At 04:22 PM 9/14/98 +0100, Danko Roozemond wrote:
>....
>Is anybody familiar with reviving cars that have been into the water this
deep.
Drain and change all fluids and filters, fuel tank, carburetors, engine,
gearbox, overdrive gearbox (if equipped), and rear axel. Complete flush
the hydraulic systems until fresh fluid comes out of all the bleeders.
Lube the driveshaft joints, hand brake cable, and all suspension joints.
Also repack the wheel bearings. Change the engine oil and filter again
after 50 miles of driving.
Flush the underbody and suspension with a spray of clean water to remove
any strange contanimants that may have been deposited by the flood waters.
Painted surfaces need a good washing in the normal manner, and a fresh coat
of your favorite wax wouldn't hurt.
Any standing water in the floor pan should be drained immediately. Then
set the car in the sun for a week to dry thoroughly. Another good move
would be to put it in a moderately small closed garage with a dehumidifier
running for a week or two. A box fan to keep air moving around the garage
helps immensly.
If you're contemplating wayoil, get the car body completely dry before
applying the product, including all those enclosed sections.
Carpeting and seats may need cleaning. Without complete disassembly, about
all you can do for the seats is to get them thoroughly dry and clean the
outside surfaces. Shampoo the carpet. Use any good vinyl cleaner for the
vinyl surfaces, including interior panels and vinyl dash. Leather seat
covers deserve a caring treatment with neatsfoot oil, Connoly Hide Food, or
some other good leather care product as soon as it is dry.
Canvas or cloth rag tops and tonneau covers like dry cleaning to the extent
that they are removable. Machine washing does considerable damage to these
fabrics. Spot cleaning with dry cleaning materials is a good alternative.
Vinyl top and tonneau fabrics get the same treatment as the interior
panels, any good vinyl cleaner.
Have I missed anything?
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude (and dry storage, fortunately)
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