Fluid film softening frame undercoating

[LeakySeals]

3 weeks ago I sprayed 4 cans of Fluid Film under my 06 Escalade. Yesterday I when to put a jack stand underneath to work on something and inadvertently scratched the factory frame coating exposing bare metal. Upon closer inspection I could put my fingernail right through the undercoating, easily rub the undercoating right off the frame. It's also falling off in chips in some areas exposing bare metal.

Is this normal for fluid film to make the factory undercoating so soft that it rubs right off? Or just falls off?

 

[RISUPERCREWMAN]

Fluid film seems to go this on GM trucks for some reason. Cease use of it.

 

[andyd]

No clue, most rubber undies are softish anyway. I use wood in contact with it. The weather isn't very conducive to stuff drying lately. What does the side of the can say about application?

 

[Ethan1]

It's soft like that from the factory. It flakes off when the dealer hoists the truck to do the PDI. Ram and Ford are not like that. I can't speak to the imports.

 

[abycat]

Yeah I've noticed that undercoating is usually pretty soft as well. I spray wax the underside of my vehicles. seems to work better than leaving it.

 

[Rand]

it is soft normally. I had a bunch falling off on a 2013 equinox.

This was after <1 winter. Car was purchased December 2013 and this pic was taken may 2014 so car was 5 months old.

 

[KingCake]

fluid film is petroleum. like dissolves like.

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: Rand
it is soft normally. I had a bunch falling off on a 2013 equinox.

This was after div>

Yes that looks like what's happening to me. the pieces that are falling off appear to have rust behind them so I suppose it's not a bad thing for the fluid film to creep behind there and treat it. but yes in other areas you need to be careful for a while until it dries out a little bit

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: KingCake
fluid film is petroleum. like dissolves like.



It is not petroleum based, it is some kind of lanolin wool wax, or something along those lines.

 

[spk2000]

Fluid film is described as a lanolin based product but the SDS on their website shows 50-90% refined petroleum oil and 1-10% calcium petroleum sulfonate. I used to make MSDS's and seeing this it is mostly a petroleum product and the 50-90% is really 90%. This is done to minimize telling competitors exact amounts.

The petroleum will soften any rubber type undercoatings that are petroleum based. It will act as a solvent and dissolve the coating.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: spk2000
Fluid film is described as a lanolin based product but the SDS on their website shows 50-90% refined petroleum oil and 1-10% calcium petroleum sulfonate. I used to make MSDS's and seeing this it is mostly a petroleum product and the 50-90% is really 90%. This is done to minimize telling competitors exact amounts.

The petroleum will soften any rubber type undercoatings that are petroleum based. It will act as a solvent and dissolve the coating.


Good to know the true contents of the product, even though I was never really sold on it.

 

[spk2000]

Here is the SDS:

http://www.fluid-film.com/downloads/SDS_NAS.pdf

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: spk2000
Here is the SDS:

http://www.fluid-film.com/downloads/SDS_NAS.pdf



No disputing that.

 

[SLCraig]

I would use it.. Factory stuff is just an outer coating over top of the metal and once it starts to flake and get older, moisture gets in behind it, which is obviously not good either. I would sooner use Fluid Film or Krown (some other name in the US) to protect my car's undercarriage.

 

[LeakySeals]

It seems a little uneven because I touched up the spots with additional fluid go just to protect them. But you can see where the spare tire chipped away a fresh section and where I was digging with my finger nail in other areas. I took a look around the truck and you can see how it setting up and creating a layer of "stuff" is the best way to describe it

 

[LeakySeals]

Some before and after photos

 

[pbm]

I sprayed my new Escape with FF and some got on (1) rubber bushing....will it have any negative (petroleum) effect on the bushing?

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: pbm
I sprayed my new Escape with FF and some got on (1) rubber bushing....will it have any negative (petroleum) effect on the bushing?


No, no problem at all.

 

[LeakySeals]

You can see in my photos I sprayed everything under there wires, wire connectors bushings everything. The bushings seem to love it nice and quiet no squeaks where before they were very dry and brittle

 

[LeakySeals]

Its drying out quite nicely today there were several rust spots in that area that are hardly visible. I need to hit that chassis mount must have missed ir.