filthy undercarriage

911FL · 01-05-2005, 07:20 PM

I spent a considerable amount of time last night working under my car and have determined it is far too dirty. Yes, I know, it usual is. Anyway, with an impending tranny fluid replacement looming in the not too distant future I have decided to clean the entire underbody. The question is how? Anybody tackled a silly job like this with any success?

Jgordon · 01-05-2005, 07:44 PM

Simple Green, Hot Water, Stiff Bristle Brush, Patience.

Mix and serve.

no substitute · 01-05-2005, 07:58 PM

I believe Simple Green is no longer recommended for aluminum, but hand cleaning would certainly work. You could also have it steam cleaned.

Zeke · 01-05-2005, 09:45 PM

It would be great if you could start off with a power washer and finish by hand. Take it down to the DIY car wash along with a jack.

Find a truck DIY wash for the best.

K.B. · 01-06-2005, 02:12 AM

Power wash didn't take it all off for me. I had to take a fine wire wheel on the end of my drill to get the last bit of powdery dust off.
KB

KTL · 01-06-2005, 06:08 AM

Wurth Citrus Cleaner, Xenit, Simple Green, Castrol Super Clean, Oil-Flo,........................ all sorts of stuff have been used to clean the underside.

It's a messy job for sure. I used a citrus cleaner called Xenit (made by Stoner co.) to lift off most of the gook. The citrus is good at breaking down the waxy, brown goop called cosmoline that you'll expose once the dirt is cleared away. I followed the citrus with Simple Green to wash away the slime created by the citrus stuff. Followed by a soapy water rinse (Dawn dishwashing liquid) to finish.

This topic is a pretty good one

cleaning underneath the car

911FL · 01-06-2005, 06:13 AM

Rats, I was hoping it would be something simple like spray this stuff on, hose it off. I'm tending towards the powerwash followed by the hand cleaning. I figure if I concentrate on one area each week it will be done by summer...

Thanks for the responses...I wish I wasn't so weird about keeping my car clean. And yes, I DO drive it alot. It's my daily driver and I have fun every chance I get. That's probably why it's so dirty (Ha, Ha).

88911coupe · 01-06-2005, 07:51 AM

The issue regarding Simple Green was based on a military study that showed some ill effects in cases where the stuff was left on raw aluminum. The general feeling that I got was that as long as it's rinsed off SG should be okay. I've used it for years on my '88's engine compartment and nothing's fallen off yet. Of cousre YMMV

ckissick · 01-06-2005, 08:00 AM

Why go through the trouble, when it'll only get dirty again? Unless it's going to be a show car - garage queen, it's not worth it. I know. I had a pristine VW show car (show room condition '59 cabrio), and I freaked every time rain threatened or my route took me over a dirt road or even some gravel. Selling it was a relief.

My P-car is filthy underneath, where nobody can see it, and I have peace of mind. I live on a dirt road now, so cleaning it would be all the more futile, anyway.

JBO · 01-06-2005, 08:03 AM

Having looked at a number of 911 undercarriages in addition to mine, it appears that Porsche uses a whitish undercoating rather than the black used by many companies. Is this correct, or have I only looked at white cars?

Jgordon · 01-06-2005, 08:06 AM

Mine appears to have a greyish whitish undercoating as well. and it's black.

Rot 911 · 01-06-2005, 08:10 AM

The Wurth undercoating should be the same color as your car.

Todd Simpson · 01-06-2005, 08:16 AM

It's a wothwhile project, even on a non concours car. Lots of crud gets trapped in various places and promotes rot.

Mine took 2-3 passes with hot water, simple green and a brush. Some of it's pretty thick so I doubt there is one solution that will get it all in one pass.

ckissick · 01-06-2005, 08:50 AM

Tod makesa good point, although probably not as critical in a snow-free place. To get out the crud, steam cleaning would do nicely, and it's the easiest, by far.

asphaltgambler · 01-06-2005, 09:01 AM

Rent a steam cleaner. Make sure it is a STEAM cleaner IE: uses heat to get the water temp to boiling and then pressurizes it through a nozzle.

Get the car up high enough (using 4 jack stands) to manuver around underneath. Then don a full rain coat, pants, hat and go to work patiently removing ALL the filth but leaving the undercoating. The best way. Once it's that clean it's much easier to maintain that look.

randywebb · 01-06-2005, 09:36 AM

I agree re steam -- if you can find one. 2nd would be hot water, you can run a pressure washer off of a hot water hydrant to do that.

"issue regarding Simple Green was based on a military study"
- it was a USAF bulletin - the stuff is no longer approved by them

Also, Castrol Purple will ruin any paint it touches and is bad for Al as well.

I think it is worthwhile to do this. The car will get dirty again, true, but it won't have 30 years worth of dirt on it for another 30 years. You will find some surprising things when you do it: that the fender wells are actually body color, not black, and that rodent carcasses can persist for a long time....

VaSteve · 01-06-2005, 09:42 AM

Another tip is to do it in your neighbor's driveway!!

BTW: Where can you find Wurths Citrus. I have looked for a year and no dice. Any chain stores?

randywebb · 01-06-2005, 10:19 AM

I thought Pelican had it (?)

Funny comment re neighbor, but let me just add that you should keep all the crap out of the storm sewers - it may be illegal in your city and is definitely bad for fish & children swimming, not to mention the drinking water issues. Either flush to a decent field for drainage or use some hay bales to filter the water. The best solution is to call up a bunch of car washes and find one that recycles its water then use them. I couldn't find one here, so went with a combination of options 1 & 2.

porschefied · 01-06-2005, 10:58 AM

Thanks randywebb for noting the environmental aspects of this. I think most people will do this on their property and let it run unfiltered into the alley and into the storm drain system, i.e., into our groundwater. A car wash that filters will be the best bet maybe.

As I walk my dog miles around my neighborhood, I am constantly calling the health dept on careless bozos whose crap-mobiles spew fluids on the street, which they NEVER address without the city slapping them about it.

We wonder why there's an increase in cancer in the modern world?? Please folks, treat the environment as well as you treat your Porsches.

-Shelley

KTL · 01-07-2005, 05:57 PM

VaSteve,

If you know of a local store that carries any Wurth product, they should be able to order it for you. Or for citrus degreaser via the net, try Car Care Specialties, Inc. for it. I think that's where I got mine. They carry all sorts of great products.

http://www.carcareonline.com/bbm.aspx

The stuff you want is the Wurth Citrus Degreaser

Quote:

Originally posted by randywebb
I thought Pelican had it (?)

Funny comment re neighbor, but let me just add that you should keep all the crap out of the storm sewers - it may be illegal in your city and is definitely bad for fish & children swimming, not to mention the drinking water issues. Either flush to a decent field for drainage or use some hay bales to filter the water. The best solution is to call up a bunch of car washes and find one that recycles its water then use them. I couldn't find one here, so went with a combination of options 1 & 2.

Try calling a local garage and get the number for the company that supplies & services the parts washers used in the garage. Maybe that service (our local service is Safety-Kleen) can take the stuff. It's not like you're trying to get rid of a tanker truckload of nuclear waste. The stuff is basically what would be introduced into their parts washers that they are already servicing anyway, no?

If you can't find a local place to dispose of the effluent, don't drain it to a field. That's just a slower method of introducing it to the storm water & ground water system. Storm water most likely goes to a detention or retention pond, as does some of what infiltrates into the ground, depending on how your sewer system is designed. Whatever the case, you're better off dumping it in the toilet (if you're not septic) than dumping it in a field. I'm certainly not saying this is acceptable means of disposal. Technically, it's not. But at least your wastewater treatment facility is better suited for handling the crap that gets washed off your car than is the backyard environment.