Steam Cleaning Underside

[Coloradocurt]

Anyone know of a place/shop/service/detailer in the Denver-Colorado Springs area that (for a fee) could put a 911 up onto a lift and steam clean the underside?

[porschenut]

The Man Cave does engine steam cleaning, so I'm sure they can do your underside. I've never been there personally. The Man Cave | Auto Detailing Denver CO

[786]

Anyone know of a place in DFW?

[ChrisHoover]

Can’t say about Denver or Dallas but here is my car being steam cleaned in NorCal

[Orange911S]

Hoover,
I am in the east bay. Does that read San Jose steam clean?
Can you share what you paid?
Thanks

[adias]

Is steam cleaning safe on 30-40 yo cars? Isn't there a risk of steam penetrating narrow passes in the body and reviving/starting corrosion?

[86 911 Targa]

Consider dry ice?

Gerry

[trond]

be careful with dry ice. Can do a lot of damage to softer materials

[piscator]

While not as powerful as a commercial unit, I've gotten helpful results from a wallpaper removal steamer, I purchased at Home Depot. It doesn't produce much pressure, so it doesn't 'blast' off the grime. But steam is steam and it is HOT!

For cleaning in tight spaces, you can cobble up a wand, or just use the hose. I found it especially effective for 'pin point' steam cleaning the engine and transmission. Armed with the usual arsenal of brushes, sticks, Simple Green and the patience of Job -- the steamer did a good job loosening the thick stuff.

Once the heavy dirt is off, the steamer does a great job of removing the dinghy haze from the aluminium. Point the steamer and watch the dirt run off what you thought was a clean surface! Your intakes will positively sparkle! :-)

I also used the steamer to clean the wheel-wells. Less effective here, but still helpful. The heavy grime in the wheel-wells needed brushing and detergent to break it up. I used the steamer as my 'hot rinse'. Much better than using my hot water hose. Also, without the steamer I would probably have used twice as much Simple Green. Here again, the steamer did a great job getting that last surface layer of grime.

Incidentally, at a nearby industrial plumbing and boiler shop, I found stiff, long bristled brushes used for cleaning A/C 'fins'. Oriented vertically (as opposed to a horizontal toothbrush) -- they work great cleaning engine cooling fins.

I also bought another tool for the same purpose, which has contiguous metal fingers, bent 45 degrees; in the shape of a hand. Looks a bit like a hand-rake gardeners use in a flower bed. This is a 'must have' tool for getting the heavy gunk out of the engine fins!

Whenever I use tooth-brush style wire and bristle cleaning brushes, they get all bent and 'mushed up'. I must go through a dozen at a clip! The stuff I picked up at the industrial boiler supply has paid for itself, just in 'mushed up tooth-brush' savings!

Lastly, I bought the wallpaper steamer to steam-bend ash canoe rails. If you're interested in a steam source for wood bending, these units work great.

Sorry to go on like an infomercial, I just wanted to share my recent experience.

Robert

[spyerx]

i had the underside of several of my cars steam cleaned on a lift like that. I just have them avoid the body areas, focus on mechanicals mostly. Turns out great. Allows you to also see what undercoating needs a touch up, etc.

For a cleaner, I use simple green aircraft cleaner. Its safe on aluminum and all metals. I use a soft boars hair brush. Really the steam cleaner is for getting caked off crap off the motor if there was oil seepage.

My 89 carrera looked like a new car after getting this done, original cosmoline and all.

[Coloradocurt]

Originally Posted by spyerx

........ Really the steam cleaner is for getting caked on crap off the motor if there was oil seepage. .......

That's my primary objective! Wheel wells can be done pretty easily at a DIY car wash if you want to make the effort to jack up each side of the car (individually!) and remove the wheels.

[T77911S]

be careful who puts your car on a lift.
I NEVER let ANYONE put my car on a lift unless I am there

[AG81]

I did mine with simple green on jack stands...... I did not want to clean up the mess after using my lift. Pressure washing is fine....JUST BE MINDFUL OF THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE !!!! There are pressure washers that will cut stone..... 150 psi is plenty of pressure.

[Derek77]

Originally Posted by AG81

I did mine with simple green on jack stands...... I did not want to clean up the mess after using my lift. Pressure washing is fine....JUST BE MINDFUL OF THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE !!!! There are pressure washers that will cut stone..... 150 psi is plenty of pressure.

My car looks just like your before pictures. So you did all this with a pressure washer and simple green?

[AG81]

Originally Posted by Derek77

My car looks just like your before pictures. So you did all this with a pressure washer and simple green?

Derek,

I did. A brush, an old toothbrush, simple green, a bucket, warm water and a home owner type power washer at about 120 psi. Oh and jack stands.

Prepare to get dirty......

[proporsche]

i agree with Adias..be very careful when you steam or clean procedure of the rear fenders.There is a factory foam between the body and fender.If you spray up the foam will be soaked with water and you will have soon rusty spots there..I have seen it on several occasions..front is more safer..

Ivan

[Lund]

Originally Posted by proporsche

i agree with Adias..be very careful when you steam or clean procedure of the rear fenders.There is a factory foam between the body and fender.If you spray up the foam will be soaked with water and you will have soon rusty spots there..I have seen it on several occasions..front is more safer..

Ivan

is this up in the channel from the rear fender to the roof.. along the rear window?

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by AG81

Derek,

I did. A brush, an old toothbrush, simple green, a bucket, warm water and a home owner type power washer at about 120 psi. Oh and jack stands.

Prepare to get dirty......

+1

I did my front inner fenders with kitchen Fantastik and rags. Just as spiffy as AG81's pics. A lot of credit goes to Porsche for the durability of their coatings. It was just grunt work.

[Derek77]

Originally Posted by AG81

Derek,

I did. A brush, an old toothbrush, simple green, a bucket, warm water and a home owner type power washer at about 120 psi. Oh and jack stands.

Prepare to get dirty......

Turned out really nice, but man I hate pressure washing. I grew up in Arizona where no one has a pressure washer. Now in Florida and you have to pressure wash everything. Ah what the heck I’ve gotta try it.

[H-viken]

No need for a pressure washer, if you are concerned about them (I'm personally not a huge fan). Elbow grease and hot matter will do wonders. Couple of dish brushes and some type of soap (simple green sounds good)