Playing with FerreX


Lowejackson

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Been playing with FerreX today. I did not intend to test how safe it was to let it dry but for various reasons this is exactly what I did. It is very reassuring my negligence does not result in damaged paint. I could have just rinsed off the dried FerreX but instead sprayed some ONR (QD dilution) to see how they reacted. Interestingly if the mixture was agitated with a soft brush the result was a thin layer of soap like lather. No idea what this means but it did feel as if the surface was lubricated and was easily removed by rinsing.

 

Just a side note, the instructions say FerreX will remove tar. Following the instructions of spraying and waiting 2 minutes did not really do very much to remove tar. Leaving the liquid on the surface for 5 minutes did remove the tar. The next time I find some tar I will try using ONR after FerreX to see if that makes any difference

 

I like FerreX, the ability to use a paint safe product is extremely useful i.e. it saved my paint today but the trade off is this product takes a little longer than some other products.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ron, I was intrigued by your comments about using Power Clean to remove tar. Tried it a while ago with 3:1 without any luck so give it another go but this time without any dilution. Sprayed the area, agitated with a small brush and waited several minutes. Wiped down with a damp cloth and just to be extra careful, give the surface a good rinse. The out come was a nice clean area but the tar was still there. What is your technique, do you leave the Power Clean to dwell for longer?

 

Whilst I am talking about OPC, how much, if any, does OPC have any lubrication properties i.e. on a washed surface can it be agitated with a wash mitt across a large surface area without risking marring the paint

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Generally, here in the UK it takes between 3-6 months before we see the new products. The new Paint Prep looks interesting and look forward to trying it next year but in terms of Power Clean, whilst I do think it is a very good (and very expensive) APC, I cannot replicate the claims of tar removal.

 

This is not a huge issue as I have several tar removers but more about curiosity

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  • 2 weeks later...

I pre-spray tar with Power Clean (either 100% or 50/50) and allow it to dwell for several minutes. Usually it dissolves the tar with little scrubbing necessary. I have not used Prep yet so can only repeat what I've heard. Also, PC does not have lubricating properties...

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  • 4 months later...

Paint Prep and FerreX have different specialties - Ferrex to remove ferrous oxides and Prep to dissolve wax/sealants. You can apply Ferrex to panels (particularly lower panels where brake dust collects) and wheels, but it shouldn't be necessary to use on the entire car. Prep would be a final step before waxing.

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  • 5 years later...
8 minutes ago, Mr.Outback said:

What would happen if one added some ONR to a Power Clean solution?  Idea would be to get some ONR polymer lubrication alongside the Power Clean's cleaning.

I think you are better off applying your Power Clean solution (typically 5:1 for exterior surfaces) directly to panel and then agitate with ONR dampened tool (high GSM microfiber towel or flagged tip body brush).  Adding ONR directly to Power Clean will start to reduce the effectiveness of the Power Clean.  Since the main purpose in adding ONR is lubrication then it should be added at the point of agitation in order to minimize potential marring of paint surface.  I typically perform this form of Power Clean wash every six months (spring and fall) on my vehicles to remove stubborn bonded contaminants.  Just make sure to thoroughly rinse the Power Clean residue (especially from glass).

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Good to know, thanks.  Ferrex surprised me, though....used it on my wheels and watched it quickly discolor/surface etch the brake rotors!  Fully understandable as the brake rotors on my Subie are iron/steel.  Any suggestions as to what to spray on the rotors for protection __before__ using Ferrex on the wheels?  Or is it better to spray Ferrex on a soft towel and gently rub the wheels with that towel and the rinse (avoiding the rotors altogether) ?

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In my experience, I have not seen Ferrex induce surface etching on brake rotors but that may vary based upon the metal composition/quality of the brake rotors.  The best method to avoid getting any Ferrex on your rotors is to perform a wheels off detail so overspray can't reach the brakes.  I have both winter and summer tire sets and typically only apply Ferrex on the rims at nominal 6 months changeover with the wheels off the vehicle.  As long as you are regularly cleaning rims (every two weeks or less) with Power Clean  (or other APC),  there should minimal build up of imbedded iron contaminants that application of Ferrex can be reduced to a 6-12 month period.  Besides on a volume basis, Ferrex is very expensive and I am cheap.

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Thnx for info.  FYI for wheels I now spray Ferrex on a small foam brush on a stick and use that to swab inside the wheels with minimal contact to the iron brake rotor.  I then spray some Ferrex on a small terry towel and wipe outer surface of the wheel as followup.  After a few minutes I rinse the whole wheel, inside and out.

Will keep in mind your Power Clean comments for future !

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