Suggestion for anyone who buys an older car like an e9: First thing to do: Steam clean!

[Bmachine]

I forgot to do that before I started tearing my car apart and, boy, do I regret it! Cleaning years and years of grease and oil mixed with dirt is a horrible job, especially if you do it at home.

It is well worth the $100 or whatever to have the motor and frame professionally steam cleaned top AND bottom right away. If nothing else, the pros that do it have a proper set up which will either recycle or somehow clean the resulting sludge so it does not pollute our environment as doing it yourself will likely do. (Make sure that is the case! Don't go to someone who will let all that drain into the ocean of course.)

It will make your (or your mechanic's) life a thousand times easier and more pleasant. That, in turn, will result in a better job. A win win!

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Working on a clean car is imperative!

 

[RogerW]

Another way to do it is Cryodetail. It does not harm anything, and does an excellent job.

 

[Nicad]

Yes, that is an excellent tip.

 

[zinz]

Clean car, top and bottom... absolute must to begin and maintain any project.

Cryodetail.. never heard of it, but looks interesting if you have a shop close to you. http://cryodetail.com/

Ed Z

 

[teahead]

Florida a long way's a way to get your car cleaned.

 

[Nicad]

Clean car, top and bottom... absolute must to begin and maintain any project.

Cryodetail.. never heard of it, but looks interesting if you have a shop close to you. http://cryodetail.com/

Ed Z

What does that typically cost to do an undercarriage

 

[OCCoupe]

It's the first thing I did prior to tearing down the car. It cost about $250 and was well worth it.

 

[Stan]

You could go to Dr. Detail - somewhere near HBChris, Costa Mesa I think...

 

[HB Chris]

Steam clean was about $250

 

[02coastie]

So I have a dilemma with this for my 2002. The car spent it's life up North of Sacramento in a very dry valley. There is a solid, thick layer of caked on red dust/clay on most of the underbody and some of the suspension. I have kept it that way for the past 10 years of ownership under the belief that it's acting as a rust-preventing undercoating. While I don't necessarily need it here in the San Francisco area, I'm figured it came in handy my last tour in Miami.
So, any thoughts on this? Does a caked on 30 year layer actually help prevent rust? Will removing it cause any issues? If I do remove it, should I immediately coat the bottom with something? If so, what?
I'll admit, the notion of having a clean underbody to work on is tempting!

-Lloyd

 

[rsporsche]

i think it depends on what mineral is in the cake. clay holds water (and prevents it from entering to some degree). if water gets to the top side and tries to drain thru the cake it is held and causes rust. if the cake has a corrosive mineral that reacts with water (when it gets wet) ... that's another thing entirely. my thought is to thoroughly clean and protect.

 

[Bert Poliakoff]

Plenty of places around that clean large tractors on an elevated ramp. Should be very reasonable at one. FYI, I had my injectors cleaned with all new seals, pintle caps, new plug on connectors complete with Bosch boots for approx $9 each. At a diesel repair/parts storee. Were they flow tested and matched? No, but I truly am not worried about it. They checked for spray pattern and that satisfied me at the time.

 

[restart]

Working on a clean car is imperative! View attachment 24115

I know a guy in Texas who will do it fur nuthin
May be,..BYOR bring your own raingear comma