Cleaning / Protecting Chassis Legs

[MichaelBeckNZ]

Hi

What is the best way to clean out the scale, and paint and/or protect the insides of the chassis rail following master cylinder removal?
Leaking brake fluid has over the years stripped any coating it once had. Its currently sound but has the beginnings of rust and is full of grimy oily dirt.

Whats the best way to clean these out and then protect them?

Thanks

[smithskids]

Clean all the crud out make sure there is no severe corrosion and spray it with waxoil type stuff. Make sure any drain holes are clear.

[MichaelBeckNZ]

Thanks for the reply - Whats the best way to get any crud out of the far ends of the leg? Floor cover is removed etc but getting it out of the far end?

[RobThomas]

Eyebolt tube gets in the way so it will be hard to get anything down there. If the engine mount towers are off you can cut a small hole between the 4 bolts for better access, otherwise you are down to flushing it out with Diesel/Kerosine since the eyebolt tube forms a dam that will keep water and crud stuck up the front end. Never going to be an easy task.

[philthehill]

Once cleaned and dry spray inside the chassis leg with a mixture of paraffin/kerosene and engine oil.
You can spray inside the rear chassis legs by accessing the ends through the spare wheel well.
The paraffin/kerosene acts as the carrier and the oil acts as the rust preventative.
The good thing about the paraffin/kerosene is that it gets the oil down between the spot welds.
Use a preserving oil or a very diluted Waxol/paraffin/kerosene mixture and that is even better.
My Minor has been treated as such since new and the chassis rails both front and rear are in excellent condition.

[MichaelBeckNZ]

Thanks for the replies guys. Mine has a thick oily layer of dirt and who knows what else but seems quite rust free. I had thought i would flush out with degreaser & water - dry it out with a heat gun and the fact its high summer here before coating with waxoil or the kero/oil mixture. What are thoughts on that?

I just dont see how i could flush the dirt out by just pouring kero etc down it.

All opinions welcomed

[MichaelBeckNZ]

I have also purchased a garden sprayer which can get past the eyebolt

[MichaelBeckNZ]

Thanks for the replies guys. Mine has a thick oily layer of dirt and who knows what else but seems quite rust free. I had thought i would flush out with degreaser & water - dry it out with a heat gun and the fact its high summer here before coating with waxoil or the kero/oil mixture. What are thoughts on that?

I just dont see how i could flush the dirt out by just pouring kero etc down it.

All opinions welcomed

[greendefender123]

I made along vacum cleaner attachment using some oval conduit. Manged to clean out both chassis legs. I then got some clear pipe and pushed it all the way in the leg and sprayed loads of my waxoyl and oil mix into the pipe working up and down the leg. This mixture has always lasted well on daily cars that iv treated before. Hopefully my chassis legs will stay nice and rust free.

[rayofleamington]

Vacuum cleaner attachment has been mentioned - although I have learnt something new as I'd never thought to use plastic conduit but it's a great idea for rust flakes.

Degreaser is OK - but definitely not soapy water (washing up liquid is bad for bare steel due to salt content).

The tips about thinning the waxoil/oil down to penetrate spot-welded joints are great - best results are on a VERY hot day, and for a final coat of full thickness waxoil, heat it to get it to spread better

[MichaelBeckNZ]

Thanks Ray

Mine arn't all that rusty, Just very oil and with grime mixed in. Agree with you re salty water but what about plain tap water and lots of degreaser followed by a through heat gun dry out?

[rayofleamington]

I've only used one degreaser + it worked very well on a caked engine and gearbox.
I don't know about inside if bodywork so I don't want to advise either way. Clean water is fine and drying afterwards is the only consideration - when it sits in a spot welded seam it will take a lot more effort to remove as it won't evaporate in a hurry.

So the only thing I can think of is warm weather - the heat gun will help but just don't burn anything!