Cleaning belly and wheel wells

[Yetti]

WD 40 has gone to $6.00 a can.    Goop hand cleaner is still $2.00 a tub.  Rub on and wipe off.

[Andy95W]

And Mineral Spirits is about $4/gallon, and you can spray down your engine with it.  But it doesn't smell nearly as nice.

[jaylw314]

On ‎12‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 5:58 PM, jonhop said:

+1 for WD-40 on the underside and gear wells. Then I use a light squirt of dish-washing soap and water and go to town on the upper-sides. I follow that up with wax. I keep bugs off the leading edges and cowl with liberal use of pledge after each flight. They normally wipe off because there is nothing to adhere to...

In car detailing, they discourage the use of dish washing soap, claiming it's more acidic, and that it should only be used to strip a wax coat.  I have no idea if that is BS or not

[mooniac15u]

11 minutes ago, jaylw314 said:

In car detailing, they discourage the use of dish washing soap, claiming it's more acidic, and that it should only be used to strip a wax coat.  I have no idea if that is BS or not

Dish soap is slightly basic.

[jaylw314]

12 minutes ago, mooniac15u said:

Dish soap is slightly basic.

Maybe they meant "less basic".  They might have been chemically challenged

 

[EricJ]

Of the dish soaps, Dawn is particularly mild.   It is used for things like cleaning up animals after oil or chemical spills, etc.   I've seen it recommended in a number of places for washing airplanes.

Also, what's wrong with the aviation extreme simple green?   That's been recommended many times as well.

 

[jetdriven]

it ruined out paint by drying it out, it soon began alligatoring then outright peeling off everywhere.  Took about a year. It dries out the plasticizers in the paint.  with a Ph of 11, it gets into lap seams and corrodes aluminum.  My first hint was when I was washing the belly and some of it ran down my shirt onto my armpit. The intense burning and the rash for a few days afterward should have make me investigate further. But anyways, a new paint job made it alright.  This stuff gets loose in the wheel wells it flows into the laminated spar. Then you have a situation a few years later like we have started seeing, corroded spars under the sealer.

http://simplegreen.com/downloads/SDS_EN-US_SimpleGreenExtremeAircraftPrecisionCleaner.pdf

[TravelVeteran]

This is what my wheel wells look like. I was planning to take some wd40 specialist degreaser, spray it’s all up in there, then use a high pressure sprayer to blast it all clean to remove all the grime and peeling paint, followed by greasing all the grease points in the landing gear with an A&P after a few days. Thoughts? 

[larrynimmo]

I spend one minute cleaning my front belly after every flight and I take about 20 minutes cleaning the entire bottom fuselage about every 12 hours.  Just use the light blue aircraft wash/wax.

an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure

[GeeBee]

I recently switched from Simple Green Aircraft to "Carbon-X". I must say it is highly effective for bellies and wells. 

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/chemcokleenjet.php?clickkey=13813

 

 

[PT20J]

+1 for Carbon-X. Really gets off exhaust residue as well as a good degreaser and can be mixed to whatever strength you need.

[DanM20C]

52 minutes ago, PT20J said:

+1 for Carbon-X. Really gets off exhaust residue as well as a good degreaser and can be mixed to whatever strength you need.

I have been using Mach 1 with good results.  I see Carbon-X is from the same company.  It's nearing time for me to order another jug, anyone know if there is a benefit to Carbon-X over Mach 1?

Cheers,

Dan

[PT20J]

7 minutes ago, DanM20C said:

I have been using Mach 1 with good results.  I see Carbon-X is from the same company.  It's nearing time for me to order another jug, anyone know if there is a benefit to Carbon-X over Mach 1?

Cheers,

Dan

I’ve never used Mach 1, so I looked it up on Arrow Magnolia’s website and it’s listed as out of stock and unavailable and the TDS has been removed, so perhaps it is discontinued. 

Skip 

[DanM20C]

5 minutes ago, PT20J said:

I’ve never used Mach 1, so I looked it up on Arrow Magnolia’s website and it’s listed as out of stock and unavailable and the TDS has been removed, so perhaps it is discontinued. 

Skip 

Spruce still lists it in stock and has the msds there.  But Spruce doesn't provide the msds for Carbon X and I can't find it on thee Arrow Magnoilia's website so I can't compare.  Not that it really maters, I like Mach 1 but it sounds like Carbon X is as good or better based on the reviews.  I'll give it a shot.  

Cheers,

Dan 

[MikeOH]

I've been perfectly happy with blue Wash-Wax-All.  I do clean regularly, so the crud doesn't get 'baked on.'

[Ragsf15e]

15 hours ago, MikeOH said:

I've been perfectly happy with blue Wash-Wax-All.  I do clean regularly, so the crud doesn't get 'baked on.'

Try the red wash wax all under the airplane and you’ll be really happy.  It definitely gets off exhaust and oil better than the blue.  I always go blue on top, red on bottom.

[Hank]

36 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

Try the red wash wax all under the airplane and you’ll be really happy.  It definitely gets off exhaust and oil better than the blue.  I always go blue on top, red on bottom.

That's what I do, too. Washing the one piece belly at annual takes about 4 minutes, with it leaning against the wall. 

[Ragsf15e]

3 minutes ago, Hank said:

That's what I do, too. Washing the one piece belly at annual takes about 4 minutes, with it leaning against the wall. 

One more reason I wish i had the one piece.  That and the million screws.  However, my ‘68 has survived without a gear incident all these years.  I hope to keep that going even if it’s a little more work to clean and remove.

[MikeOH]

4 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

One more reason I wish i had the one piece.  That and the million screws.  However, my ‘68 has survived without a gear incident all these years.  I hope to keep that going even if it’s a little more work to clean and remove.

LOL!

Well, I'm glad some other guy screwed up 30 years ago....and I reap the benefit of the one piece belly

[Hank]

2 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

LOL!

Well, I'm glad some other guy screwed up 30 years ago....and I reap the benefit of the one piece belly

Mine was in '03, well before my purchase too. But ain't it nice?

[Ragsf15e]

9 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

LOL!

Well, I'm glad some other guy screwed up 30 years ago....and I reap the benefit of the one piece belly

 

6 minutes ago, Hank said:

Mine was in '03, well before my purchase too. But ain't it nice?

You guys still have a step?  Some of the one piece belly airplanes are “much” faster due to not replacing the step either... 

[MikeOH]

Just now, Ragsf15e said:

 

You guys still have a step?  Some of the one piece belly airplanes are “much” faster due to not replacing the step either... 

Funny, hah, hah, hah!  Mine's still scratched up on the bottom, but works fine

[Yetti]

On 11/1/2020 at 10:40 PM, TravelVeteran said:

This is what my wheel wells look like. I was planning to take some wd40 specialist degreaser, spray it’s all up in there, then use a high pressure sprayer to blast it all clean to remove all the grime and peeling paint, followed by greasing all the grease points in the landing gear with an A&P after a few days. Thoughts? 

Nope.  You are going to blow out all the duct tape that you should replace with aluminum tape and then be cold all winter.   There is duct tape that seals the cabin from the outside.   Besides it is free anti corrosion layer.

 

[Hank]

32 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

 

You guys still have a step?  Some of the one piece belly airplanes are “much” faster due to not replacing the step either... 

I just redid my wing walk and step, but didn't think to check the underside. 

[jetdriven]

PTI-2000 degreaser really cleans the belly