Cleaning under carriage? (1 Viewer)

[Scota4570]

My 40 is really grimy. It is a leaker and has never been cleaned. There is the usual thick coating of oil, grease and dirt under there. I want to address drivability, drive train noises and leaks. There is no way to see where it is leaking. I'd rather not fight the filth.

In the old days we got after it with a steam cleaner. I have seen dry ice blasting on TV???? In my area stem cleaners are gone. I see no dry ice companies.

What are the options today?

 

[brooklyn]

Most places don’t want the oils going down the drain — degreasers and rags might be your only option.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Keep that grime. Its an automatic rust prevention haha. Like said above Degreasers and rags.

 

[4x4veteran]

I wait for a warm sunny day, then crawl under the vehicle with a garden hose and a scraper. My biggest concern is dirt build up inside the frame rails. Like Roastchestnurs said, the oil and grease acts as a rust inhibitor.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

I hear you about the frame rails. I think I may take a power washer to the inside of the frame rails soon then after it dries pump it full of fluid film.

 

[Catching Neutral]

@wngrog does this to all of his projects. Check out a few of his builds. Extremely practical way to tidy the undercarriage

 

[wngrog]

I like to chop the frame rails clean dry.

Pressured air and shop vac.

Then I hose inside with fluid film.

 

[FJ40Savvy]

Cleaning the underside and frame rails is my summer project as well. This is what I'm planning on using to clean the inside of the frame rails and then spray fluid film inside after they dry. Lots of similar Drain Jetter options on amazon complete with hoses as well.

 

[airon23]

If it's anything like what I've seen, just climb under with a screwdriver and/or scraper and just start knocking it off while it's dry. This makes clean up a little easier to vacuum or sweep up. Then it'll be that much easier for any cleaning material to do it's job. You can't really clean it with the large chunks of grease, oil, and dirt combo.
Good luck. Wear eye protection.

 

[Kleatus]

Cleaning the underside and frame rails is my summer project as well. This is what I'm planning on using to clean the inside of the frame rails and then spray fluid film inside after they dry. Lots of similar Drain Jetter options on amazon complete with hoses as well.

View attachment 3335946

This is where it's at. I've done this in a number of trucks including those with hard packed in sand and dirt up to the holes halfway up the frame. Messy operation but you can get it completely cleaned out pretty quick. Then fluid film it good. Periodic flushing with a garden hose afterwards and reapplication of fluid film every year or so after that.