Line Corrosion Lurkes Underneath if You Live in Cold Climates.

[Techventure]

I put this on an old thread, but after showing some folks what can happen I thought it might be a good idea to post it as it's own topic. This may have been addressed in the past...however the people I mention it to have no idea this is how these lines are situated....so here it is !!

I'm just replacing on my 1992 V6 camry, the timing belt, drive belts, dist. cap & rotor, new NGK plugs, new wires, new sealing on valve covers and oil pan and new water pump. I'm cleaning and coating areas for protection underneath and one area that hasn't been mentioned is the hydraulic and fuel lines running down the engine compartment firewall and along the bottom of the car on the drivers side. These lines have a protective cover with slots in it for drainage....put there to protect the lines from damage from stones, etc. In my part of the country...Ontario, Canada our roads are sanded and salted and this brine mixture with the sand grit becomes trapped between the protective cover and the bottom of the car and corrosion starts eating the lines away. This is my 2nd. camry...had a great 85. I oil inside the panels and underneath but this doesn't do much for these lines. I'm removing the cover and cleaning and coating the lines and cutting a 2-1/2 piece of pvc lengthways.Than take a wax seal they use on toilet sealing installations, soften and coat the lines. You can paint them first with a tremclad and then coat. Fill the space left with a grease....it sheds water and then cover the lines with the 2-1/2 pipe by attaching galvanized straps with galv. self tapping screws or use the old screws. For extra protection put on a coat of tremclad on the straps. If you want you can drill bottom holes every ft. or so to let out any H2O that may get in ...it will fall to the bottom. Pvc is one cover. You could have an aluminum piece rolled with flanges made by a window company or use the old cover just as long as you ensure the corrosion concoction can't get at the lines. Probably many other possibilities.
These are critical lines and you can't see what is happening unless you remove the cover. You may get an unwanted surprise. Can be checked each year or more often.
Some food for thought!

[Joe W]

What is tremclad?

[Techventure]

Originally Posted by Joe W

What is tremclad?

Tremclad is a rust preventative paint. Can be used on new metal or painted metal and even on rusted metal. Use to be only available in black. Now it's available in many colours.
I don't know if it's available in the U.S.

In Canada you can buy it in most hardware or auto stores such as Canadian Tire. I've also seen it here in Home Depot.