Hi All, have a compact wheel loader I use for snow removal, just wondering what's the best way to wash ? Just want the salt off etc. I do have a power washer, not a steam or hot water type, I guess I cant wash like my pick up, do to all the grease etc? just wondering what all you guys that have experience do, tricks etc. thanks in advance
Some tips I can offer .1) spray outside ( had a kid pressure wash a 966 inside and spent the next day cleaning grease and dirt off walls and door). 2) don't spray towards cab ( grease on glass and dirt and sand scratch glass).3) don't spray directly into cylinder wipers or electrical connections. 4) make sure all caps are on,doors and windows are shut.
The best way is to flush salt with HVLP-high volume low pressure DISTILLED water. If you have a well (no water bill) then I'd hook up the biggest hose your pump will support (50' at most 3/4" garden hose, 1 1/2" fire hose and similar nozzle) and start at the top and rinse down, repeat. You DON'T want to blast that salt all over the machine and get it deeper into the guts, you want to rinse as much off without spreading it around and then rinse more thoroughly to get any salt that got "inside", and then rinse some more and a little more after that. If you still have sand and grime then use the pressure washer after you've rinsed it to death. I wasn't completely joking about the distilled water, I use a rainbarrel for rinsing stuff off sometimes. I figure it's a little more aggressive solvent than hard well water?
http://www.rhomar.com/products/neutro-wash/ This stuff is used by a local county agency on everything all winter.
After a little more "re-search" it looks like an acidic water will remove the last bits of salt better than plain water. Dr. Simon K. Boocock, "SSPC Research and Performance Testing of Abrasive and Salt Retrieval Techniques", JPCL (March1994) states “an acidic extraction fluid is preferred, especially at low ranges of chloride ion surface contamination.” One reference was to a ph of 6.5 though, so an extremely weak acid, not even as acidic as rainwater...
http://www.saltawayproducts.com . Here's what we use around here for flushing marine engines. Probably same type thing as you showed. We use mostly sand on roads so salt is not much of an issue.
Power wash it, as other said try to spray away from cab area. Don't worry about spraying grease off, that's what grease, grease fitting, and grease guns are made for.
to all that responded thank you! that's why I asked here, you all know. Again thanks for taking the time to reply.
Aint nobody know squat. I looked up and down for a real test and thought I hit paydirt when this finally come up: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Division...andplans/Reports/2014/Materials/134718_FR.pdf How RIDICULOUS! They test a salt "neutralizer" (that only functions by rinsing) by soaking in salt water for 360 hours, applying the "neutralizer", then soaking another 360 hours. That's like seeing who can swim the farthest by holding them under water and seeing who kicks the longest. So anyway their useless results are that only one of the products did anything in their tests, but they did confirm that most of them are sulfamic acid. If anybody has seen any real test results, please let us know.