Cleaning the frame and underside.......best methods?
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Unless the "crap" being "melted away" is the original black wax corrosion protection coating that Ford used to dip all the frames in (depending on year the truck was made). For those whose truck frames are wax dipped instead of e coated, it will be amazing how quickly the frame flash rusts after all the wax is hot pressure washed away. I think 2004 or 2005 is the changeover year from wax dipping to ecoating.
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The “crap” being “melted away” that I was referring to is old oil, gease, or other fluids that tend to deposit on undercarriages of 14 year old trucks. Can’t speak for others however, my frame does not, and didn’t have a black wax coating on the frame when I started washing it. It must have worn off long ago which is why is was covered in a layer of surface rust. My hot power washer really did the trick cleaning it up. But I understand most folks don’t have a $10,000 hot power washer laying around. Not sure how hot car wash systems get but i highly doubt 250 degrees. But 250 degree water is an excellent way to clean up an old frame. I shoulda tried the steam setting. Didn’t even think of that.
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I have a 20hp gas driven, diesel fired boiler, triplex pump hot water pressure washer lying around at home. But I can't see using it under the truck frame, because the hot water pressure washer wand is almost 4' long (too keep the operator away from the scalding hot water spray) and I would find that too awkward to work with, in order to see what I'm spraying at the same time as spraying it. But I'm just awkward in general, so that limitation would not apply to everyone.
Tuned
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Winter, WI
From working on boilers in my day wouldn’t 250 degree water flash to steam as soon as it hit atmospheric pressure? And it would have to be kept under pressure in vessel, essentially a boiler to attain that kind of temperature and keep it in water form.
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The boiler in my hot water pressure washer is a coil. A long coil, essentially a wound up length of Schedule 80 steel tubing that cost me $1,000 to replace (part alone) when the original coil perforated in one tiny spot from corrosion. It took 5x macro magnification to see the hole, but it was enough to make a mess out of the pressure washer until the coil was replaced, which I did myself after getting the new coil shipped. I have no idea how hot the water actually gets when ejected from the spray tip... but the unit claims to produce around 294,000 btu per hour, and claims to raise the temperature of the inlet water by around 130F. So if the inlet water is already 70F, then 200F is probably about what I should be expecting, although I'm guessing 180 degrees is what I'm seeing as it leaves the tip, and that probably rapidly drops another 40 degrees as the water is atomized and aerated before it hits the surface being cleaned.
I have seen hot water pressure washers at the place where I buy parts that are newer than mine with a "steam" feature that claim 250F temperatures, so I have no reason to doubt the other poster who claimed this. I'm not sure how they work. I'm in enough hot water as it is.
I have seen hot water pressure washers at the place where I buy parts that are newer than mine with a "steam" feature that claim 250F temperatures, so I have no reason to doubt the other poster who claimed this. I'm not sure how they work. I'm in enough hot water as it is.
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Joined: Mar 2018
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I have a 20hp gas driven, diesel fired boiler, triplex pump hot water pressure washer lying around at home. But I can't see using it under the truck frame, because the hot water pressure washer wand is almost 4' long (too keep the operator away from the scalding hot water spray) and I would find that too awkward to work with, in order to see what I'm spraying at the same time as spraying it. But I'm just awkward in general, so that limitation would not apply to everyone.
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It just depends on which tip I use. If i want steam then i have ro use a specific tip. It pushes 8gpm of water so I assume the volume it’s pushing is what keeps it in liquid form.
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8gpm at 3K to 5K psi, hot, is some serious cleaning power. At 6" close range, you've got to have some guns to hold the gun. I think my 20 year old truck would vaporize, right along with the steam. I might be better off with a toothbrush. My machine is only 5gpm at 3.5K.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2013
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I use a dedicated harbor freight sand blasting tank as a holing tank for chemicals . That gets pressurized by a 125 gas compressor. The sandblast tank out at the bottom goes to my compressor in.
This is let’s me premix what I want to spray so I can spray it at high pressure.
saltaway to. Lean off salt
rust inhibitor
once it dries, then I run the air into a spray gun and spray everything with oil.
This is let’s me premix what I want to spray so I can spray it at high pressure.
saltaway to. Lean off salt
rust inhibitor
once it dries, then I run the air into a spray gun and spray everything with oil.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2016
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I use a dedicated harbor freight sand blasting tank as a holing tank for chemicals . That gets pressurized by a 125 gas compressor. The sandblast tank out at the bottom goes to my compressor in.
This is let’s me premix what I want to spray so I can spray it at high pressure.
saltaway to. Lean off salt
rust inhibitor
once it dries, then I run the air into a spray gun and spray everything with oil.
This is let’s me premix what I want to spray so I can spray it at high pressure.
saltaway to. Lean off salt
rust inhibitor
once it dries, then I run the air into a spray gun and spray everything with oil.
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The 6” gun can jerk ya around quite a bit. I’ve knocked myself in the face with it a few times and have almost thrown myself off ladders a time or two. But it’s my favorite gun so I’ve gotten use to the way it handles. I’m going to put a flow control unloader on it soon so that initial spike when you pull the trigger will be a thing of the past.
Tuned
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Winter, WI
“only 5gpm at 3.5k” lol... that’s a lot. I had a 13hp 4gpm at 3500 psi and that was plenty for a homeowners needs.
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A 4gpm unit is a very capable machine. The secret to a quality power washer, one meant to last a while, is to get a belt driven pump. Direct drive pumps spin at the same speed as the engine and that is extremely hard on them. Also, most direct drive pumps don’t bypass water so the pump sits there and overheats whenever you let off the trigger.
All if my units are permanently attached to 250 gallon tanks and when i let off the trigger, water flows through the pump, back to the tank and the cycle continues. So my pumps always have cool water cycling through them.
i own an exterior cleaning company so Power washing is my profession.
I cleaned this steeple from the ground. It was 40’ high.