After yanking out my drivetrain I spend a day at the car wash and about a million quarters blasting off 14 years of grease and grime. I will still have to rent a pressure washer to get out the remaining 10 percent of filth. I am cleaning the underside of my fiberglass bod and need to get it pretty dam clean to apply this fancy soundproofing paint I bought from the street rod guys. I will lift the truck about a foot off the ground, but will still be showered by whatever I am spraying or wiping on. I am going to go to a boat shop for advice, but looking for some suggestions here.

I work in the industrial chemical field. I get paid fairly well solving all sorts of cleaning problems.

So if I get this right:
Surface to be cleaned: Fiberglass
Soil to be removed is? Grease?, oil?, dried mud?
Method of cleaner application: Manual
Chance of human contact: Likely

What I would first do is apply a surfactant degreaser with a pump up weed sprayer. Soak the soil with the cleaner two or three times before you actually spend time with the pressure washer. The cleaner will break down the soil over time. You will be amazed what two days of soak time can do.

As far as cleaners I would use Castrol Super Clean or it's generic knock off Zep Purple. Fiberglass is almost chemical inert. Many of the containment vessels for the nastiest stuff I sell are made of Fiberglass. The typical side panel on a Semi truck trailer is made of fiberglass. I've used very strong alkalines and strong acids cleaning them for years without any problems.

Oven cleaner works pretty well, but its pretty nasty stuff (don't breathe it!)

bob, i thought you worked in the :beer: field? :confused:

although i guess if you dont like beer the description you gave could suit that too :D

I sell chemicals to brewery's and food plants. My largest client is a trucking co that hauls high fructose corn sugar in stainless steel tanker trucks. You need to keep the inside sterile and the outside nice and shiny. I have over 60 breweries and clients as well.

Try Greased Lightning......... http://www.greased-lightning.com you can get it at grocery stores, and it works GREAT! I can't say enough about it.

I have used the Greased Lightning before and it works well. The wife lets me use it because it does not smell up the garage/house.

I also use this Purple concentrate from Lowes...:rasta:

They use pool acid- muractic (?) acid to clean the bottom of my fiberglass boat every year. But can recommend laying under it while you spay it on!:) :) :)

Both Castrol Super Clean and Greased Lightning are Alkaline Based Cleaners.

The best Alkaline Based Degreaser is Acti-Brite AC coil and condenser cleaner. It's like Super Clean That hasnt been diluted you could put about 10:1 water:Acti-Brite and then you would basssically have 11 gal of superclean. Get it at HVAC supply houses.

They have three different kinds

Pink- Acid Based
Green- Acid Based
Blue- Alkaline based


Be sure and get the blue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by lowrider
They use pool acid- muractic (?) acid to clean the bottom of my fiberglass boat every year. But can recommend laying under it while you spay it on!:) :) :)

dont you mean NOT laying under it:confused:

I've had good luck w/ a product called zoom boss , it's produced here locally . Damn good stuff and alkaline base , guy has an ex -
greased lightning chemist working for him . You have to dilute it down or it can remove paint and tarnish and pit aluminum .:flipoff2:

You know us binder guys have to stick together, so I took Old Scouts advice and got a gallon of Zep Purple at Home Depot for 6 bucks. I mixed it with 5 gal of water in my hudson sprayer. Stuff was fawkin awsome. I went back every few hours and sprayed the underside of the body until I used up the whole 6 gallons. The grease started dripping off immedetly. Even areas that I throughly pressurewashed at the carwash were weeping grease and oil. I haven't pressure washed it yet, but I plan on using up another gallon of the stuff and see how it rinces clean with the garden hose before I rent a pressure washer

ok so ive been trying to get my 32 year old eb clean so i can spray the underside of the floor pan.. ive used some simple green diluted 2-1 in a pump up thingy and it seems to be working well with the dirt/rust combo... im trying to get it clean so i can shoot it with some graphite paint to keep the mud from sticking and to deter the rust...
do ya think paint thinner will destroy the pump up thing?

any ideas other than take the body off???
peace
Jw