The van`s 3 years old now, never been polished, but this is what I do underneath.
The grease on the subframes (as pictured today) has been on two years - Castrol CL waterproof grease. I touched up the brake pipes - not really needed - last August.
On the sump is high temperature Castrol HMP grease.
tinyurl.com/68eybj
tinyurl.com/5r8964
tinyurl.com/65e7bg
tinyurl.com/6o2n3y
All the little nuts/fasteners + alloy in the engine bay are touched with WD 40.
Underneath and the engine bay are rinsed regularly with a low pressure domestic hose in winter.
There is some more grease not seen in the pics, but the actual bodywork is galvanised - as you know.
Of note, is how the main chassis members retain the waterproof grease two years on. You can see the ripples that indicate the thickness of the grease in the pics too.
oilrag
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tinyurl.com/6o2n3y All the little nuts/fasteners + alloy in the engine bay are touched with WD 40. Underneath and the engine bay are rinsed regularly with a low pressure domestic hose in winter.
The engine bay looks brand new to me, not 3 years old.
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It still looks the same as when new L,escargot, apart from the battery, which although OE and Fiat - does not have the `magic eye`
Edited by oilrag on 24/11/2008 at 13:47
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the engine bay are rinsed regularly with a low pressure domestic hose in winter.
As L'escargot says, it looks like your car has never been used.
I touched up the brake pipes - not really needed - last August.
Do MOT inspectors not object to not being able to check condition of corrosion under the gunge?
I touched up
Clearly your van likes being touched up. ;-)
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"Do MOT inspectors not object to not being able to check condition of corrosion under the gunge?"
The MOT testers comment was "Its mint", said with a smile.
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>> the engine bay are rinsed regularly with a low pressure domestic hose in winter. As L'escargot says it looks like your car has never been used.
After further inspection of the photograph, I'll now go further than that and throw down the gauntlet. It's a photograph of a brand new vehicle!
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oilrag, that really is terrific, and an example and inspiration to us all. . .
. . . except for those of us who are totally clueless about the mechanical side. As the Back Room's mechanical numpty, I must confess that I wouldn't know where to start. I wouldn't know how one gets underneath a car. [My head is too big, and simply will not fit. :-)] And if I did get access to the underside, I wouldn't know what any of the parts were, and which bits to put grease on and which not to touch.
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"It's a photograph of a brand new vehicle!"
Anyone within range of Leeds is welcome right now to view the engine! I can present It at Woolley edge services.... ;)
Yea of little faith.... It has Bosch wipers on too from Halfords L, escargot)
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Thanks Tyro.
jbif
"Clearly your van likes being touched up. ;-)"
i`m tempted, but i`m trying for a `straight thread`hoping it will be more popular than the last `quiz` ;)
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more popular than the last `quiz` ;)
whilst you mention this, what happened to the answer!!! due 8pm yesterday??????
Billy
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oilrag you young sump-greaser, what a picture you present of psychic hygiene and correct ordering of priorities...
Would the underside of my 15-year-old £250 Escort be that mint, if I hadn't run out of money only a couple of years into (Kleinian) analysis back in the sixties?
Or would I have a Lexus; or no car at all?
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I wouldn`t mind the Bond back actually,Lud. Even better, a brand new model.
L`escargot seems not convinced..wonder if he`s gone down to Halfords to see if the wipers match..
;)
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I think it's a fantasy of most used car buyers to find a secondhand car that's been owned by someone like you, oilrag.
Looks mint. Nice job.
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Thanks, DP ;)
Billy
"whilst you mention this, what happened to the answer!!! due 8pm yesterday??????"
I was too embarrassed to resurface the thread when it disappeared without trace and I had made three consecutive posts..
(desperate - or what?)
;)
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The same approach as I have! But I use waxyol (after WD40) - it lasts longer as long as no water is trapped underneath.
I still have about 20L left after a car boot find of 25L for about£10.
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Nice clean looking "car" and the good news is as it gets older it will start to self maintain.
You will no longer need to get underneath and do the greasing as FIAT install a kind of scottoiler of their own in the form of the NS gearbox/driveshaft boot.
At about 60k miles the boot will wear a groove in the shaft allowing the gearbox oil to look after the underneath leaving you more time to concentrate on the little nuts and fasteners.
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Very impressive condition & conditioning. I always look underneath a car (gets me some funny looks I can tell you!) - far more important than shiny bumpers. I only go as far as oil & WD40 - I don't have your inspection pit (..or determination); I do though clean off,as well as possible, any road muck or salt.
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I think I'd prefer ACF50 over wd40 for nut and bolt heads under the bonnet - a little longer lasting. www.acf-50.co.uk/motorcycle.htm (works well over winter for me when I can't get the enthusiasm to hose the bike off after a ride on salty roads.
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I'd second the vote for ACF50, I do a single application (by brush) before the winter salt on the 30+ year old chrome of my Suzuki triple. It then gets left over winter to crust with all the salt etc from my occasional winter rides, I don't hose or rinse it.
It washes / wipes off in spring leaving not a speck of rust, even where the old chrome is already pitted.
If brushed on, a single can is good for at least 10 complete bike treatments, making it very good value.
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The van`s 3 years old now never been polished but this is what I do underneath.
It looks exceptional, as others have said!
But why have decided to not wax the bodywork?
That'd be equally beneficial, 'cos you'd notice any areas of stone chipping, or othe rdamage, before they get bad - as well as keeping it all looking smart.
VB
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can I ask what is probably a very silly question.
Why?
Is this something like "detailing" which was also a new world to me
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"Is this something like "detailing" which was also a new world to me"
CG, To stop the chassis rusting. Its only an hours work every few years. The sump takes about 15 seconds to preserve, with a handful of grease.
Its just grease slapped on then and a wash of the engine several times a year.
Vansboy - Waxing? I never bother about external paintwork - too much effort!
Edited by oilrag on 24/11/2008 at 20:45
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It all looks very nice, but a couple of points:
1) A potential buyer may well think it's too clean to be true :-)
2) Why grease the sump? I have never, ever heard of a car being written off due to 'deterioration of the sump'!
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"Why grease the sump? I have never, ever heard of a car being written off due to 'deterioration of the sump'! "
You would be amazed how many cars have rusty sumps.. which leak oil and if left = engine failure due to new oil.
Son's Peugeot 106 had rusty ump which I had to replace (£5 ex scrapyard) - an easy job if all the exhaust system unbolts properly, otherwise a real pia..
I use WAxoil an d abrush every year underneath all our cars.. takes about 20 minutes as most parts once done require little work..
Can't be bothered with clean engine bays: with dusty muddy roads they get dirty after a week...
I do paint exhatsts with VHT paint: they last 10 years plus treated like taht.
Of course if you change cars every 3 years, a complete waste of time.
But I expect as new cars sales are collapsing....
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Its just grease slapped on then and a wash of the engine several times a year.
Ah I see. I thought this was some obscure form of enjoyment that had passed me by. I tend to get shot of motors before they start to rot but it obviously makes sense on a long term purchase. How long would you expect an untreated chassis to last before the need for repair and how long after the full "Oilrag" treatment?
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OR, i'm impressed with the greasing and the general condition, especially underbonnet.
Good pics too.
Slightly perturbed that you didn't get some heatproof paint for the exhaust though, that would have been the icing on the cake..;)
Picked up some expensive 07 to 58 plate 4x4's t'other day with 2000 to 10000 miles on them, quite disturbing just how much rust was showing on much of the suspension and subframe areas, glad i've done my cars as well, but maybe not quite so thoroughly as you.
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Cheers GB, How about putting up some Waxhoyle pics of your frames? ;)
Oldsock,
Sump rust? See L,..............;)
There won`t be a second buyer,I don`t like the trade making profit off me ;)
Edited by oilrag on 24/11/2008 at 21:05
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How about putting up some Waxhoyle pics of your frames? ;)
David Bailey i'm not, so expect fuzzy pics of my grey hair and battered thumbs obliterating the lens..;)
I shall do a few pics, but i'll wait till i fit the ''Fumoto oil drain valve'' at the next interim oil change (cue complaints of overservicing as with new 'whizzo' last for ever oil its no longer needed..;).
Should be someone here interested in seeing that....anyone?
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"and how long after the full "Oilrag" treatment?"
I did the other Punto at 3 yrs and its now approaching 7. Its still greased on the main frames and where it was on the bodywork near the frames the oil in the grease has spread about 6 inches from the application point. CL waterproof - not HMP.
In conclusion, perhaps even one good, thick coating of waterproof grease would double the life of the frames. Only halfway through the experiment though, will be able to comment with more authority when its at 14yrs.
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GB, "oil valve"
Looking forward to seeing that.
;)
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Question
Why is there no road dirt/dust embedded on the grease.?
Adfter two years i would have thought a goodly covering?
dvd
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"Why is there no road dirt/dust embedded on the grease.?"
DVD
In the first pic you can contrast the centre of the rear subframe with the 3 month old grease on the brake pipes. The rear of the sump stays pretty clean contrasted with the front (not shown). The sump is re greased at every oil change.
oilrag
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A greased sump on our roads would be covered in straw, horse dung, brambles, hawthorn, leaves and sand after a winter. And the odd bit of cow and dog excrement.
(We have a riding stables a mile away and a 20 acre field next door, cows and a farmer and hawthorn hedges cut with a tractor each autumn.)
No wonder our passenger side sills get bombarded with paint stripping rubbish..
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YaY! thread merger link! ;-)
>>No wonder our passenger side sills get bombarded with paint stripping rubbish..<<
fit MUDFLAPS then! ;-)
Billy
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