Best underbody spray to prevent rust?

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Do the rustproofers work near the exhaust system or do they melt/burn off near there and then rust? The exhaust is low grade stainless but everything around it isnt. How high off the ground do you need the vehicle to spray it? I have an airless sprayer. I plan on powerwashing the undercarriage, the engine bay and the truck bed. Should I bother with the soap spray on the engine to get it looking real nice before spraying grease all on it? Do you wash the undercarriage at the carwash with water on a regular basis or only before reapplication?


From these msds sheets i'm going to assume that the texaco rustproofer is 10% lanolin 20% naptha solvent and 30-40% of both mineral oil and wax. Fluid film contains no solvent and has unknown amounts of both mineral oil and lanolin though probably a higher percentage. If the texaco rustproof was cheaper and lasted as long as the fluid film then i'd use that.
http://www.equivashellmsds.com/getsinglemsds.asp?ID=151548
http://www.chevronmarineproducts.com/docs/RUSTPROOF_COMPOUND_L_EU.pdf
www.fluid-film.com/downloads/nonaerosol_msds.pdf
 
Any rustproofing that ends up on the exhaust will burn off.

The higher off the ground you can get the vehicle, the better. I've jacked the car up only high enough to get the wheels off and it's a pain to get under there to reach all the surfaces of the undercarriage.

Washing is good. Make sure it's dry before spraying. Don't rustproof the engine, rustproofing is not appropriate for the engine.

I am under the impression that Texaco Rustproof Compound and Fluid Film are virtually identical. Both need to be cut with mineral oil so it can be sprayed.
 
We had some spray cans of open gear lube that we were not using, we sprayed them into a bucket and brushed them into some trouble spots on a couple cars. Three years later it has outlasted the spray undercoating we used to use.
 
I said rustrpoof the engine bay, not the engine itself. However how would i avoid hitting the engine anyways when spraying the frame members underneath the engine?
 
Also fluid film comes in the liquid AS and heavy duty gel AR versions. I have a good size airless sprayer, i wonder if i could push the thicker stuff or maybe add a solvent to it so its temporarily thin enough to spray. Im not sure how i would extend the spray up into the panels with the airless though.
 
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Michael_P said:
Caterpillar rust preventitive oil sold in one gallon containers available at any Caterpillar dealer. Part # 1U8801. It srays on like a liquid dries to a thick impermiable waxy film.


I googled this Cat part # and it seems to be made by Chemtool in Illinois.

A few years ago I bought several cans of motorcycle chain lube for $1.00 a can on clearance. It is very sticky/tacky stuff. What do you guys think of using it as a rust preventer (since I no longer have an MC) ?
I know it would only last for a short time but it should be better than nothing???
 
I think you'll be fine, it will be a coating that will have to be touched up and maintained. My cousin lived in the Rust belt as he called it, the Adirondack mountains. That is what he used on his Toyota and it worked well, he would do a spring cleaning and touch up, and then touch up again in the fall. No rust or rot on his vehicles.

I use Amsoil HD Metal protector and touch up if needed when I change the oil or rotate the tires. So far so good.
 
What about amsoil offroad grease or synthetic water resistant grease for already rusted areas??
 
I've been using Fluid Film on a couple spots on my car's undercarriage. It sticks quite well, but stays wet enough to let dust and light sand stick to it. I've sprayed Amsoil HD metal protector on a few chassis points, and it leaves a dry coating. I may use Simple Green to clean off the Fluid Film and test those areas with Amsoil HDMP to see if one or the other is better for my application.
 
I like the HDMP, and would be interested to see what you think about if after you remove the Fluid Film. I was thinking of trying Fluid Film at some point but don't like the idea of it staying wet.
 
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