Cleaning the gunk out from inside the frame

[gbcruiser]

Just wondering if anyone has come up with a method of cleaning out the inside of a Landcruiser frame? The frame on my 60 has 22 years worth of dirt, sand, grime, and flaking metal packed inside and I'd like to get it out.

I crammed the power washer in there yesterday, parked the truck on an incline, and sprayed away, which helped. But there's still more in there...

Any ideas? I'm thinking a giant pipe cleaner might work...

[eleblanc]

Use a zip gun to hammer the under side of the frame. That is what i used. Then a steel rod to move the dirt and what ever was there. Then water.

Be warn that using a zip gun will cause serious rust scale to fall off and get removed. Don't be suprise to see some large chunk to come out

[calixto]

This chain technique in this "frame de-rusting" thread sounds promising. I did not post it and have not tried it so check out the thread & ask the original poster any questions....I think it was "Colangut"?

Frame de rusting - IH8MUD™ Forums

"You can make some custom wire brushes and scrapers that have Z bends in them for getting inside the frame. I used cut down chimney brushes. Works great. You can also get great results with a few short sections of chain welded to the end of a steel rod. Hit the ends of the chain with hard surfacing welding rod and chuck it in a LARGE variable speed drill and just pulse the trigger. Insert in the frame holes and stand back.

Needle scalers are also great. "

[eleblanc]

If you plan on painting it, then i did use a needle scaler.

[Eric Winkworth]

I got into doing this to my truck and found an old garden hose worked well, if you can find a small tip to give the water a bit more pressure it works too...

I'm a big fan of Krown rust control depending on where you live... they actually cleaned my frame out with there pressure tools and soaked the entire inside... My truck wouldn't even be a truck anymore if it wasn't for rust check and krown!

[crushers]

i usualy do this:
remove doors
remove hood
remove glass
remove interior
remove body
remove engine and drivetrain
truck to sand blaster
sand blast inside and out
reload onto truck and trailer
return home
air blast the frame clear of dirt and residue
prime and paint
repair drivetrain and reinstall
repair body and reinstall
repair hood and doors and reinstall
paint body and doors and hood
refurbish interior and reinstall
replace needed glass and reinstall
turn key and drive away
but then that is me...
LOL!!

[TOBASH]

Simple green soak for several hours with multiple re-applications followed by hooking a pressure washer up to your houses HOT water.

Works wonders, and not just on LC's. Several wands for getting into hard places. Garden hose under pressure for impossible places.

[gbcruiser]

Wayne, that sounds great. When can I drop my Cruiser off?

[83bj60]

Originally Posted by crushers

i usualy do this:
[...]
air blast the frame clear of dirt and residue
[...]

There you go, gbcruiser. Works a treat. I used a tip made from a piece of brake line and inserted it into the frame. In a couple of hours you can retrieve the equivalent of 5 gallons worth of sand and crud from there. Works only when the gunk is decently dry, though. Definitely a summer job, and do use a mask.

[crushers]

GB,
anytime, but be prepared for the 'cleaning' bill at the end. a whee bit more than the $10 at the local car wash...

[T.Stanford]

Be careful not to remove the what is now, the "structural" dirt....LOL Cheers, Tony

[83bj60]

Originally Posted by T.Stanford

Be careful not to remove the what is now, the "structural" dirt....LOL Cheers, Tony

LOL!!! Typically [East Coast] Canadian

[T.Stanford]

Actually I am from La Belle Province but have lived in the west for over 30 years. Unfortunately, Quebec is definitely the very best at minimizing the life expectancy of an automobiles body... but that being said, as wonderful a machine a 60 series is if there is ANY moisture and salt in it's operational environment the steel in it is amongst the most "biodegradable" in the world.... an amazing achievement in metallurgical technology. This ensures the owner isn't tempted to exceed the safe allowable hours of service for the vehicle. I'm sorry, couldn't resist, was crawling around my 60 the other day and I'm sorry to say her days are numbered, the underside is hopeless, I shall miss the old girl. Cheers, Tony

[Rig of Mortis]

Originally Posted by T.Stanford

...was crawling around my 60 the other day and I'm sorry to say her days are numbered, the underside is hopeless...

I said the same thing six years ago, being from Ontario, but I've managed to fix the old girl over the years and now my Rig of Mortis has a new lease on life.

[lshobie]

You can also soak the frame in a lake for a week or so - then clean and sandblast - then send off to get galvanized.

[T.Stanford]

Well done.... I simply don't have the time, skills, money,room, equipment, etc. to do what would be necessary to re and re the old girl. Cheers, Tony

Originally Posted by Rig of Mortis

I said the same thing six years ago, being from Ontario, but I've managed to fix the old girl over the years and now my Rig of Mortis has a new lease on life.

[gbcruiser]

Everything inside my frame (dirt, sand, flakes) is pretty much bone dry. I wonder if a shop vac would work? Fit a smaller end on it and cram it in...

[83bj60]

It's very constrained in there, you'd need something really skinny, I don't think it's feasible that way... But do let us know if it works, if it's mostly mud it will be caked on quite a bit, but if it's sand it won't to bad...

[crushers]

it is also easier if you do this a couple times a year instead of once every 10 years...

[seapotato]

I have the same problem on my 70.

But I have to do a wee frame patch at some point, so I figger I'll cut an access hole while I'm at it and weld it up after. If I don't the crud in there will make the access hole for me before too long...


it amazes me that after all these years of this obvious problem with toyotas, that they still havent done anything about it on newer trucks.


So, it's biting them in the ass yet again.

"Toyota had begun receiving a few reports from customers that excessive corrosion was occurring on the frames of some older Tacoma pickups, specifically 1995 to 2000 models. The Japanese automaker determined that during this half decade of production, some Taco frames may not have received the kind of corrosion protection from the factory that's needed to withstand harsh climes, especially ones where salt is used to deice roadways. While there is no recall and Toyota says that the number of instances where it has found rust go beyond the surface of the frame to penetrate the metal is small, the automaker is pulling an unorthodox move and doing something about anyway.

Toyota is extending the rust perforation warranty on all 1995-2000 Tacoma pickups, some 813,000 units, to 15 years from the original date of purchase, AND you don't have to be the original owner, or the second or the third even. Anyone who owns a Tacoma from this era and finds rust perforation on the frame can have his or her truck officially inspected for rust damage, in which case Toyota will either repair or buy back the truck regardless of its condition. Owners will start receiving letters by mid-March, and those who don't can visit a dealership for a free inspection."

[deezlcruzr]

Breezing down through this thread and as I come up on Rig of Mortis' welding photo, I find myself being careful not to look directly at the arc................