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Cleaning Underside of C5?

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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 10:59 AM
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Default Cleaning Underside of C5?

Unfortunately while picking up my 97 C5 in Chicago this past Saturday, the underside had been exposed to salted wet streets. I want to wash and rinse all that salt off of the underside immediately. I'm seriously considering putting a lawn sprinkler under the car and letting it flush for quite a while. My question is: Can I harm anything in the engine compartment by letting a garden sprinkler flush under the engine? Please post any input a.s.a.p. I'm on my way out to buy a sprinkler right now and expect to start flushing within the next hour.
Thanks,
Richard
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 11:09 AM
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Shouldn't hurt anything considering the stuff that gets up under there on the road on a rainy day.

Just don't let your neighbors see you. They may question your sanity like mine do when they see me on the ground up under the back of my Vette as I clean the exhaust plate, exhaust tips and exposed rear suspension parts.

Oh well. Whacha' gonna do?
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 11:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Red_Racer
Shouldn't hurt anything considering the stuff that gets up under there on the road on a rainy day.

Just don't let your neighbors see you. They may question your sanity like mine do when they see me on the ground up under the back of my Vette as I clean the exhaust plate, exhaust tips and exposed rear suspension parts.

Oh well. Whacha' gonna do?
Nobody will see any of this seemingly strange activity. I'll do it in my aircraft hangar with the doors closed
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 12:03 PM
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That's a great idea. Is there enough clearance?
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by C4VetteLT1
Unfortunately while picking up my 97 C5 in Chicago this past Saturday, the underside had been exposed to salted wet streets. I want to wash and rinse all that salt off of the underside immediately. I'm seriously considering putting a lawn sprinkler under the car and letting it flush for quite a while. My question is: Can I harm anything in the engine compartment by letting a garden sprinkler flush under the engine? Please post any input a.s.a.p. I'm on my way out to buy a sprinkler right now and expect to start flushing within the next hour.
Thanks,
Richard
What about running it through one of those "touchless" washes. Do they spray up under your car too?
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 12:24 PM
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just jack up all 4 sides, remove the wheels and get started.
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 12:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Corvette00Car
That's a great idea. Is there enough clearance?
Yep, I picked up a couple small & low sprinklers this morning. Plus I have hot water in my hangars, so I think I'll blast it with that right now. Can't get that damn salt off soon enough!
Thanks,
Richard
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 12:36 PM
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It should not hurt anything. Not a bad idea to at least get the majority of the stuff flushed off.
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 02:44 PM
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Maybe Patches will chime in. By the looks of the pictures of his underside, he must flip the car over to do his cleaning.
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 02:50 PM
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Patches MUST claybar and Zaino his chassis. There is NO other way he can get it that clean...

Oh Mighty Patches,
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 03:38 PM
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Using a sprinker is no more strange than using a leaf blower to dry off the car afterwards. In other words, it's NORMAL (for us).

Personally, I use a soaker hose -- one of those flat hoses with all of the little holes in it. Works fine.
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 04:03 PM
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I have come to the conclusion we are all insane. Guess I am slow on the uptake.

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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 04:35 PM
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Even if you use a sprinker your still going to have to get all the spots
it missed. I'd just get her off the ground and get at it....
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 06:53 PM
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C4VETTELT1, I had my 02 Vert in the Chevy Vette Fest show in Nov. 02 and got caught driving on wet salty streets on the way home. I went to the local Murray's Parts store and bought one of those car washing wands with the cloth wash head. It's the kind you hook up to a garden hose. I made up a couple of buckets of warm soapy car wash water and hooked the wash wand and garden hose to the basement laundry sink to get hot water. I jacked one end of the car up at a time and dipping the wand in the soapy car wash solutin I stated scrubbing the chassis. I then rinsed the chassis off with hot water. After the car dried for a while I pulled it in the garage, put it up on jack stands and cleaned up anything I missed. My usual winter ritual is to put the car on jack stands and clean and detail the chassis and touch up any paint chips on the frame. My garage is heated, so I like spending time out there in the winter.
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 07:11 PM
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It wont hurt anything....best to get it up take the wheels off and do it the correct way


Last edited by iceburgh; Mar 14, 2005 at 07:17 PM.
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted by indy300
What about running it through one of those "touchless" washes. Do they spray up under your car too?
Mine does.
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 08:15 PM
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You can eat off my undercarriage... here is a picture of a salt a dirt infested wheel well... the stuff I use to clean and neutralize salt and road grime, and an after picture.

exposed to salt and road grime:



The stuff I use... spray it on let it do it's job, then wipe it down...it doesn't get much easier than this:



Just spray it and forget it..



Results:



You can spray your entire undercarriage with this stuff , let it set and wipe it down.. it will be spotless and will add a protective coating,,,
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To Cleaning Underside of C5?

Old Mar 14, 2005 | 10:20 PM
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Originally Posted by EnglandGreen
Patches MUST claybar and Zaino his chassis. There is NO other way he can get it that clean...

Oh Mighty Patches,
I don't even know the guy and this is funny stuff!!
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 10:31 PM
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Old Mar 14, 2005 | 10:52 PM
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Eagle one products work great for this project
[IMG][/IMG] Eagle one products work great for this project
[IMG][/IMG]
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