Por-15 the frame/ taking cab off.

Oh and for the plugs. If I use this fluid film is there much of a point in the plugs. Or should I still plug the holes in the frame. Where I'm from we have a heavy winter. So lots and lots of snow,gravel, salt from the mines. Should I plug them or not. Also how does the fluid film hold up to salt? Does the snow wash off the fluid film after awhile?

 

Well, it did do a good job for me. Give it a try and see what you get

It's better to use a wire brush to remove the loose rust and flaking paint. There's wire brush attachments you can put on drills that makes it way quicker and easier than doing it by hand:


After you are done with wire brushing the rust off, apply some rust killer/converter. It will neutralize any remaining rust. Then apply the POR-15 (if you want to paint the frame). Then you put fluid film. A single generous application of fluid film should be good for the entire winter. But you will have to wash it off and reapply fluid film each year if you want to keep rust away.

yeah, it's an extension nozzle for spray cans. Use this to spray the inside of the frame with fluid film. Won't work for washing the frame, though.

 

If it was me, I wouldn't plug the holes, and also, the fluid film will protect the frame against the stuff that may get in, so there's not much of a point for the plugs.

Fluid film won't get washed off. A generous application on the whole underside of the truck should do the trick

 

Awesome thank you. For doing the por 15 application I'd do that next year if I can get away with just fluid filming it for this year. With using the wire brush and taking all the old coating off/rust and just fluid filming it this winter would that be fine? Or will it still rust a bit since there's nothing but the film on it. My plan was to take the truck complety apart and paint the truck/ frame come summer. I just wanted to make sure I could get away with the film for this winter.

 

Fluid Film has attachments that will work so you can do the inside of the frame. I do it every year at the end of summer.

 

If I was going to the trouble of removing the cab for a frame restoration I would give serious thought to having it stripped and dipped in a galvanizing bath. One and done, never to have to worry about frame rust ever again. As has been mentioned there's nothing stopping the rust inside and dipping it the only way to really deal with that.

 

Here is what I do and my suggestion. Get yourself a quart of Por-15 should be around $45, get around 6 cans of Krylon rust tough paint (whatever color you want) and those wire brushes. Wire brush the bad spots to metal usually weld areas and corners. After taking those areas to metal clean them with a degreaser or metal cleaner. Por-15 all the areas and right around the areas you wire brushed (2 coats) let that dry (Id give it a good 12 hours). Then spray the Shit out of everything else with the Krylon(another 2 coats). Let that dry (about 4 hours) then and finally spray everything with fluid film. I did this on my 98 which had the recall for frame rust. When I took it their they said my frame looked better then some of the brand new Tacoma's on their lot. Needless to say I kept my frame. After that I used to respray it once a years. Just my personal experience.

 

Sounds like your frame is OK...but I would double check. You could probably call your local Toyota dealer and ask them to inspect it. They would be the best person to get a professional & knowledgable inspection. You can tell them that you’re doing a frame-off restoration in summer and you need to know the condition of the frame. They shouldn’t give you any beef about that......

Since you’re doing a frame-off restoration (essentially) in the spring/summer - I highly doubt the truck will rust out from under you over the winter and/or won’t fall apart (did I mention inspection above?) - so why spend the money coating it now? Spending that money on frame coatings now isn’t going to do much other than lighten your wallet and you’ll be removing it in the summer.

You’ll have a HUGE job ahead of you this summer. Save your money.... buy the tools and products you need for this summer. Research your options. I totally agree with having the frame dipped - however - would it be more cost effective in the long run to #1) have the frame prepped & dipped. #2) Buy a new frame #3) Prep & spray coatings yourself. What are the pros & cons of each, longevity, and $$.

 

Take it to a car wash and use there pressure sprayer. Should be good enough to knock off any loose dirt and debri. Inside the frame I plan to use air pressure to hopefully push and knock off any loose rust and vacuum it up. Wear eye and breathing protection when doing this.

 

You can buy Fluid Film by the gallon or 5 gallon pails I believe. This is the case for Pro-Form - http://www.proformproducts.com/en/products/coatings/rustproofing/wax-based-permanent-rustproofing/

Then get a spray gun kit with a flexible misting nozzles....like these......up to 36" of reach for down inside the frame.....http://www.kellsportproducts.com/undercoatingguns.html

Rust will stop once air can not get to it. Just coat with Fluid Film or Pro-Form as often as you can. Twice a year if you live in the north. Dont be shy with it. I mostly does not drip so go deep with it.

 

Sweet @ flexible nozzle.

 

In the end it will be a full restoration. But until then I wana be able to protect my frame until I complety dive into it. I'd rather spend the $100 or so now and be safe to make sure I've got a frame still then just leaving it until next year.

 

Another "recipe" to consider (I'm very happy with it) 1. Power wash frame inside and out. 2. after dry spray Eastwood green phosphate internal frame coating - about 4 cans worth 3. Paint all welds or any rust area with a brush using rust bullet. Never had much success with POR and some friends report the same. 4. Fluid film the crap out if it, remove tail lights, dissamble tailgate, inside front fenders.......

Pressure wash each spring and re-fluid film each fall.

 

That's what I did and do. I used the Eastwood internal frame coating, I use an etching primer when I go to metal. I like the Eastwood rust encapsulator stuff as a mid coat and a top coat of glossy Rustoleum.

My $0.02 is that POR15 is fine but it, like everything, is not the magic bullet and can't be the last thing you do. I think the only way to do it for the factory to do it right and you then keep it clean and coated. The next best thing is a zinc dip restoration. But either way, once you disturb the original frame finish it's something you then have to stay on top forever otherwise it WILL rust fast.




Each spring & summer I knock down new rust, paint and Fluid Film. When I put on the rear springs I took the opportunity to clean stuff back there.




Took the sliders off this summer to check the main lengths of frame. There were bubbles of rust in a few spots after just a year. That's the down side of bolt-on I find, a few locations rub down to bare metal and debris gets stuck back there and just gnaws away.

 

I just finished up with a frame repair and POR15'd while the bed was off... my initial impression: I'm sold. I chose the semi gloss and I'm surprised how far this went, about 1.5 quarts for three coats of the back frame. The key is prep, but it's also only been a couple weeks.

 

Now thats an interesting idea. Wonder who can do that and how much?

 

I plan to do the same. Just need to finish up with some things before moving on to the frame.

 

Do you guys roughly know how much a dip is? I'm fine with the painting and then coating it every year that's not an issue. But if a dip isn't too bad my price I wouldn't mind going that route instead.

 

I don't think it's super common but I do know Land Rover owners galvanize their frames when doing restorations. I believe it's something like $0.50 to $1 per pound and I'd guess a Tacoma frame would weight, I dunno, 350 lbs? I don't think it's the hot dipping itself is really that expensive but the PITA of stripping everything off, cleaning and sandblasting, and transporting it all around. Then you have to re-tap or re-drill every mounting hole. It's something of a labor of love, whether it's worth actually doing on a Tacoma, I dunno. But it's certainly the way to make your frame last forever.