grubby for the next fortnight).
Treated my chassis to POR15 last month after previously using a coat of Hammerite then Waxoyl each summer.
Fortunately, the inevitable splashes landed on my lower face- so I managed to 'shave' them off after a couple of days
tvrsmurf said:
Hmmm, getting better by the minute. Progressing from rubber gloves to a wet suit so I avoid looking like a tramp after POR15'ing!
Cheers all. The long weekend beckons and Frosts website has lightened my wallet.
Cheers all. The long weekend beckons and Frosts website has lightened my wallet.
Don't be put off by how runny and transparent the POR looks, that was my downfall...trust me it sticks!
Does anyone find using something like Kurust (also from Hammerite) useful to help remove the rust?
It's one of those phosphoric/tannic acid solutions (like Jenolite or other "rust converters"
- it turns the rust into something else (blue/black) which I think can then be scraped off to reveal the next layer.
The POR15 doesn't seem to actually kill the rust, it only stops more air/water getting to it. So I'd rather kill the rust there is and then put POR15 over the top.
It's one of those phosphoric/tannic acid solutions (like Jenolite or other "rust converters"
- it turns the rust into something else (blue/black) which I think can then be scraped off to reveal the next layer. The POR15 doesn't seem to actually kill the rust, it only stops more air/water getting to it. So I'd rather kill the rust there is and then put POR15 over the top.
biggiles said:
Does anyone find using something like Kurust (also from Hammerite) useful to help remove the rust?
It's one of those phosphoric/tannic acid solutions (like Jenolite or other "rust converters" - it turns the rust into something else (blue/black) which I think can then be scraped off to reveal the next layer.
The POR15 doesn't seem to actually kill the rust, it only stops more air/water getting to it. So I'd rather kill the rust there is and then put POR15 over the top.
It's one of those phosphoric/tannic acid solutions (like Jenolite or other "rust converters"
- it turns the rust into something else (blue/black) which I think can then be scraped off to reveal the next layer. The POR15 doesn't seem to actually kill the rust, it only stops more air/water getting to it. So I'd rather kill the rust there is and then put POR15 over the top.
Do it doesn't kill it, it forms an air tight bond and stops oxygen getting to it. But I also prefer to use a rust killer on it first, the trick is not to grind the rust off to bare metal or you will having problems getting to it 'stick', use a rust treatment and keep a rough surface
Frazer, just started doing mine on Sunday. After 3-4 hours of hard graft I had got all the cr*p and wire brushed one side of the car (this was just the outriggers not the middle chassis), got most of the crap out of the side of the outriggers, stones, mud, etc to a point where I could treat it with something. Spent another 3 hours last night treating one side with some zinc paint and cleaned the other side up ready for some treatment. I am hoping to finish it over the Easter weekend so I think realistically it would take a couple of weekends to make good.
I dont want to be a doom and gloom merchant...but...
my chim is 12 years old as well...my outriggers looked fine from underneath but when i took the body off it was i different story...even the tubes at the top rear of the chassis have got some heavy (surface) rust going on and there is no way you can check this without lifting the body.
To a certain extent you will be protecting some of the chassis but there is no way you will be able to protect the tops of the outriggers...once they have started to go i dont think you can stop them...this will then let water in can spread to the tubes that run from the box section to the outriggers...luckily it cant go any further.
I have got everything off my chassis now and considered going down the wirebrush and sander route but it is only costing me £130 to have my chassis shotblasted, zinc sprayed and powder coated...which leaves me loads of time to do other things.
my chim is 12 years old as well...my outriggers looked fine from underneath but when i took the body off it was i different story...even the tubes at the top rear of the chassis have got some heavy (surface) rust going on and there is no way you can check this without lifting the body.
To a certain extent you will be protecting some of the chassis but there is no way you will be able to protect the tops of the outriggers...once they have started to go i dont think you can stop them...this will then let water in can spread to the tubes that run from the box section to the outriggers...luckily it cant go any further.
I have got everything off my chassis now and considered going down the wirebrush and sander route but it is only costing me £130 to have my chassis shotblasted, zinc sprayed and powder coated...which leaves me loads of time to do other things.
i have a double length garage and i am very rapidly running out of space!!!
As for the funds...i just hope the enemy doesnt read too many threads or check prices...(£70 just for the petrol pipe!!!)
The main points to check are tops of outriggers(obviously), upper wishbone mounts near the exhaust headers...and the wishbones.
Just for the record i would still buy a chim with shot outriggers if it was the right spec...the job is not that hard..
As for the funds...i just hope the enemy doesnt read too many threads or check prices...(£70 just for the petrol pipe!!!)
The main points to check are tops of outriggers(obviously), upper wishbone mounts near the exhaust headers...and the wishbones.
Just for the record i would still buy a chim with shot outriggers if it was the right spec...the job is not that hard..
Hi, I dug this thread up as I'm starting the dirty task of cleaning up my outriggers (working on engines, brakes and suspension is so much more fun!) and notice the question from Tyre Tread was never answered "How are you guys removing the waxoyl that's already on there prior to painting?"
My car looks to have been waxoyled ever year since birth! There are cakes of it. Most of my frame looks fine but the outer rails are showing a lot of surface rust, so that's what I'm doing. I'd love to make all the visible parts of the frame pretty and painted but all the waxoyl is putting me off!
Also, I've used standard Hammerite on the wish bones in places so I have that handy, but seems everyone says POR is much better, true?
Thanks again!
My car looks to have been waxoyled ever year since birth! There are cakes of it. Most of my frame looks fine but the outer rails are showing a lot of surface rust, so that's what I'm doing. I'd love to make all the visible parts of the frame pretty and painted but all the waxoyl is putting me off!
Also, I've used standard Hammerite on the wish bones in places so I have that handy, but seems everyone says POR is much better, true?
Thanks again!
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