turbo4 me

All of the pictures look great, but I would like to see what it looks like a couple of years later on a non-concours car.

The cosmoline is there for a reason, right?

2K7TTMIA

neither my 996T or my 997T are concours vehicles. DD down here in South FL. I can tell you that 6 months later, the 997T still looks the same. I just hose the bottom down and wash with a nylon brush and soap and water.

neanicu

Why?

2K7TTMIA

just to knock off any road grime from DD. I wash underneath when I do the wheels/tires. its much easier to inspect hoses, suspension bits, crankcase, turbos, exhaust, etc. when it's free of cosmoline..

quick968

You obviously don't work on your own vehicles or you wouldn't ask that. Ask any shop tech, and they absolutely LOVE working on spotlessly clean vehicles, it makes diagnosis, disassembly and re-assembly SO much easier. It also shows the tech you take extra care of your vehicles, which gives them incentive to do the same. Ditto when you do the work yourself; working on a clean undercarriage is a joy compared to a dirty, greasy, mess.

Cheers
Mike

993GT

Oak

tooth brush and spit

rmc1148

I always keep the undercarriage on my cars washed and leak free as possible but would not clean the cosmoline off a winter driven car. My truck is kept clean underneath but the battle with surface rust is a losing battle of course to my knowledge Ford did not use cosmoline on aluminum. I have cleaned it off in the past and wish I hadn't after see what the salt can do, its not a complete safety net but it helps.

neanicu

I actually do...on mine and others... Otherwise I wouldn't have had the knowledge to give technical advise to countless threads I have participated in...

My undercarriage is just the way it came from the factory,no oil/no mess. That is because my car is low mileage and a garage queen. Having said that,it is full of cosmoline the way it came from the factory and having the engine sit so low to the ground,close to all the dirt and contamination from the road,I wouldn't want to have it any other way.
The conclusion is : there's a reason the factory used cosmoline on the engine. Any other talk is useless.
I'm out...

Kevinmacd

Rust is ferric oxide that continually degrades the metal.
Aluminum forms a protective oxide layer that will not degrade the metal. Once the oxide forms it becomes a protective barrier.
So you are not a smart a@@ you just don't know the difference! LOL

wross996tt

That is ONE definition...smart a$$

Also known as rust...same thing that stainless steel does FWIW...

see definition 2

Kevinmacd

wross996tt - guess you never had chemistry!

For true explaination try below links

http://news.stanford.edu/pr/00/aluminum511.html

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-rust.htm

http://www.keytometals.com/Article14.htm

sanyata

And now the factory doesn't. I wonder if it's just the accountants shaving money off the cost or a change of mind?

Kevinmacd

Factory uses cosmoline because Pcars are shipped all over the world from not very harsh climates to harsh climates. If I am not mistaken I think part of the dealer prep is to remove some of the cosmoline! It protects the aluminum from pitting which of course is the worse enemy to aluminum. the biggest enemy to these engines is the use of hardened fasteners (anode) against aluminum, when introduced into a harsh environment you can get electrolysis (galvanic action). the aluminum becomes the sacrificial metal, so the cosmoline keeps any electrolysis from starting. Electrolysis is very prevalent in the marine environment. Boring stuff!!!!! lol

wross996tt

Funny, that is what my degree is in...LOL. Admittedly I use the term rust in the more general sense...I would be happy to send you my paper on "Reduction of Microscopic Corrosion on Stainless Steel Parts" a paper I presented at the Microcontamination and Expocon Conference...