Greetings All,

A non profit operation (Focuses on Sea Turtle conservation) is having troubles with their ATVs dying prematurely.

The main culprit is the beach. They run their ATVs daily on the sand within 50’ of the Atlantic. They park their ATVs in a shipping container roughly 300’ from the beach. Between the constant exposure to salty air, sand and high humidity year round (South Florida) – the machines don't stand much of a chance. I know they do regular maintenance, but I need to ask exactly what it entails.

Unfortunately, It doesn’t look like there are any reasonably priced ATVs made with aluminum/stainless steel components. (cool features, but way over priced for the intended use: 2013 Half watercraft, Half ATV; The Amphibious Quadski Review | ATV Illustrated )

If you were the non profit operation – what would be your daily/weekly/monthly rituals to extend the life of the ATVs?

I was thinking –
- Making a ramp or get a tall ATV lift
- Hot water pressure wash everything (underbody, sides, top) after the daily run (daily)
- WD40 everything after that (This could be very expensive and really bad for the environment?) (daily)
- Dry with a bunch of box fans (daily)
- Put away into storage container (daily)

- Check for under & side body corrosion (weekly)
- When corrosion found – sand it down and coat it with rust inhibiting paint if possible (weekly)
- Hot pressure wash all moving underbody parts & grease (weekly)

- Oil Change & Air filter inspection (monthly)


I am very new to ATVs and what I know is from reading forums for the last few days – any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


Thanks in advance!,

Bob

 

If they were stored somewhere the air can't get at them the best solution is to power wash them every day. I wouldn't put oils on the quad to protect. Hot exhaust and oil don't mix and possibly could cause a fire. In other words, you're right on with the ideas. Maybe a dehumidifier would be a good idea in the container you keep them. There is a great product called POR 15. Expensive, but if you find corrosion, I haven't found a better product to change the rust and preserve the paint. This is what I'm talking about: New Por 15 Rust Preventive Semi Gloss Black Quart | eBay You can also buy it in small cans. Stuff bonds to metal like nothing else I've ever seen.

 

Thanks for your insights and pointing me to that product - very interesting stuff! - cures faster when its in a moist environment...

Unfortunately the shipping container they use to store the ATVs does not seem air tight at all - lots of visible rust, and I think I saw some pinholes of light shining through when looking at it. Even if it was sealed and we could run a portable dehumidifier in it - the air in there would still be salty and probably kill a dehumidifier within a few months...then there are the power consumption issues of running one of those.....however it may be worth trying out to see if it extends the life of the ATVs enough to cover these costs....

In general it seems full under body paints & coatings are a bad idea for ATVs?

 

I think it would be better to coat any bare metal as much as possible. The more barriers between the salt and the frame, and other parts the better.

 

The only thing I can think of that Moose hasn't mentioned already is to check the air filter more often. I'm trying to remember the name of another product that chemically changes rust into something else. It looks like milk and turns the metal black.

 

I think you may mean "tool blackening"? Something like this?



generally one uses this before rusting occurs - If I recall right, its more of a "controlled" rust/oxidation - if something is going to rust, you want this type of oxidation over the flaky red stuff - somewhat like bluing a gun, it makes it more resistant, but you still need to polish it to keep rust away

 

No that's not it. You put it on metal that's already rusty and it changes the rust into something else. I think it has to dry before you can paint over it but you don't have to clean the rust off. It's not rust anymore. I was hoping I'd remember what it was called today.

 

I think its called Ospho converter. performs exactally as you described

 

For future readers of this post:

Product Link

"...

HOW SKYCO OSPHO WORKS

When applied to rusted surfaces, it resists/retards rust in chemical change on drying to a tough, hard surface ready for priming. A paint job will last longer after an application of OSPHO because subsequent paint coating securely attaches itself so that moisture and oxygen normally do not attack the metal. OSPHO is water-thin, can cover a larger area than paint, and goes on easily. It is equally effective for exterior and interior work alike. SKYCO OSPHO: a balanced formula of Phosphoric, Dichromate, Wetting Agents and Extenders . . . compounded exclusively by the Skybryte Company since 1947 ... recommended by paint manufacturers.


..."

Sounds like neat stuff - Any testimonials/long term reviews out there indicating this is superior to auto under body coatings or powder coating?

On a side note, what would be the best way of applying coatings? - I would imagine spraying would miss spots and full disassembly of the bottom would require a significant amount of time from a professional?

 

Careful with power washing. It is easy to force water, and in this case, salty water, past seals and into bearings and bushings. A regular hose should be able to generate sufficient force, and even then care should be taken not to aim right at pivot points. Installing grease zerks at said points and a fresh squirt of grease weekly will go a long way towards keeping things healthy.

Air filters are another area of concern. Cotton gauze type filters actually work better for sandy environs. Foam is fine but will need more frequent maintenance. Either style will benefit greatly from a pre filter that can be knocked clean as needed. I imagine these are mostly in a damper sand and probably not ridden hard. Also utility machines? So sand clogged filters may not be as big of a concern as for a recreational rider. Still a good way to lose an engine in short order.

Otherwise routine maintenance per the owners manual should suffice. Expect to wear through bearings and possiboy brake pads more often.