Painting frame while body still on.

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Varty Yo

Varty Yo

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Ok so whats the best way to por15 my frmae with the body still on? Not going frame off just wanna seal up the frame. Any tips for getting inside crooks and crannys etc. Ill wire wheel most all areas to get scale off and caked on dirt. Or do i even bother trying to get the insides done? Oil the frame?

Just looking for ideas right now
 
I have yet to do this but plan on doing something similar to my 74. Make sure to buy a couple of those tyvek suits, gloves, and a face shield. Stuff will drip and you will be right below where it drips.

Assuming you don't have a lift?

Curious to hear solutions to this. I just don't see any easy way to get inside the frame except for where there are the big holes. Even then you'll be applying it a little bit blind.
 
Spend the money on POR 15, you should do it right. From what I learned it takes a ton of prep work, all of which would be a pain with the tub on. In reality it is not that hard to remove the tub.
 
rkymtnflyfisher said:
Spend the money on POR 15, you should do it right. From what I learned it takes a ton of prep work, all of which would be a pain with the tub on. In reality it is not that hard to remove the tub.
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this.
you need to dot the "T"s and cross the "I"s with por15, or don't waste your time with it.
 
I would 100% forget the por and go with one of the other rust preventer paints. I used master series silver, been extremely impressed with it, and my stuff is always covered it heavy salt spray. Your biggest problem with por15 is you will never get the frame clean enough and properly prepped with the body on. The master series literally says in the instructions "marginally prepared surfaces" marginally prepared is right up my alley! I think a lot of the others are similar, but no por15.
 
Fast Eddy said:
No, it's the wiring and the hard lines that are a PITA.
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I guess when the engine and drivetrain are already on the floor it makes it easier to pull some wires out.
 
While I honestly don't have experience with any other frame type of paints, POR 15 worked great for me. Prep was not bad at all; presure wash, POR 15 de-greaser and POR 15 metal prep were all applied as per instructions prior to the actual POR 15. I did not coat the inside frame rails, just the outside rails and wheel wells. Definitely wear protective gear, this stuff stays on whatever it comes in contact with a long time. Still have some on my fingernail clear back from January 21st :bang:
 
What is a pain about removing the body are the bolts that break, Not to mention you find more rust problems, especially the body mounts, then you have to fix them as opposed to putting it back that way. It starts to really snowball.
 
I agree that you would need to remove the tub. It a big pet peeve of mine when guys don't fully dis assemble things before they go painting or coating them. If you do decide to go with the POR15 be warned its thin like water, a little goes a LOOOOONG way, you HAVE to topcoat it with paint and once you open it use it all up if you can. I have had some in the fridge for about 18 months and it still seems good but I only opened the can for about 5 seconds when I originally used it. Dip what you need out with a scoop and don't get any on the rim of the can or it will be sealed forever.
 
I found a trick online about how to store it after the top of my lid was welded shut. Pop a little hole in the lid, then insert a screw in it when finished dispensing. The POR15 will seal up the hole. You can pretty easily break the seal of the screw. If not, drill another hole and use that. Not ideal but even when I was super careful not to get some on the lip I still managed to get enough on there apparently to weld it shut.

Oh, and as far as top coat goes, I thought you only need to do that if it has exposure to UV. Seems like the frame underneath would be fine without the top coat.
 
Didn't @GA Architect just coat his frame with the tub on? I would say work small sections at a time to minimize collateral damage. There really isn't a reason to pop the tub if you plan ahead and carefully move anything that prevents access to the frame. On some other forums a rag on a rope was used to hit the blind areas of the frame with coating. A pressure washer prior would remove most of the build up.
 
Great tips guys!

All the feedback is welcomed.
 
Braden620 said:
I agree that you would need to remove the tub. It a big pet peeve of mine when guys don't fully dis assemble things before they go painting or coating them. If you do decide to go with the POR15 be warned its thin like water, a little goes a LOOOOONG way, you HAVE to topcoat it with paint and once you open it use it all up if you can. I have had some in the fridge for about 18 months and it still seems good but I only opened the can for about 5 seconds when I originally used it. Dip what you need out with a scoop and don't get any on the rim of the can or it will be sealed forever.
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Also suggest picking up empty paint cans from the big box once you open poor 15 and have extra funnel it into a new paint can and see with out getting it on the rim and you will be fine. Get it on the rim and you will never get the lid off again
 
I used poor 15 on my frame 15 :) years ago and 99.9% is still rock solid. The stuff is bullet proof. Mind you my 40 does not get alot of miles but the por15 has held up very well. the only place it has peeled or bubbled is on one of the shock mounts and its minor not bad for 15 years.

As with anything prep is the key. i would recommend the POR marine clean and etching solution and you will be just fine. I painted mine on with a paint brush and roller. You can do the inside of the frame rails with a cloth micro fiber duster. Where gloves....Where gloves Where gloves and did I say where gloves....or it will take over a week for the skin to die on your hands before the por 15 peels of your hands...I did not top coat mine but if you are worried about fading you can use chasisy coat black. Either way UV will not affect Por 15 performance. xylene is the only thing that will remove it and only if it is wet.

I agree with taking the tub off......your 99% there just go the full nine yards or you will regret it later. Its the difference between a nice rig and a really nice rig
 
You can try putting some plastic over the can and then reseal it. Like mentioned before be sure to suit up cause if you get some on your skin or clothes it will ware off your skin in time but your clothes are ruined.
 
If you want to preserve POR or any other oxygen curing product - it needs something other than oxygen in the can . If you have a welder , you can use either CO2 or Argon - both are inert gases . Just make sure if it's a mig or tig not to have the can grounded anywhere , trigger the welder and use the gas shielding to fill the can , put the lid on . Both those gases are heavier than air and will disperse the O2 from the can . I also use a bit of clear food wrap under the lid since they never fit perfectly once removed . Have stored cans for over a year - no problems with the product .
You could , if no welder and gas available - use canned air for computers since it's liquid CO2...just don't shake it and go easy or you'll splash that stuff everywhere .

Sarge
 
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