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do you clean your truck prior to working on it?

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by TacoTuesday1, Dec 29, 2019.

  1. Dec 29, 2019 at 10:01 PM
    #1
    TacoTuesday1

    TacoTuesday1 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    How so?

    Am looking at changing the clutch soon; I hear it's good to keep a clean working environment

    how do you do that when the truck is covered in dirt and mud?
    I used to have access to a shop that had an outside wash bay. You put the vehicle up in the air on a lift, and spray underneath with a hot steam pressure washer.

    I feel like the debris could cause some issues. Because what if you take some stuff apart and remove bolts; now you're trying to screw them back in and dirt is caught in the threads.

    I hear some car washes have an underbody spray jet system; I'm not sure how many/how common that is, or how good it is at cleaning the underbody.

    Too bad I sold my jack and jackstands I guess; now that I think about, maybe I could've just driven nearby (cold engine) to a DIY wash bay stall, put the truck in the air high on some jackstands, and get underneath to spray it clean.

    didn't go through this with street cars because they stayed on the road and not in dirt!

    [​IMG]

    this reminds me; it seems Costco has the tall rise Arcan jack back in stock,

    https://www.costco.com/3-ton-profes...and-steel-service-jack.product.100222458.html

    the weight spec on it seems like even though it's cheaper and part-steel, that it still weighs about the same as the Arcan all aluminum version (ALJ3T?) that costs more

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Dec 29, 2019 at 10:53 PM
    #2
    20somethingwidataco

    20somethingwidataco Yes, my avatar is a real car.

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    Take it to a self clean car wash, get on your knees and spray down the underside. Or find a nice big puddle
     
  3. Dec 29, 2019 at 11:03 PM
    #3
    TacoTuesday1

    TacoTuesday1 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    just remembered about rhino ramps
    sometimes they can be found for $20 used; cheaper than a new jack

    and some people build their own ramps

    I wonder if ramps would go high enough to allow crawling underneath to pressure wash everything

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Dec 29, 2019 at 11:04 PM
    #4
    20somethingwidataco

    20somethingwidataco Yes, my avatar is a real car.

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    Should help you get a better angle of attack on it
     
  5. Dec 29, 2019 at 11:08 PM
    #5
    Matmo215

    Matmo215 Well-Known Member

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  6. Dec 29, 2019 at 11:33 PM
    #6
    20somethingwidataco

    20somethingwidataco Yes, my avatar is a real car.

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    I've wanted one of these bad boys for awhile, but it would probably end up like my foam cannon. Seemed cool, used it twice.
     
  7. Dec 30, 2019 at 4:02 AM
    #7
    badger

    badger Well-Known Member

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  8. Dec 30, 2019 at 8:44 AM
    #8
    spitdog

    spitdog Well-Known Member

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  9. Dec 30, 2019 at 9:05 AM
    #9
    Muddinfun

    Muddinfun Well-Known Member

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    If you don’t have acres of property, make friends with someone that does. 200’ of hose and a gas powered pressure washer. The mud can stay where it lands. Mud in the spray it yourself car washes is a real problem. They have traps that have to be cleaned out with a shovel. The car wash guys hate mud trucks. I don’t blame them. Once a year, there is a mud play day in my area on Saturday. All the car washes know to close on the Sunday after. Once, before I got my property, we drove by a car wash and the mud was 8” deep in all the bays. There was 1 guy with a shovel and a 5 gallon bucket. He was shoveling mud into the bucket and pouring it into the dumpster. He told me about all the car washes closing on that day, but he forgot. We told him we would help him shovel if we could spray off our 2 trucks. We shoveled for probably an hour, sprayed off our trucks and then shoveled a bit more. I felt really bad for the guy.
     
    Gunshot-6A, JC15Taco and DGXR like this.
  10. Dec 30, 2019 at 12:58 PM
    #10
    JC15Taco

    JC15Taco Well-Known Member

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    Lots of DYI washes around here don't allow mudding vehicles in the bays for the above reason.
    But yes....nothing worse than working on a dirty engine/ driveline/ chassis.
     
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2019
  11. Dec 30, 2019 at 1:01 PM
    #11
    fiftyxp

    fiftyxp Well-Known Member

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    i dont see how its even possible if its that dirty, youd be getting so much mud and stuff all over you face eyes and mouth.
     
  12. Dec 30, 2019 at 1:02 PM
    #12
    Blais03

    Blais03 Guess I'll bring a spare wheel bearing...

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    I use my foam cannon every week. love that thing.
     
  13. Dec 30, 2019 at 1:03 PM
    #13
    DG92071

    DG92071 Well-Known Member

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    I don't clean the undercarriage prior to working under there but I do clean my eyes for a couple of hours afterwards.

    Lol
     
    JC15Taco likes this.
  14. Dec 30, 2019 at 1:16 PM
    #14
    JKO1998

    JKO1998 Well-Known Member

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    Hell, my 99 hasn’t had a hose put to it in over a year
     
  15. Dec 30, 2019 at 1:18 PM
    #15
    JC15Taco

    JC15Taco Well-Known Member

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    Unfortunately... no liquid H2O where I live this time of year. :(
     
  16. Dec 30, 2019 at 1:41 PM
    #16
    coopcooper

    coopcooper certified youtube mechanic

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    chunks of mud and rust falling in my mouth is not that fun
     
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  17. Dec 30, 2019 at 1:44 PM
    #17
    Muddinfun

    Muddinfun Well-Known Member

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  18. Dec 30, 2019 at 1:47 PM
    #18
    DG92071

    DG92071 Well-Known Member

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    I see you're on a roll as usual. Lol
     
  19. Dec 30, 2019 at 2:30 PM
    #19
    20somethingwidataco

    20somethingwidataco Yes, my avatar is a real car.

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    I would use it more if my pressure washer wasn't in the backyard shed. Its downhill from the garage lol
     
  20. Dec 30, 2019 at 4:11 PM
    #20
    Blais03

    Blais03 Guess I'll bring a spare wheel bearing...

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    Ahhh I just use the wash bay at work. I leave the foam cannon at my desk lol
     

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