Undercarriage Cleaning

[fishyboy]

Hi all,
I've owned my 3000 BT7 for nearly 30 years and I've never cleaned the underside of my car. During the current "lock down" I decided to take a look are the rear suspension and started by removing the rear seat pans. What I found was 30 years of dust, mud and oil forming a dense layer about 1/8" thick covering the diff, lever arm shocks, brake plates etc (Photos attached). Even more surprising I found a fuel filter which I had never noticed in 30 years, as it was masked by the bodywork between the seat pans. As it was a Fram fuel filter I assume that is been there for at least 30 years, predating when I bought the car while living in Houston (I repatriated the car back to the UK in 1993). Of course I've changed the filter now(with out success - I'll post something later). I have also opened up the Armstrong Lever Arm rear shocks and was most surprised to find them full of shock oil - again I'll post separately asking for advice on ho to restore and refill. The chassis frame was in fantastic condition showing the original Healey Blue colour over much of what I could uncover.

Once I've finished cleaning I think I'll paint the axle etc (the diff was silver under all that muck), probably look to replace some of the bushes and apply some underbody wax.

Any suggestions welcome ( I won't wait another 30 years before looking again)

Phil

 

[Dr. Smoke]

That is exactly my problem, Phil....how did you go about it?....just do not how to do about a total cleaning of my undercarriage? I do not want to take all the body panels off, just totally clean and de-grease all the mess under the frame. De-greaser and power wash? Sandblast with bicarb? Do not have access to a lift. Will auto body shops do this? Any suggestions most welcome!
Dr. Smoke

 

[red57]

Sometimes there is an argument for the old saw "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Beyond that, the only thing I would caution is to beware of pressure washing or blasting with any kind of media, you sometimes can dislodge grit and drive it into seals and bushings speeding their demise. I served an apprenticeship in a production machine shop in the early '70s and we were specifically not allowed to use to use compressed air to clean our lathes and milling machines for this very reason (way before OSHA and worker protection concerns ), we were taught to use hand brushes to clean with.

Disassembly, cleaning the parts, and re-assembly is the only way to know for sure no foreign material is inside a component.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Kanolabs--maker of Kroil penetrant oil--sells a product called 'Floway' that is similar to Gunk engine cleaner but a bit better cleaner and can be had in gallon cans (you'll go through the better part of gallon cleaning a really dirty undercarriage). It's spray on/hose off so not as potentially damaging as a pressure washer. Unfortunately, they can no longer sell in California; I now use a lower-power (2,000PSI) electric pressure washer with Oil Eater Orange degreaser, which works reasonably well (and smells good ). Be careful with pressure washers, my dad took a high-powered, heated pressure washer to our 100M when he bought it and obliterated all the asbestos heat shields (fortunately, no dust).

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Your undercarriage doesn't look all that bad, actually; I've seen much worse. Looks like you have a recently-installed non-SU fuel pump?

 

[vette]

The advice of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it “ is one that I also recommend. There are some things that can be done with hand application but I would avoid blasting and pressure solutions. I also recommend not taking things apart just to make them look prettier. Remember it is all under the car and if driven more than worshiped it is not going to stay pretty anyway. You can lightly hand wire brush some moveable things that also should be greased as well. You could then
dab engine degreaser on some areas keeping away from seals and seams then rinse with a water hose. There are grease fittings on the two rear spring shackle bushings that should be greased annually. Also I believe there is a grease fitting on the emergency brake cable/rod pivot. You should check and maybe replace your rear differential oil. I use 90 weight conventional
EP gear oil, I’m sure others will have other suggestions. After you drain the old oil you will refill the differential until the oil over flows from the fill hole. Bye the way the center section differential case is aluminum on the Healey. The Healey rear axle assembly and gears are very robust and will withstand a lot of horsepower. It is a semi-floating design.

 

[Dr. Smoke]

Appreciate all the input....TY! Any thoughts about a de-greaser like Floway that Bob suggested, followed by steam cleaning?

 

[John Turney]

Maybe hot water (whatever temp comes out of your water heater) , but not steam.

 

[gonzo]

Wire-brush affected area(s), then spray and wipe with Bar Chain Oil. Preserved with clean look.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Appreciate all the input....TY! Any thoughts about a de-greaser like Floway that Bob suggested, followed by steam cleaning?

I'd avoid true 'steam' cleaning; i.e. with superheated water unless, maybe, you're gonna do a frame-off resto. When I cleaned with Floway I'd rinse with the hose and, after careful drying I'd apply LPS-3 rust inhibitor (some prefer Boeshield or Waxoyl). My BJ8 chassis had a few spots of bare, shiny metal where the paint had flaked off; using LPS-3 the metal stayed shiny for a couple years after application and this was an 'all-weather' car that I was driving 6-8K miles a year (no salt, though).

 

[AUSMHLY]

I don't have a lift, I'm old school with 4 jack stands. I'd put on some gloves, goggles, hat and clothing you know will get dirty. With an assortment of brushed, rages, I'd use Oil Eater degreaser. Spray it let it penetrate, have it soaked in hand towels or rags and go to town. Rinse with a garden hose.

 

[nevets]

Having a lift is ideal but with the car on jack stands and wheels off working on your back with a creeper will make the dirty job somewhat more palatable. As others have said, wear eye protection, sturdy gloves and old clothes. Maybe some stiff bristle brushes, including one that gets into tight places like the kind used for cleaning wire wheels and a bucket of environmentally safe degreaser concentrate and water solution. Lots of rags too. Rinse with a garden hose then maybe set up a couple of fans to promote drying. While you're under there, it would be a good opportunity to do some lube maintenance.

 

[Dr. Smoke]

Thanks all! A dirty job indeed.....no wonder I cannot find a detail shop interested in doing this!!

 

[PHulst]

I've done this on cars for myself and for others. It is not a fast process. The cars have then gone on to win awards, so I know it works.

You can remove a remarkable amount of caked-on grease and dirt with the cheap plastic pan scrapers from the kitchen department at Walmart.
Always try gentler means before harsher means.
Simple Green works for light dirt, but I am now using Spray Nine for heavier dirt. You can dilute it just like Simple Green.
Kerosene works remarkably well and is remarkably gentle. DO NOT use gasoline. I use a very large pan and a parts cleaning brush. Be prepared for spatter despite the large pan, and your clothes will be stained. That's OK, use the same ones next time.
Brass brushes can work well with cleaners or with kerosene.
Engine cleaners can be very harsh, as can carb cleaners.
I use CRC SP-350 to protect bare metal if the car is not going to be driven, or you want a thin layer. SP-400 will last a couple of years but may give a bit of brownish-gold hue if you look closely.

Good luck.

 

[Guido36]

An invaluable weapon in my arsenal for cleaning all kinds of caked on crud and grease is a set of these non marring scrapers. I round the corners on a sander to make sure they do not scratch….

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Amazing deals on this Nonmarring Scraper Set 4Pc at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

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