Applying Fluid Film

Few quick questions before I tackle this project this weekend.
1. I still have some of the undercoating that Toyota did when the frame was recalled do I just spray over it?
2. How long do you let it "dry"
3. How hard of a job is it do actually apply it to the whole underside of the frame?
4. I plan on getting a 1 gallon bucket is that enough?
any other tips from experience would be great. Thanks in advance

 

1. Pressure wash that shit off. Doesn't work anyways! Hose out the inside of the frame while you're at it.
2. Don't really need to let it dry, it will firm up within a few minutes. It will become waxy within a few days. It also stinks to high hell.
3. Do yourself a favor and get a 360 degree wand and one of those "can gun" attachments. Expect to use 5-6 cans if you really want to get zealous with it, maybe an hour total to apply it everywhere.
4. If you are going to use gallons you will want to use some sort of compressed air sprayer or you can use a manual pump system I think also. I think a gallon might be just the right amount. Again, try to get inside the frame also. That area is critical but it also doesn't wash off as easily as the exterior of the frame.

 

1. I still have some of the undercoating that Toyota did when the frame was recalled do I just spray over it? I think that would be fine as long as the steel underneath the Toyota undercoating is clean and solid.

2. How long do you let it "dry" It's a lanolin base so I'm not sure if it ever fully dries out. Mine is still tacky and I applied it back in May. I think you can just spray it on and wait until spring for another application.

3. How hard of a job is it do actually apply it to the whole underside of the frame? Not hard but time-consuming to get all the angles and surfaces. Put the truck up safely on jackstands so you can move around under there and see what you're doing. My aerosol kit (Amazon) came with a hose and 360 degree spray nozzle, so I was able to find openings and cavities in the frame and snake the hose inside, then blast away. It's wise to wear goggles and a respirator, by the way.

4. I plan on getting a 1 gallon bucket is that enough? I think it will be. I used a total of five aerosol cans and got just about every square inch under there, including the insides of the rear bumper and rear quarter panels.

 

Stuff smells. It will be less noticeable in a few days.

 

doesn't dry, wax based..

 

Thanks for the input guys. Another question for y'all do I need to wash the whole underside before I spray it?

 

would recommend you clean it up.

 

it's a good idea to pressure wash it and blast off any possible salt or dirt. I usually give it a couple days to dry and then apply the FF.

 

I would also recommend applying somewhere other than your garage floor or driveway if possible. My asphalt was slippery from overspray for a few days haha

 

haha I bet that was interesting. I think ill do it at my farm and just put a piece of thick cardboard or OSB and do it out there that way the worst thing I do is kill some grass

 

Hey man. I look forward to hearing about your results and experience. It sounds like a good thing to do to treat for rust prevention. BTW, I've seen some good Youtube vids on the application of FF, and also a decent video by the Repair Geek comparing several different products. Good watch. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXlhmbvdKBo (I have no ties to the Repair Geek...I just thought it was a good comparison video).

 

Awesome man thank you. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Parked in my garage it Smells for at least a month haha. Wish they could adjust the smell.

 

Funny you asked, I just did my truck today:
Washed the frame for the second time and applied Fluid Film. Painting the exhaust.


Things that were not mentioned yet:
1. Pressure wash any mud or dust of the frame leaving bare metal (if covered with surface rust it is OK). Flush the guts of boxed frame till you get clean water coming out. Both will make FF more effective.
2. Spray FF on the frame, inside and outside, but do not forget about other parts the road salt is eating: third member, all suspension parts, all nuts and bolts, especially these sticking out of the body, skid plates - basically any exposed metal you see. In my truck I also do inside of chrome bumpers - the chrome looks nice, but I see some surface rust from the inside.
3. One gallon is more than enough for all that. With over-spraying in many places usually I use less then 2 litters - that about 1/2 gallon.

 

That LPS3 he tested and reviews around the 10 minute mark looks very interesting. Good to see Fluid Film is legit. Most of those others appear to almost be a scam with how poorly they performed in his test

 

Fluid Film washes off a bit too easily for my taste. I have gone to using the fluid film sprayer (360 head), and nothing more than differential fluid. Sprays just about the same as fluid film, and won't wash off easily. Down side, makes things messy to work on. But no rust!!!!

 

It does not wash out that easy. The guy hit it with the pressure washer "spinning" wand that will take the paint of your car . I used that wand to clean concrete. If you hit fluid film with washing wand it will come off only if you use soap and hot water. There is no way it will come off in normal road use. Here is how the fluid film holds in a real life https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/spray-por-15-inside-frame.614253/page-2#post-21175850

 

I would agree that if you only lightly hose with cold water, it wouldn't wash off, but here in the northeast, all winter, you are just looking for opportunities (days above freezing) to run through a laser wash, that has the rocker panel sprayer, so soap and hot water. I tried the fluid film for about three years, and just was not that impressed. Prior to that, I was using petroleum based sprays, with good success. The exception was that what I thought was my pristine frame rusted from the inside out. URGGHHH!!!!

 

I see no reason to run through that full detail car wash in the winter unless you want to sell it next day . If I want to wash my car in winter it will be only from the top (washing painted body) and not touching anything below rocker panels. And by the way after my move to Poland I have to face the same problems that people from north-east have. It is enough to get 1 inch of snow for the road maintenance companies to dump another inch of salt on it.

And yes, spraying the inside of the frame is actually more important than outside. Every year when I flush the inside of the boxed frame I almost taste that salt in the mud coming out. So my routine is to wash the frame only after winter is over and streets are clean from the white powder left after winter. Then flush inside both sides of boxed frame and cross-members with drain cleaning wands till only clean water comes out. Let it dry for a day and next day blast everything with fluid film including inside of frame. Because I can't see how much fluid film is pushed inside the frame, I give is twice more what I would think is enough. If Fluid film is oversprayed it does not drip (at least NAS stuff I'm using) but it flows slowly even out on the surface. here is the picture of overspray I did yesterday and how it looks today after sitting overnight.

Yesterday:



Today:




Or from the other angle:

 

I dont get what people are doing to it for it to wash off easily. Yes, if you hit it with a 4k psi hot water pressure washer, it will come off. But my garden hose wont touch the stuff after its been on for a few days. Its like trying to clean grease off of anything without using a degreaser, it aint just gonna wash off.

As for carwashes, I wouldnt go near them in the winter. Ones where I live, and most in the country are required to recycle the majority of their water. I for one dont trust their filters to be getting all the nasty salt water clean. I dont like the idea of washing the truck with salt water so Ill keep using the garden hose at home.