Ideas for How to Clean Gas Tank / Rear Skid Plate?

[vt_maverick]

Going to be doing a complete top-to-bottom detail tomorrow in preparation for our Wisconsin trip and was wondering if anyone had tips on how to clean the gas tank / skid plate area? Mine looks like this:



Honestly it doesn't look too bad between washings, but the contrast is really striking right after an application of Back to Black. I was thinking about trying engine degreaser first, but thought others might have ideas?

Thanks!

[RabidPony]

I use a scrub brush and degreaser. If it is chipped or faded badly then I would use bumper black or BBQ black paint. Just mask everything off well, especially the cladding.

[Triathlete]

I just drag mine over rocks!

[VX KAT]

I just drag mine over rocks!

Works for me too!!

OK, sorry Ashley, I know that wasn't helpful. Yours is way lighter than mine, so the BBQ paint seems like the best idea to me. Maybe your road salt/stuff erodes/corrodes it more? But mine grew up it's whole life in VA...

[Triathlete]

A light sanding and a can of flat black paint (with a rust inhibiter)...easily touched up in the future.

[vt_maverick]

Thanks for the ideas, I'm going to give the engine degreaser and scrub brush a go first since that's the least "invasive" option so to speak. Really trying hard not to sand/paint if possible.

Sue, my VX spent her first 6-7 years in southwest PA before moving to Alexandria, Virginia. A bad area for corrosion for sure, but the two PA owners only put 12K miles on the clock TOTAL in those years, so there's only very light surface rust underneath (mostly on the muffler and hubs). Whatever's going on with the tank looks different to me - it's more of a sandy dirt color than an orangey rust.

I'll post before and after pics tomorrow. Gotta find the blasted memory card reader first though.

[VX KAT]

TWhatever's going on with the tank looks different to me - it's more of a sandy dirt color than an orangey rust.

I wasn't thinking rust so much, just some type of erosion of the painted surface. Did all our VXs start out with a blackish/charcoal color gas tank and skid plate?

[Ldub]

It's not THAT difficult to remove the bottom cover/gas tank shell, whatever you wish to call it.
I've had mine off in the past to hammer out dents/repaint, & don't remember it being a big chore...

[wintermute]

It's not THAT difficult to remove the bottom cover/gas tank shell, whatever you wish to call it.
I've had mine off in the past, to hammer out dents/repaint, & don't remember it being a big chore...

In that case, I say pull it off and get it powder coated!

[tom4bren]

PM rickshaw ... I'm sure you can see your reflection in his.

[Triathlete]

I've had mine off in the past to hammer out dents/repaint, & don't remember it being a big chore...

So that you can put more dents in it and repeat the process again and again and...

[vt_maverick]

Well the jury's in... and degreaser and a scrub brush did the trick! Took like 6 applications, holy **** was there a lot of build-up, looked like just years of caked on mud and grease. I took an after pic showing the difference between the scrubbed area and an original area, but I can't find my memory card reader. I'll post pics as soon as I find it.

Thanks for the advice!

[VX KAT]

Well the jury's in... and degreaser and a scrub brush did the trick! Took like 6 applications, holy **** was there a lot of build-up, looked like just years of caked on mud and grease. I took an after pic showing the difference between the scrubbed area and an original area, but I can't find my memory card reader. I'll post pics as soon as I find it.

Thanks for the advice!

Oh yer no fun, you took the easy way ....no removing it, removing dents, cleaning, prepping and painting?? Oh wait, you prolly don't have any dents...well anyway, glad it worked out for ya!
BTW, is it a charcoal/black color underneath all that like mine??

[Ldub]

So that you can put more dents in it and repeat the process again and again and...

Ummm...not so much.
Since lifting to the max amount that the suspension can reasonably handle, & going even higher with 35's, I only made audible ground contact once this year in Moab.
That was coming down a wall where my hitch mounted clevis loop scraped a little.
Granted, I wasn't on the most difficult trails this year......

I still think it's advisable to remove the tank cover, just to see whats going on under there & address any potential rust problems early.

The more wrenches you turn on your vehicle, the better you know your vehicle, & the more potential problems are caught early, before the become BIG $pendies.

But that's just how I'd do it...

[Triathlete]

Ummm...not so much.
Since lifting to the max amount that the suspension can reasonably handle, & going even higher with 35's, I only made audible ground contact once this year in Moab.

You just weren't trying hard enough...I will just have to help you out a bit next year!

And as far as rust...living in the desert has some advantages!