Has anyone had any experience/thoughts about Fluid Film ?

Fishing

Fishing

Member
Hello All, I am thinking of using "Fluid Film" on a truck and have never used it before so I am just trying to learn about it. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with it ? Thank you for any help/experience/comments.
 
Fishing- I`ve never used Fluid Film, but I do know a bit about rust prevention. What`re you planning to do with it on the truck?
 
Accumulator- I am thinking about spraying it underneath the truck for rust prevention, Tacomas up in the North are known for getting rusty. Fluid Film seems relatively safe to use. Thnx for reply.
 
I use corrosion free rust cure. Possibly better than fluid film (no scent, supposedly sticks longer, etc) but the same basic protection.

I spray the undercarriage of my truck every fall. Also pay attention to the wheel well above the wheel well, hard to see or access but it`s the one spot that seems to rust on ANY truck.

Also shoot some in the door bottoms, rocker panel openings and pillar posts.

I go as far as taking off the wheel well liners so I can get better access to everything under the truck, especially the cargo bed.

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This is one of those things people do that has zero evidence of doing anything. That part is a fact, this part is my opinion. I really don’t think there is anything you can do to prevent rust. It’s more a factor of the environment you’re in than what’s done to prevent it. Someone did their version of a FF test once on BTOG if I recall & it was no better or worse than WD40.
 
The underside of my 2 year old ram looks the same as it did the day I brought it home. No rust anywhere... No surface rust on anything (except 2 brake parts because I wont spray oil near the brakes). What was black when new is still black.

Considering it`s been inside maybe 4 days of those 2 years including being driven through both winters, the oil undercoat is doing SOMETHING.

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Here in Sweden we use something called Tectyl undercarriage mass. It`s linolin based and get like a stretchable rubber coating when it cures. Most car manufactures even needs to be applying something simualar to this extra coating on the undercarriage. Some even do an extra protection of this when the vehical is new. I go over it useally once a year and take any loose of this off and spray or paint with a brush on some new Tectyl. This is more of a longterm solution to protect from corrosion that all of the road salt but also those living close to the ocean with salt water as a problem. This stands up to rock chips and stuff in the wheel wells too. Then you have a thinner solution of the Tectyl that you spray into the doors and beems or other places where you don`t reach. Working with Tectyl can be very messy but to protect your undercarriage and hidden or inside of parts it`s an outstanding protection and lasts for many years. Cleaning the surface as good as possible and then let it dry thoroughly useally over the night. Then paint or spray it on and it`s bonds very good and is not so finicky to do so. More important that it`s dry when you apply it. Würth has a simualar product and can be the same even and think more different brands manufactures Tectyl. Maybe anyone have heard about it and can chaim in on it and if there are options that is like this that you have available to get.

This is the Würth version of it in a spray form. But they have more products like this but that`s thicker and thinner. It`s lasts for a long time.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/w-8909071.html

/ Tony
 
Problem is fluid film doesn’t really prevent corrosion for much time at all. Think a couple days in independent testing

It may be better than nothing in some areas for a few days but after that it’s not really doing much against water and salt spray


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Fluid Film is the obvious one because its cheap and easy to find. I agree it doesnt last as long as others, but there ARE others that are better.

Krown (I dont think you can DIY this but its not overly expensive to have someone do it)
NH Oil Undercoating
Corrosion Free Rust Cure
Tactyl (as mentioned above) is supposed to be REALLY good but I have not found a good source for it in the US.

Krown and Rust Cure were subjects of a pretty in depth study by the Canadian Government. Salt spray, extreme temps, etc. They chose Rust Cure in the end but it looked like Krown was almost as good. The study is available on the net somewhere, dont have the link handy right now.
 
Coleroad said:
You can diy krown. It`s available just like fluid film online.
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Can you get gallons of it? Ive only ever seen spray cans available online.

Not quite sure how many spray cans would be necessary, I use a gallon jug of Rust Cure every fall for my RAM 1500.
 
FWIW, I`ve been able to keep supposedly rust-prone vehicles rust-FREE despite winter use in Ohio. It`s possible, but not easy. The Tahoe isn`t rusty, nor is my `85 Jag, which I *did* drive in winter when I first got it. BUT FWIW, I`m not driving the Crown Vic in the winter and have doubts whether I could keep it showroom-new if I did (the aluminum Audis aren`t *perfect* due to winter use; something underneath *will* corrode to some extent). How nice do you want it?

Eh, I`d pay somebody who`s *known to be good*. But if you`re gonna spray something yourself, I`d sure use a product that`s considered good and I`d use a *GOOD* spraying system. I can only get so-so results with aerosols by comparison.

I`ve had good results from: ValuGard`s bulk product (thanks again, Ketch!) but not the aerosol (that`s OK for touchups but didn`t "creep"/seal right for me), KBS Coatings` Cavity Coater (aerosol, but good anyhow if you do it right), Eastwood`s Black Heavy-Duty Anti-Rust and their Frame Coater.

But !oh man! is it a nasty job, and it`s easy to botch up and cause "pocketing" that`ll make rust-out more likely instead of less. And IMO every vehicle is different in this regard, some much better/worse than others.
 
Thank you ALL for your opinions, recommendations and education,,,lol after reading this I have a lot more to think about :)
 
Fishing said:
Hello All, I am thinking of using "Fluid Film" on a truck and have never used it before so I am just trying to learn about it. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with it ? Thank you for any help/experience/comments.
Click to expand...

Hello, Fishing !
I hope you and yours are all doing good !

I love Fluid Film for its -lubrication- properties and not much else.. It is Lanolin Based, no petroleum, (How nice!); when I clean off the bottom of my lawnmower, after all that work, I spray Fluid Film all over the underside and it helps for a couple of mows, keep the wet grass off, but then of course, it wears off completely..

I find it is also great for padlocks that live outside all year/s, if you shoot some down the mechanism..

Unless they make a specific -undercoating- then I would not think this product will ever last long term like on your truck, etc...
Dan F
 
Fluid Film is great for SnowBlower chutes. Spraying a bit of that before every use almost guarantees you won’t need to manually clean the chute out during a couple hours of concrete work.
 
Just go to Valugard.net and there are Tech Bulletins from vehicle manufacturers regarding the required use of the Valugard rust preventative for Federal Recalls and suspension repairs, reapplication for collision repairs, etc under the Engineers area. In the Video area is a film showing and explaining the correct application procedure. The product is produced for Chrysler and Ford under their label and GM just completed approvals for their dealers last week. It and the under coating exceeds ASTM and SAE standards as well.
 
Honestly as far as DIY rust prevention, there is no magical formula. I have not used it (Fluid Film) as an undercoating per say, but have used it in door crevices and on electrical connectors. Some have had luck with it, some have not. I plan on doing parts of my Tacoma, but unfortunately I cannot touch the frame with it as it was coated with their waxy goop (that`s already falling off/rusting, gonna be a fun battle after winter getting it warrantied) as there`s still 1.5 years left on the warranty extension for the frame. Anyways, I`m a firm believer in getting the underside washed after snow/ice/salt sessions. I know people here cringe at the thought, but the touchless does a decent job. I drove the GTI through all the mess last winter (and it was a nasty one let me tell ya) and followed with undercarriage washes and it`s just about as clean as when I bought it. Some vehicles are just prone to rust no matter what you do (looking at you Toyota and Nissan...) and some hold up extremely well with little to no care. Case in point our `12 Liberty I used for deep snow didn`t hold up well this winter at all. In just one winter (previous years it wasn`t driven much in winter) corrosion has taken hold severely. Rust checking destroyed the front brakes and suspension components took a bad hit.

There are some undercoating places that use a rubberized or hard coating. Those are to be avoided at all cost honestly. All that stuff does is harbor rust under it. While it looks pretty it is a ticking timebomb underneath.

I know people who do used Fluid Film do a touch up mid winter and it does keep down corrosion. I`m going to try it this year and see how it goes.
 
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