Frame clean up time

[tee-bone]

So it is time to do a rust clean-up and sealing on the frame and other stuff under my 4Runner. I've read a bunch of threads here and on TheSamba to come up with what I think should work. A quick inspection showed a fair amount of surface rust, but none of the "inside-out" rust on the frame that seems to be the real killer on these.

Hoping I can get the knowledgeable folks on here to comment on the plan and answer the questions I have. I will try to do some documentation of the process and share it here - depending on if I get the stuff I need on time I will try to do it late next week or in early July (both times I have some free time to do this).


Here is my plan (after removing the skid plates, including the gas tank plate; I will do the same thing as below to those, just separately)

1.) Quick power wash to knock off the big stuff
2.) Soak everything down with de-greaser sprayed from a pump bottle sprayer
3.) good rinse off with power sprayer
4.) wipe down, and let sit a while to dry
5.) go over big rust spots with wire wheel on a grinder
6.) Spray on etcher, then rinse off with power sprayer
7.) wipe down, and let sit a while to dry
8.) brush on sealer, let dry, add second coat
9.) spray on top coat


Here are the products I am planning on using:
De-greaser: 1:1 diluted Oil Eater (I already have this, so might as well use it)
Etcher: Prep & Ready
Sealer: POR-15, just not sure which one
Top-coat: Chassiscoat Black in the 14 oz. rattlecan


Questions:

Q1: should I use POR-15 Silver, which according to them "contains metal filler and should be used in badly rusted, pitted areas"? Or just use the semi-gloss black?
Q2: Would it make sense to get some of the POR-15 in silver, and the rest in black, and then do a first coat on the bad areas in silver?
Q3: Is it OK to use the Chassis coat in the spray can?
Q4: what special precautions should I observe around the diff; specifically around the bolts? Should I just paint right over them?
Q5: Any idea how much product (etcher, sealer, and top-coat) I will need? Assuming I am focusing on the frame, rear transaxle, and the skid plates.
Q6: Should I get some of the stuff made for spraying the inside of the frame as a preventative measure (I live in an area that occasionally salts the roads).
Q7: Any other Pro Tips or cautions?

Thanks for any input you have.

 

[afg10000]

x2 -on the questions list. This is also a future project of mine. Can you e-mail the POR people with your first few questions? I've used the stuff and read all threads about it but those are very specific questions. Bookmarked. If I can find out anything, I'll gladly contribute -

 

[tee-bone]

Can you e-mail the POR people with your first few questions?

Very good idea - just sent them an email with a copy of the post, asking them to answer what questions they can. It's a pretty long post with all those questions, so I would not be surprised if it took them a while to answer. I'll keep everyone "posted".

 

[tee-bone]

Got a response from the POR-15 folks. A note - they got back to me in one hour and four minutes, ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON! That is some awesome service.

Anyway, this is what they said:

Make sure the surface is down to bare metal or rust. Properly, clean and prep the surface with our Marine Clean and Prep and Ready. Each product is sprayed on individually, kept wet 10-15 minutes then rinsed thoroughly with water and allowed to dry. You do not have to use a power washer. Simply using a garden hose is fine. Once you have rinsed both cleaner and prep allow the surface to dry then apply 2 thin covering coats of POR-15. You do NOT have to use the silver first. A top coat is only necessary if the POR-15 is exposed to direct sunlight only. If you want to use the Chassiscoat be sure to apply it when the 2nd coat of POR-15 is

Almost dry, slightly tacky. If you do paint over nuts and bolts with POR-15 it will be very difficult to remove but not impossible. Keep the POR-15 free from bolt threads. The POR-15 will fill the threads and will be difficult to remove. I would order a gallon each of Marine Clean and Prep and Ready, 2 quarts of POR-15 and 2-3 cans of Chassiscoat (optional). The 2 quarts of POR-15 will be enough product to coat up to 100 square feet with the 2 thin covering coats applied.

So right now, while I am still going to use the Oil Eater for the first clean, I am going to order 1 gallon of Prep and Ready and 2 quarts of semigloss POR-15. I think I am going to skip the Chassiscoat. Where I am painting is "a place where the sun never shines" - if it does get sun, I've got bigger problems than that. I will use a small brush and try to avoid painting the bolts in. I'll still use the pressure washer - it just uses less water to get stuff off.

Anyone else have any other suggestions?

 

[trulli3300]

Let us have a look.

I hope to get to this, this summer. Let us have a look at your before and after. Any tips? Good Luck!

 

[Steve240]

I did this to my rear alxe last year, made a world of difference, but be warned its a ton of work with an angle grinder and wire wheels. get a good mask! you'll be under there for hours. I plan to do the front end this year and some day my frame rails but I focus on what was rusted first. I didn't use the por 15 cleaning product though, I just used degreaser and varsol. Has held up well over one winter.

 

[5RUNNERZ]

take a lot of pics when doing it!!!

 

[4yotaguy]

there is another product I used on my Starion resto many years ago- Rustbullet, it paints on, just hit the big stuff with a grinder and it chemically bonds to the metal- through the rust. My car had some real rough spots and years later it was still rock-hard with no rust so I think it worked out well. At the time I had little access to a place to use the PR15 and all the prepping it needed to work properly...

 

[woodro]

i used por-15 on my frame and rusty rear diff , came out awesome . prep work is everything , follow the directions .

 

[Shibby!]

I did my frame and rear axle as per their directions.

It is a ton of work.

I found the stuff dried MUCH faster than they said, and we have a very dry climate here (it dries faster with humidity).

Results so far have been pretty good. We'll see how it is in a few years though. With the cost and amount of work I expect at least 5. Some touchup at that point would be fine.

 

[farmerjon]

I'm doing this this summer...

Doing OSPHO for the rust chemical conversion and VHT Chassis paint (rattle can) for the cover paint...

Doing Eastwoods Internal Frame paint for inside the frame rails...

My rust isn't horrible, but I want to get everything covered up...

 

[mrsingh]

I did my frame and rear axle as per their directions.

It is a ton of work.

I found the stuff dried MUCH faster than they said, and we have a very dry climate here (it dries faster with humidity).

Results so far have been pretty good. We'll see how it is in a few years though. With the cost and amount of work I expect at least 5. Some touchup at that point would be fine.

Shibby!, I am in Calgary as well and plan to do this to my 4Runner this summer. How long did it take you to apply and for it to dry? It is affected by how much rust there is on the frame and diff already, was yours a local Albertan truck its whole life?