Cleaning inside of frame

[deltabronco]

Anyone have any crative ideas to clean and protect inside of the frame? I have some 30 yr old mud that doesnt seem to want to come out. Once I do get it out, what is the best way to kill any possible rust on the inside?

 

[backpain]

High pressure air, high pressure wash, solvents or converters if necessary, high pressure air, plenty of drying, then check out what Eastwood has - a couple things made for inside frame

Truthfully, rust thru from inside is rare, some dirt and grease probably protects more than hurts, something to dry it out and coat it with oil or whatever will outlast most of the other parts on the EB

 

[NicksTrix]

is the frame bare right now or are you trying to do this on the truck?

 

[deltabronco]

body is on the frame right now but will probably come back off. I had frame blasted and painted and just noticed mud still on inside of frame. I was thinking of powerwashing, then trying to spray some ospho in there.

 

[reevejosh]

I just did this myself today. I had a bunch of crap in the rails, I used a stiff wire bent an offset on the end and chucked it up in the drill. Loosened everything up and blew it out with air. Gonna hit it with some ospho and a rag with some rust converter.

 

[ken75ranger]

IIRC a few guys had good luck using a chimney brush inside the frame.

 

[tasker]

ran the chimney brush through mine, then hooked up it to 3/8 brake line and bent the end and hooked up to my compressor to blow it all out. worked great!

 

[HGM]

I've given this a bit of thought and ultimatly decided to send it off to be cleaned and galvanized, like Nick does. All the tips above are things I'd advise or have been advised to me in the past. The chimney brush took a minute for me to picture since mine is 10", but that sounds like a good idea if you can get one small enough. Before sending mine off, I plan to trailer the chassis over to the car wash elevated on one end so it will run out as I spray through it. I'm planning on the car wash since they've got several soap and chemicals on tap.. If you dont galvanize or e-coat, I'd think that piece of brake line could be a good spray nozzle for a syphon style blow gun. Ospho or one of the Eastwood rust preventatives mentioned above should work well.. Pictures and results when you do it would be a great addition, the question tends to come up from time to time..

 

[deltabronco]

Talked to Nick this morning. Think I will investigate the galvanizing route. The time I will spend running around buying stuff, not to mention my labor, I am probably better off having it galvanized.

 

[HGM]

Talked to Nick this morning. Think I will investigate the galvanizing route. The time I will spend running around buying stuff, not to mention my labor, I am probably better off having it galvanized.

His info is usually pretty persuasive.. Great guy to have around here(among many others)... Same reason I decided to go that route..;D

 

[tasker]

what kind of money to have one galvanized?

 

[fordfan]

I have tried the brush through the frame and other type cleaning methods without much success. The best thing I have found is a trip to the hydraulic hose shop and my 4000psi Honda pressure washer. I had a hose made so that I can remove the wand from the handle (quick disconnect), connect the hose extension (the piece made at NAPA) and them reconnect the metal wand with the nozzle. Just be careful when the extension hose is barely in the frame rail. Hold it tightly! Once you get more hose in the frame, it will hold itself (from blowing back at you and whipping you like a gator tail!)
The first frame I cleaned, I collected more that a 5 gallon bucket of mud, acorns, and rats or squirrel nest materials! It blew out of that frame like a cannon!....and made a mess everywhere! (had 5 gallons after I shoveled most of it up).
The extension hose I had made is 12' long and its plenty to get completely through the frame.

 

[Broncitis]

I did one with a chimney brush quite a few years ago and I kept the rig and used it again a few years ago as well.

First I blow it out with compressed air to get any loose stuff out. Then I use a piece of steel cable and fish it thought the frame and attach it to my tractor. On the other end is a square nylon chimney brush and then a another foot or so of cable and then a steel one (or vice versa on the order, can not recall offhand).

I pull it through a few times on each rail, then blow it out again with a long wand reaching in a few feet from each end. Lastly, I blast it with my industrial pressure washer from each end.

I have then used an undercoating gun and a wax-like rust preventative compound from Eastwood to spray inside the frame. I made an extension for the multi-port side spray nozzle so I can reach in half way down the frame rail and then spray as I backdrag it out.

 

[deltabronco]

You guys are giving me way to many options. Which is a good thing. I am going to call galvanizer tomorrow and get a price. If it is $250 or less I am going to do it.

 

[enovey]

Some additional info, around here in New England most galvanizers charge approximately $200-250 a ton. It also depends on the size of the galvanizer as I have heard of smaller ones charging up to $400. In the Land Rover world, the galvanizing of frames is huge. Almost all replacement frames for the series trucks and defenders are sold galvanized.

 

[kayakersteve]

So, what about the two cross braces - How does one clean them?

 

[NicksTrix]

So, what about the two cross braces - How does one clean them?

chem strip the whole thing

 

[deltabronco]

$250 to galvanize

 

[HGM]

chem strip the whole thing

Hey Nick, it doesnt have to be chem stripped before galvanizing, does it??

 

[deltabronco]

stripped or blasted.