Jet Wash

[icraigmy]

I want to use a Jet Wash to wash the underneath of my Tamora, but am slightly nervous about causing damage to the electrics etc, and wanted to know if anyone else has done this and experienced any problems with the TVR having done this.

[bobfather]

It depends why you want to jet wash. If it's in preparation for chassis treatment then jet wash can be a good starting point. If it's just for general chassis cleaning then don't do it. Jet washing will damage any wax or oil protection that your chassis is currently benefiting from. The method I use to soften and remove road grime is to soak the chassis using a lawn sprinkler. The process takes a long time but there's no effort other than occasionally repositioning the sprinkler. After a while you'll find most of the visible muck has rinsed away and what remains will have become soft. A quick blast with a hose pipe nozzle along the tops of the outriggers, accessed from the wheel arches, and the job is done.

Try this method

[icraigmy]

bobfather said:

It depends why you want to jet wash. If it's in preparation for chassis treatment then jet wash can be a good starting point. If it's just for general chassis cleaning then don't do it. Jet washing will damage any wax or oil protection that your chassis is currently benefiting from. The method I use to soften and remove road grime is to soak the chassis using a lawn sprinkler. The process takes a long time but there's no effort other than occasionally repositioning the sprinkler. After a while you'll find most of the visible muck has rinsed away and what remains will have become soft. A quick blast with a hose pipe nozzle along the tops of the outriggers, accessed from the wheel arches, and the job is done.

Try this method

Excellent reply - Good point about the wax protection, forgot about that.

I'll use your method. Again thanks for the info.

[VARLEYHYD]

WD40 is my best friend!

Cleans & protects!

G

[TVR_owner]

VARLEYHYD said:

WD40 is my best friend!

Cleans & protects!

G

G,
So it should be, it took them 40 attempts to get it right!

Have you ever read a COSHH data sheet for the stuff!

[VARLEYHYD]

TVR_owner said:

VARLEYHYD said:

WD40 is my best friend!

Cleans & protects!
G

G,
So it should be, it took them 40 attempts to get it right!
Have you ever read a COSHH data sheet for the stuff!

Yep Gloves & mask but WD40 is still my best friend.

G

[KillerJim]

Is it just a simple matter of spraying the underside of the car with WD40 to clean and protect it? (I assume the underside has to be pretty clean to start with?)

J

[VARLEYHYD]

KillerJim said:

Is it just a simple matter of spraying the underside of the car with WD40 to clean and protect it? (I assume the underside has to be pretty clean to start with?)

J

In the winter just keep spraying it on to chase off the moisture etc

Then when you want it clean (yes! my car can be very dirty)just re-apply to soften then wipe off all the dirt with a soft cloth.
Before


After

Just be carefull on brakes & hot exhaust.






G

Edited by VARLEYHYD on Wednesday 17th December 15:34

[bobfather]

KillerJim said:

Is it just a simple matter of spraying the underside of the car with WD40 to clean and protect it? (I assume the underside has to be pretty clean to start with?)

J

The tops of the outriggers gather road muck which congeals and solidifies. The only way I can find to remove it without damage to the chassis coating is to soften it first then flush it away with water. The solvents in WD40 volatilise quickly leaving a very thin film of oil on the surface. If the surface is covered in muck then the thin film of oil will form on the muck, not on the chassis.

[DavidLScott]

Maybe showing my ignorance here but I hope that is not rust on a 2 year old Saggy chassis.

I never get my jet washer near the Chim or the bike - hose only. There is too much to damage or go horribly wrong.

[VARLEYHYD]

DavidLScott said:

Maybe showing my ignorance here but I hope that is not rust on a 2 year old Saggy chassis.

Certainley not on mine! just a bit of dirt.

But you will be suprised how quickly they rust when winter driven without protection.

Just to add:-

Between chassis and the body/sill gap is tiny and stones can get wedged in; push out from underneath with a credit card or similar then feed a cloth around the chassis tube to clean etc.

The floor is luvelly black gel coat, cut back any factory overspray and grime to high gloss.

Wheel arches remove paint and refinish etc.



G

[icraigmy]

I notice that you are able to get underneath the car. This I can't do, so what type of Car Ramp/Jack do you recommend then?

[earlyriser]

VARLEYHYD said:

KillerJim said:

Is it just a simple matter of spraying the underside of the car with WD40 to clean and protect it? (I assume the underside has to be pretty clean to start with?)

J

In the winter just keep spraying it on to chase off the moisture etc

Then when you want it clean (yes! my car can be very dirty)just re-apply to soften then wipe off all the dirt with a soft cloth.
Before


After

Just be carefull on brakes & hot exhaust.






G

Edited by VARLEYHYD on Wednesday 17th December 15:34

Just a point on the indiscriminant use of WD. Isn't it a degreaser so care should be taken around bits you want to remain lubricated? I never use it now on my road race cycle for this reason. Try dry silicon as an alternative. Safe on practially everything, does not remove lubricant, nor does it leave any residue that can attract dirt subsequently. This and a can of white grease seem to get me through the winter!

[VARLEYHYD]

icraigmy said:

I notice that you are able to get underneath the car. This I can't do, so what type of Car Ramp/Jack do you recommend then?

Those in photo Machine Mart 6tonne axle stands £16.99 + vat
But you will need to get a machine shop to modify so they sit nicely on the chassis tubes ( cut back and scollup out 45mm Dia with 8mm thick rubber to protect chassis)

But Since changed to 8 tonne version to give enough clearance to drop the engine out from underneath. no need to mod these but a lot more expensive

2 Way post lift is best route IMO (can be had for £1,600ish, not a bad in investment for your p&j)

G

[VARLEYHYD]

earlyriser said:

Just a point on the indiscriminant use of WD. Isn't it a degreaser so care should be taken around bits you want to remain lubricated?

Agreed, but I find it stops all squeaks, rattles without any corrosion issues for me.

I think the only bits that need to be lubricated these days are perhaps, the handbrake cable, propshaft UJ's and suspension pivots.

No harm in walloping with grease though for the winter.


G

[matt-man]

I would say it depends on how much you are using the car.

I dont use mine much in the winter, mainly because of all the road salt.

If i do use her when there has been salt on the roads, i always rinse the underside of the car with the hose to rinse the salt off.

[hairyaardvark]

Hhhhmmm.

Although I'm genuinely in awe of those of you who have the time and energy to wash the underside of your car (even once in a blue moon, let alone every time you use it in winter), I can't really see myself doing it, especially as it is usually dark when I leave and come back to the house.

(No I'm not a vampire in case you were wondering.)

But seriously, do any companies that PH'ers know about, offer this kind of chassis cleaning/maintenance service as a periodic (eg. once per year) thing?

cheers
HA

[Daston]

Dulford offer a Chasis treatment and waxoile, I think they charge £200 for a clean and waxoile and £400 for a full clean (if it hasnt been treated before)

I am going to have a go at mine after xmas, as far as I know it has never been done so expecting a shock lol

[hairyaardvark]

Great - thanks .... are Dulford a TVR dealer or a sportscar specialist or what?

[bobfather]

hairyaardvark said:

Great - thanks .... are Dulford a TVR dealer or a sportscar specialist or what?

I understand the issues that prevent you from doing this yourself. Better to get someone else to do it than to not do it at all. Having done this job several times before there are some clues that you can use to assess whether a garage is planning to do the job right.

It is essential to remove trapped muck from the tops of the outriggers and check the chassis over prior to treating the chassis. This is a very fiddly job and I would say it can't be done in less than 5 hours, it takes me two days.

Where the coating is broken or flaking the metal surfaces needs treatment and recoating. To carry this out and wait for the coating to cure is a day or more depending on how much damage is found.

Waxing will take a few of hours. Any less and you can assume the garage hasn't made an effort to get the wax over the tops of the outriggers. If they spray the wax on then it is possible and I would say likely that no wax will be applied to the vulnerable outrigger tops.

Therefore, if a garage offers this service as a one day visit you should assume you are getting an inferior job. Several hours spread over three days would indicate that they are doing a thorough job.