Rust maintenance

I've read through some of the rust threads but looking for some advice. My 2016 hasn't been fluid filmed or anything similar in the past and while it's been kept clean, I'm near the coast and salt is inevitable. I'm looking into fluid film/similar this year but had some questions:

1) does doing frame rust conversation/prep work void the Toyota frame warranty that my truck looks like it'll still fall under? I did bring it in a few years back where they sprayed the inside of the tubes, but as you can see I've got some exterior frame rust forming. Im open to doing the por15 or similar rust treatment, but don't want to potentially void a warranty, but also don't want to prolong doing nothing...

2) how much of a pita would it be to do rust treatment after a winter of having the undercard fluid film treated? I saw on the por 15 directions it required a good degreasing as the first step.


Thanks in advance

 

I recommend you find a place that will Fluid Film it for you. I did my 4runner and it look’s amazing. You can DIY but the pros always do a better job and you don’t have to deal with the mess.

 

I wouldn't bother with the POR 15. It requires perfect prep which is impossible on an assembled truck. Rust will eventually creep under it where you overlapped the existing paint. I would go straight to the Fluid Film.

I just finished treating my wife's brand new Rav4. I guarantee I did a better job than the pros because I disassembled things to gain access to places that would be impossible otherwise. The pros can't take the time to do what I did. I removed the bumpers, the fender liners, all of the plastic panels on the underside, plastic panels in the engine compartment etc. I even dropped the muffler and heat shield so I could treat the expanse of sheet metal under it.

Yes, it's a mess and yes I have an understanding wife!

 

Im a big fan of Fluid Film. My GX is on O6 with 265XXX miles and the frame looks better that some of the post's in the 3rd gen "Do i need to be concerned with this rust".

Regular uses of fluid film does alot of good.

 

Seems like its rusted from inside.. so that paint is worthless. I would sandpaper the most visible frame parts, some stuff u just can't reach, then do the cosmos paint & fluid film

 

Clean then apply Fluid Film

 

Use a wire wheel on all rust spots then rustoleum black paint of your choice. Fluid film it but get the long wire probe so you can reach far into frame and hard to reach spots. Also use a pressurized system to deliver it if you can’t then let your cans of fluid film sit in hot water before use helps to disperse it better. 9ve been doing this since new and my undercarriage looks great plus it’s really not all that hard to do just wear a jumper and goggles plus rubber gloves and your good to go.

 

I have a 2017 and have been using a mix of fluid film and CRC rust inhibitor ---which is almost like a waxy cosmoline product. I find its much much more durable on the heavily exposed frame areas, and I still use fluid film to creep into those harder to reach areas. I just treated mine before the cold hits and winter and my midwest, salt/brine exposed frame, is virtually rust free. There were a couple small nickle/dime size spots of very minimal rust probably from rock chips, etc so i spent a little time sanding it down, spraying some rustoleum rust inhibitor and then following it up with rollbar/frame black spray paint. Overkill? Yes probably, but my frame won't fall apart...

Links to products i used:
https://www.crcindustries.com/heavy-duty-corrosion-inhibitor-10-wt-oz/

https://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vht-roll-bar-chassis-paint

 

I’ve used por15 and it will just peel off. Wire wheel the flaked paint/rust and then coat. I’ve sprayed the new taco and our other vehicles with ease. I use the hose adapters on the wool wax gun with surface shield in the frames. Fluid film on the frame outside. Be sure to drop the spare too.

What mess are people talking about? Use a spoon to fill the canisters. I’ve had 0 mess spraying it in the driveway between 75-90 psi on many vehicles. It’s less mess than cans for sure.

 

Not true on the POR 15. They have two products. Call and ask questions. POR topcoat requires a perfect metal surface. It is used for primarily for new fabrication where nothing has been done yet to the metal.

The other is their RPC, rust preventative coating. Just needs degreased. Can be applied over minor rust like yours. Did my 22 in March and April with it before leaving on a trip from VA to AK and then down to South America for 11 months. Easy to do if you take your time.

Also have a 1975 Chevy C/10 that I snagged at a junkyard in Dallas in 1992. Every panel had rust on the underside. POR 15 on everything. No more rust. Still all original panels.


There is a reason that guys that restore old cars use it. An original panel with POR15 is worth 400 to 500 percent more than a replacement. It will never rust again as rust needs moisture and oxygen. POR15 eliminates both.

Two different products for two different uses.

 

I’m here to state that POR15 has its place but a vehicle frame isn’t it, unless your level of rust rivals the Titanic and you’re lookin to squeeze some life out of it. Frame with intact paint is a shit application for that product. I’ve used it in other applications where it has done fairly well but I don’t put it on anything I plan to keep for a while. 4x4 guys overhype it and in resto circles as many guys that use it, there are many more that rather do things the thorough way and sandblast and recoat on anything that’s worth a damn.

Wire wheel, rattle can, rust protectant and then maintain the protectant thereafter. It’s as simple as that.

 

^^'xactly!^^

 

Clean all the underside of the truck, remove spare tire

Get an electric paint sprayer from harbor frieght
A gallon of fluid film or woolwax
Mask the exhaust
Go to town spraying the hell out of everything. Get a cab or two for the internal frame portions.
You can do this in a day, and for less than $100

 

Cosmoline creeps pretty good before it dries. I've used fluid film on my old vehicles and cosmoline on my taco. It's holds up alot better for longer. Either way do it yourself, it's not that big of a deal just wear proper ppe when you apply whatever you decide to use.

 

Fluid film will slow down existing rust and stop new rust from forming. When I have to drive my Tacoma in the winter that is what I'll be using. I spray about 5 cans under my S10 every fall and we coated the inside of everything with it when we rebuilt it.

I'm sure there are other products that work too, but my experience is with fluid film and I'm impressed.


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+1 on the electric paint sprayer idea. (vs air compressor) I had a guy spray my 2013 Outback, and he used a HVLP electric paint sprayer and a 5-gallon bucket of Tractor Supply 30w bar-and-chain oil.

Fluid Film is great. It works. If you want someone else to do the spraying, try looking for Krown rustproofing. I just had it done for $150. Similar consistency to FF. Anything is better than letting the salt get to it.

 

I used the RPC on my 4runner that I had and followed directions to a "T". 2 years later it started to peel and rust so I tried cleaning up again and using FF. Yeah, FF did not last either and rust started coming back by end of winter. IMO the RPC is not worth a dime.

 

I went over any light surface rust on mine with Rustoleum Rust Reformer. The flat black color is a perfect match to the frame so I was able to just do spots that needed it. I had to clean up some areas around the trailer hitch with a wire wheel. I'm really happy with how it came out. Looks 90% brand new. I used 2 cans.

After a few weeks I went over everything with Wool Wax. Bought the kit on Amazon for around $150. Plus a can of Fluid Film to get inside the rocker panels and inside the doors.

First pic is almost exactly how mine looked, second pic is how my trailer hitch area looked.

 

So is the frame rust mostly an issue for the north where you have salt on the roads in the winter and on the coast from salt water? If this is an issue everywhere it’s hard to believe Tacomas have such a good reputation. I just sold a 20 year old Nissan with no rust issues.

 

My experience is Yes