I've been upstreaming soap for the last two months now, and I have to say it definitely has given me the best results so far. I have also found that I don't use any more soap than I was when downstreaming, I have found that one of the more important ingredients is the solvent for removing the diesel smoke.
I have gone away from using the shurflo to apply the acid and I am now downstreaming this on with a dual lance.

What brands of wax are you guys using?
I was thinking of importing some Kleenshield as the local product here is pretty medioca I just foam it on with a hand foamer, then rinse off with the PW.

Have any of you tried adding Sulphuric acid to the HF to get a better result on aliuminium? I am going to try this with a hand squirt bottle on one of the bullbars to see if it gives a better result than HF + HP.

Thank you Larry, for your inspiration on this. The information that you have contibuted in the archives has been invaluable. I am looking forward to expanding this area of my businness as I feel I've weaned out alot of the teething problems on my test fleet.

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Hey chirobob.........please explain that picture for me...........

What kind of p/wer is that? is that the h20 tank on the right? and do you have a T and a shut off valve (red hose) going to your soap?What is the blue hose and gray hose doing?(right side)

**Hot-Rod **
Restoring A 1949 Studebaker!!
Complete Major Overhaul.

Power washer is AR 8 GPM @ 4000psi, 24HP Honda. Picture it should show the soap set up, I have two valves on installed to manipulate the soap concentration, I also have a deyer flow meter to waiting to be installed so I can run the soap at between 480-680 : 1.
The 2 grey hose is from a y QC at pump outlet to each of the 2 x 4 GPM diesel burners. The blue hose is the outlet from each of the burners that goes into a QC y followed by the downstream injector. It's an ugly duckling, but it works. I am toiling on whether to add a dema solenoid to work by remote to the soap inlet.
Hey Dan, what's your spray wax of choice?

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Another view but with out the soap injector. This also has the open gun in view, I can change the nozzles, lances or put it down without turning off the PW. **** I only trust myself to use this though, If I were to allow someone else to use the PW I would QC in the K-7 unloader.

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Any quality wax should do,a sheating wax IMHO is better than a beading wax.The sheating wax will sheat the water off and not leave spots like the beading wax....I use KO's cherry wax,Delco makes a good sheating wax.

The acid I made did have SULFURIC acid mixed in with the HF,I also mixed a little Glycol ether with the HF.

When In Doubt Think It Out

`ya know bob I have tried so many different wax's ...

Dont like none of them

I really think that it is a waste of time and $ .

The only way to put wax on is by hand and then rub it.

**Hot-Rod **
Restoring A 1949 Studebaker!!
Complete Major Overhaul.

maybe dat the reason ya can only get 12.50,the wax only cost pennies and I get 30/35 and I spend the waste ,even the soap I use leaves a wax shine.

did ya fall in it too

You can use a rinse aid for sheating the water off and it too will leave a shine.Takes less rinse aid then wax as in cost,tricky part is getting the rinse aid mix right,a wittle dab will do ya.

When In Doubt Think It Out

Thanks Dan and Larry for your replies!
Dan, the reason I want to use a wax is that is covers up any incosistencies in the wash process, however I did try once to leave it out and the trucks were left with streaks etc. So I think it's a good idea for me to wax and give it the second rinse. If I wasn't getting a reasonable price for them I probably wouldn't worry about waxing them and sheening the tyres. I've posted a pic to show you guys how the guys wash the trucks some times throughout the month (They used cold water at 10000psi with a pin nozzle on this one -see the streaks......I have seen the guys use the Ultra high rotajet at 40000psi on the trucks as well....HMMMM.). So for the $110.00 US that I get I need to make them sparkle on this one. ( By the way, are you sure you and Larry weren't together in a previous life? You bounce off each other like a married couple- LOL)

Larry, I was thinking of making the final mix at the nozzle :1% HF, 10% H2SO4, what percentage glycol ether were you using -0.5% ? Are you using the glycol ether to remove the diesel smoke? Maybe a double whammy of one part in the acid the other in the soap will give it some balls? I know not to over do it with the glycol otherwise I'll have crazy cracks everywhere. I have also been mixing an octyl phenol surfactant in at 4%, I don't know that it's making alot of difference but in theory it should help it cling longer.

I am just about to place an order with KO for 20 x pails of Super Red (also contains < .5% glycol ether as diluted mix), 4 x 5 gall of Kleenshield (Cherry), 1 x Bug remover (Trialling) . $760.00 Aus in freight alone just to get it over here. Do you guys have any thoughts on any of their other detergents as the second step?.

I know with all due respect to Mark that he sells powerbrite , but my research tells me that Super Red is one of the better ones out there, so I'll try this first and then go from there. I have been making my own Soap with EDTA, Sodium metasillicate, TSP, 2- butoxy ethanol and nonyl phenol, but I felt it would be better to get it from a supplier that can back up their product with R&D.
I know with the current fleet I do, I can get away with alot of little hicups, but as for new prospects I will need to be on my toes. The advantage of being able to offer imported products that I feel are superior to whats on the market here, will give me somewhat of an edge over competitiors- although I don't think there are too many fleet washers over here.

Regards,
Jason

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By the way Larry,
all I could get over here was a 36 " duall lance and it was going to cost me over $450.00 to get a 72 " sent over from the US- I ordered it but the deal fell through, half way through they decided they didn't want to send international. So I searched all over the place and found a guy that could make me 2 x 50" 1/8 extension barrels to go into my existing lance - works a 'treat' at a 1/4 of the price. I tried out the rollover nozzles they are now sitting in the bottom of my tool box probably never to se the light of day again..... Anyone want to buy 3 rollover nozzles!

Yeah man those pin tips need to go in with the rollovers,not counting at that psi a feller would lose his good finger.

Thats great,I like the custom made lances,I have one with only 6 in. lances for working in close tight places.If you'll gently tighten the valve on the double lance it will last a long time.

Now with the double lance and downstreamer you can flash the tanks and rims if they need a little extra acid,you'll love the extra boost you will get when having to flash anything,will almost anything.

When I was making the acid I added 4 ether gallons to a 55 gallon drum,I never went over the 4 gallon.Yes it helps in getting the stack juice off or smoke plus its a cleaner,I've seen drivers spray starting fluid on their oily rims to clean them,thats where I got the ideal in adding ether to my acid.

Man you really need to find a supplier over there,its great tho you do buy from the USA but I'd faint if I had to add that much shipping cost to my price.Dan would haveta work for less then 12.50 if he paid that kind of shipping too,he cann't go up like you and me he afraid Gwas or Scott will get his business .

I've used a few good waxes in my life time and its just like lipstick to a woman,some plain Janes thinks it makes them look better if they cover it and make it shine.You'll notice the shine before you notice the cover up,I think Dan would look good with a wittle black ring around his eye.

Ko makes a blue power soap,think Dyna or something like that and you can mix it in with the red.The blue is a little cheaper and the two mixed together does ok if not a little better.

When In Doubt Think It Out