Washing after Fluid Film

I had my truck fluid filmed in the fall and glad I did. The salt here in CT is brutal as usual , and when I opened the hood the other day the salt was all the way up on the lower radiator hose. Wondering what others who have fluid filmed do as far as washing the under carriage? I've heard normal hose pressure won't wash off the fluid film? Input appreciated!

 

Salt Away
SaltX
Salt Terminator
Salts Gone

 

Just posted this last week. You just need to rinse it off in my opinion.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...tool-for-salt-and-brine.822864/#post-29510445

$35 Bon-Aire Ultimate Water Blaster

https://www.amazon.com/Bon-Aire-773...7254706&mcid=94c76269107a3f10a251e47269e04bc0

 

Touchless car washes with underspray is just fine. I am assuming you got the whole truck sprayed, not just the frame????

 

Yes the whole underside

 

I made a similar thread recently. Consensus was not to wash the underside, only to topside. Fluid film washes off fairly easily. Next year I will do something a little thicker/stickier

 

Been fluid filming for years. I just run to the carwash and use the wand to spray down what I can. Get the heavy salt off. The film will last through the winter. Just don't use hot water. It will melt off the coating.

 

I use a watering wand with an adjustable head. It provides a good volume of water at low pressure and is long enough that I don't have to kneel down on the wet ground while using it.

Like this:

https://chapinmfg.com/products/4671-30-inch-watering-wand

 

The Bonaire is adjustable everywhere - and will work on other vehicles as well !!

 

This is fake news! At the least, it is misleading information. Go dip or spray your hand with fluid film, then just go to your garden hose, and try to completely rinse it off with no soap, chemicals or rubbing. It all is not coming off, easily.

Fluid film, woolwax, and Surface shield are lanolin based products, and for the most part are transparent after spraying on (unless you get the black coloring style). Just spraying with water will not make the coating completely come off. there will still be a residue, left that you may or may not be able to see easily.

The more washings, the more driving in heavy wet spray, the more this will effect the amount left in the wear areas. That is why they recommend reapplying to high wash, wear areas yearly. Have you ever tried to wash fluid film off the concrete after overspray from applying it to the vehicle? I use hot water and dawn dishwashing soap and a brush, mop... and there still is a residue. Ski

 

I’m not trying to protect my hand from rust. And my hand is not made of smooth metal. We’re also not talking about protecting concrete, so your apples to orange comparisons are of no value.
My truck is fluid filmed. I do it myself. I routinely touch up areas. Mainly the control arms where after a single snow storm it’s nearly completely gone. I’m not knocking the product, I use it afterall.

while the science of lanolin based products is highly insightful, I’m simply saying it comes off fairly easily in high spray areas. Call it fake news or call it misleading, but it does.

 

Missing the point... It doesnt completely come off, like you are suggesting. I am trying to show you, it is hard to completely remove lanolin based products from any material. Apply it to whatever you want, try to spray it off... As long as water beads on it, the product is still there protecting the material. Ski

 

It takes a hot water pressure washer to remove the fluid film. Yes, it does get worn by road spray and debris.

Cold hose water spray will not remove fluid film

 

Im not saying it comes off with one spray session of cold water. Repeated, undercarriage high pressure blasts from repetitive car washes will prematurely remove it, thus making it pointless to have in the first place. I miss-read his post thinking he’s wondering about car washes. I agree hose water pressure is fine.

 

This is what my frame looked like after a year of driving and pressure washing it prior to respraying:




Then after it's annual respray:

 

Yep……that’s rather normal looking FluidFilm

 

Maybe I’m not putting enough on.

 

Best thing you can do is apply fluid film and then drive down a dusty as hell road a few times. The dust will make it cake on and stay put. Another tip is apply your fluid film to a totally dry underside in the spring before the weather gets really hot and the FF will melt and seep down into all the cracks and crevices.



.

 

Dave, You don't do the fenders?, the engine compartment?, the hood?, the rocker panels?, the doors?, the tailgate?, the box?

 

Everything but the tires, brakes, & exhaust directly. Hit the perimeter of hood, tailgate, bottoms of doors with small spray cans, and tiny hoses. Under hood get the firewall, inner structure, radiator support, light spray to motor items. Break out the big gun, and the gallon refill pail, and spray the complete backsides and rear bottoms of both fenders. Pull the rocker plugs, and the interior trim sill plates and put a bunch in the rocker and cab corner areas. Get the entire underside of the vehicle, cab, floor, suspension, driveshafts, oil pans (trans and engine), hose the frame down good. Pull the spare tire get the mechanism, lift and chain. Spray way up and over the box side wheel wells from the inside. The more time you take, the more material you put on, the better applicator, and lights you utilize, the better coverage, and protection, you will have. It takes me a good 4-6 hours to do a new untouched first time application. Then yearly, before the first snow, in the late fall, I re-apply to the high wear, wash areas, and look for areas that seem dry, or places where corrosion is starting. after the first application it takes an hour or two for touch ups, depending on how picky I get. To me 50-60 in sprayable material a year, and a few hours time, to make my 40-80,000 investment last, is well worth it. Ski