A/C External Cleaning

[Funkie]

Hi folks,

Hopefully not a daft question, but I’ll be washing the groups C152 this weekend, and as I’ve never done it before, is there anything I should be a bit careful with?

I was thinking –

- Static vent
- Pitot head
- Fuel caps
- Stall warner

I’m a bit of a clean freak, certainly with the motorcycle (more because it’s Italian), but less with the company car – that’s what juniors are for!

So – it’ll be a rinse, a good shampoo with Autoglym and a sponge, rinse and dry with a good leather chamois. I would think about 1.5 hrs!

Thanks in advance – all answers welcome!

Cheers.

[Flightline]

Check your PM's....

[Funkie]

Flightline

PM's checked - nowt there!!

Funkie

[left_hand_drive]

Why PM? I'm sure we'd all like to know the answer... :8

Cheers,
lhd

[BT121]

Get somebody else to do it:D

[ozplane]

Just washed a Warrior this a.m. and it took just under 2 hours. You might need some white spirit or equivalent for the exhaust residue under the a/c. If you're operating off a grass strip use a separate sponge from the "topsides" to avoid spreading the grit that will be stuck in the mud that's thrown up by the wheels. Finish off the windows with Plexus and you'll have a nice tidy a/c. Oh and don't forget a flask of coffee, it was b....y cold this morning.

[Skylark4]

Make sure that whatever you use has
NO SILICONE
in it. You may have to look at the labelling very closely to establish this and 'phoning the manufacturers should also be considered unless the label actually states that the product contains no silicone.

Mike W

[chopperpilot47]

Don't use washing up liquid or anything like it. They use salt as a wetting agent which does not go well with aluminum.

Chopperpilot47

[Funkie]

LHD – lets say the message sender has a vested interest in A/C washing and did the correct thing by not flaunting such a service. Flightline – Thanks again for the info.

Essentially, use a product that does not contain Silicone or salt. Generally salt is contained within squeezy liquid and I would think that a car shampoo such as Zip wax would contain silicone as the waxing agent!

Cover up components that you feel may be a risk from water ingestion, so – make sure the air/heating vents are closed, fuel caps are on tight, static vent and pitot head is cover (a coloured tape that contrasts with the A/C colour). Would be worth while checking the dip stick is nice and tight too. – Minimise risks, it’ll only hit you in the pocket otherwise.

A rinse down, some degreaser to the underside, sponge wash using say Autoglym or Mer and then rinse off. Probably best to wash in sections, rather than going around the entire a/c then rinsing off. Dry with a chamois and then clean the windows, with Plexus which seems to be the best.

If polishing, make sure the static vent is cover – most important I would have thought!

Any thoughts on tyre dressing, just to finish it off!!

Just like washing my bike really, take time and care.

Ozplane – good shout – I’ll ask the pretty ladies at the club house to fill the kettle for me!!

Cheers for now.:ok:

[A and C]

As far as I know the "no silicone" restriction is for fabric coverd aircraft only as it makes it imposable to glue patches and repaint as the silicone gets into the fibers of the fabric and you can't get it out.

If the paint on your aircraft is good then I would recomend "REJEX" .

www.corrosionx.com/rejex.html

I have been using it for about a year now and it seems to do all that the makers claim.

[Skylark4]

Silicones will also cause problems should you ever wish to refinish a metal aircraft. Silicones on a "glass" aircraft could make it unsafe to repair at all.
If silicones have been used anywhere on an aircraft, no glue, or anything which relies on adhesion can be relied upon to work, anywhere.

Mike W

[ozplane]

I'm not a chemist but when I pointed out to the garage that I'd used silicone polish on my car, which needed some minor panel repair, the chap in charge told me that they had a product which "neutralised" the silicone and they used it as a matter of course before any respraying work. Anybody have chapter and verse on this one?

[maggioneato]

We have a body shop and struggled for years with silicone mainly on cars prepared for the showroom. The normal degreaser evaporates quickly and still leaves some silicone behind. Fairy liquid and water used when rubbing down the panel,will remove the silicone. Then use degreaser as usual.
So that's why you don't want to use fairy liquid to wash your car.

[Mu Beta]

and polished a C152 yesterday, it took the combined efforts of 4 of us 3 hours! We used soap & water, T-Cut, Autoglym and two electric polishers.
Looked pretty good in the end though.

[ozplane]

Ok Funkie, you started all this. How did you get on and how does the 152 look?