polished tankers

Dale

New Member
Hi again,

Can someone help me out with this? I had a call today to wash 3 polished tankers. Need to know what is safe to use. I've seen alot about HP...need a complete name. Type of soap that I should use.

Thanks again,

Dale
 

ron

New Member
i would 2 step them with a ciric acid based soap followed by a high alk based soap that had a good sheeting action wax in it.
you should also take a look at some pic's from a site called
eacochem.
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
To be truthful the only thing I've seen clean polished is a brush.You can use the PH acids and the two step soaps but in alot of cases you will still need to brush b/c of a film that neither the PH acids nor two step soaps want remove.One day they will clean up just fine useing the HP and soaps and the next day they want clean worth a cow paddy.

You can tho add HF to the PH for it to clean better or cut the film,tho like I said before just add 'awittle" bitty bitty bit are you will be standing in the cow paddy.
 

Dale

New Member
Don't like cow patties.

This guy wants his trailers/tractors clean. It's only been 2 weeks since he had them washed last. He wants them washed weekly. He's had 4 other mobile washers, he said that one tried to use steel wool on the bumper to get the bugs off. The others leave white streaks.

He hates to go to the truck wash'es, takes to much time and they charge to much for the job he gets.

dale
 

Mark

Moderator / Sponsor
When we were washing tankers, we used a mild soap and brushed everything. We washed twice a week.
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
The white streaks is caused by useing HF acid on them,it cut the polish off.If he washes them weekly they want be to hard to clean up,either 2-step them with PH and a alkaline soap or 2-step with the two step soaps.Prespray the bugs with soap before you start your wash and they will come off fairly easy.

You could wash them with corn cobs,they have them on the market,even the stainless steel could be washed with them.
 

Dale

New Member
Larry,


What's a good PH acid that will work? Don't want to screw this up. It will be a good account.
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
I haven't found one any better then the other,I even make my own.Alot of the soaps on the market today will clean just as good as the Ph,tho it does help at times.Bad part they already have white streaks from the HF and nomatter how clean you get them they will still look bad b/c of the white streaks.
 

Dale

New Member
On the white streaks...I do remember that the guy said you could wipe it off, that it was like a powder. To me, that sounds like just bad rinsing. I'll see on Sat. what I have to work with.

Here's what I have on hand for soaps:

HF mix


Another acid with:
ammoniume bifluoride
sulfuric acid


Soap:
Potassium hydroxide
Sodium Hydroxide

I don't have the specs for the other soap, I do know that it is a non caustic saop.

Other than the HF, what do ya think I should use that I have listed?
 
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Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
Do not use any or every every little of the caustic soap in your mix,caustic will do damage to polished.All soaps will do damage to polished if its to strong of a mix,If I was going to 2-step them I'd use a PH acid and alkaline soap.To me washing polished is worth more than washing none polished,washng them out in the hot sunshine you cann't get the dwell time you need for the soap before it starts to dry.

What kind of tankers are they,fuel,milk or? are the truck fuel tanks also polished?
 

ron

New Member
once again, im no salesman but you should look at the pic's on eacochem.
they have buffered acid's that look very impressive.
ive not tried them.
a sample could'nt hurt.
 

Dale

New Member
Hi Ron,

Looked at there site. Sabre looks like it would work. I'm calling them on Monday and see if they have samples.

Has anyone used Sabre?
 

Roman

New Member
ph acid. Could anyone tell me what PH acid is? I see Larry mention it several times. PH Acid, what is it?
 

ron

New Member
phouspheric acid[spelling-read the ingreadent's of coke]
it is the acid in coke a cola that make's your throat burn.
I dont suggest you drink it but coke dose.
If you would like to see the effect of this acid just put a iron nail in a glass of coke and let it sit for 3 day's.
Then look at the nail.
yes you drink this stuff.
They had to come up with something beside's coca leave's to give you a BUZZ. So caffine and acid did the trick.
At the maint shop they use coke syrup to clean engine's.
 

Dave Olson

New Member
Hello Dale,

If we were doing the tankers that you describe, we would clean them just like any other fleet. Use a sodium metasilicate based detergent 1-10 solution or so, brush, rinse.

Dave Olson
 

Dale

New Member
OK, These trailers were a mess. 2 of the polished tankers had not been washed for a while. They were streaked, but not with acid, looked like dried soap and layers of dirt that had ran down the sides and dried.

Could not get any phosphoric acid last week. All I had was the soap. A lot of the dirt did come off, I even brushed but could still not get everything off. They came clean but still had a brown film.

The guy said that he was somewhat pleased and that I got them the cleanest of the 4 or 5 other guys and the truck washes he had tried. I go back next week and do them again.

Besides getting the phos. any other tips?
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
he was somewhat pleased

Guys like him p me off,they think when they buy a polished rig new it should look new every time they wash it even tho if its once a year.Tell him he has to help keep it clean by washing it weekly or it will always look shity.Polished is fairly easy kept clean if its took care of,it has to have a helping hand from the owner if he wants it to look good all time.He wouldn't be the first one I've told they didn't need a polished rig if they wasn't going to take of it.He shouldn't blame the truck washes and the powerwashers for it looking as it does,its his fault.

Sometimes you cann't clean a polished tanker if its been washed only when it gets filty or now and then.A corncob wash may be his only hope but I dought it,it will take time but you could flash it with HF.It may be the only way it will clean up or get rubber gloves and a spray bottle with HF,spray on wipe off.Nomatter how he does it,it will cost him extra dollars to get it cleaner.
 

Scott Stone

New Member
Since they are fuel tankers, I am sure that they are stainless. That makes a difference in how they are washed.
A few words of advice. The white streaks might not be due to a bad rinse. It could be due to hard water. Use soft water at the least, and I prefer Deionized water. It really helps on the polished stuff. If you do not know what it is, do a search.
As for the polished, the first thing that you want is to make sure that they are cool. If they are hot, the water, and chems will dry to quickly, and be a mother to get off, it will also damage the finish.
A lot of the guys here really like to two step, and it has it's place, but it doesn't have a place with these tankers. Brush 'em. That is the only way that you are going to get them 100% clean. I put a guy on top on the cat walk, and a guy on the ground to brush the devil out of them. If you try to get by without the guy on top, they will have a line all the way around them.
I am always the odd man out on these kind of things, and a lot depends on your location.
The big key here is DI water, I can guarantee that will remove any water streaks that the tanks may have. The biggest thing is rinsing them.

Of course, as always, this is my opinion, but I only wash about 50 of them a week.

Scott Stone
 

Gwas

New Member
Listen to Scott. BRUSH BRUSH BRUSH... Mild soap and muscle... Soft h20 is a must. I was 20 a week and they shine everytime. I use nothing but soap !!!!
 

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