Gilmour Foamaster - Revisited

[PDCjonny]

All of the previous information on how to use the foam sprayer is WRONG.
The instructions with the unit are bad, but after some investigation and inquiry this how you use it.

YOU DO NOT FILL THE CONTAINER WITH WATER AT ALL.
NO WATER IS ADDED TO THE MIX.

In the instructions it mentions when you are done with the sprayer, to empty the contents back into the original concentrate container. This made no sense to me since you would be putting diluted mix back into the concentrate diluting that too. That's why you don't add any water. You put straight concentrate in the bottle NO WATER. The head mixes the hose water with the concentrate. The gauge on top will control the mix. No water enters the bottle, when you are done it is as thick and concentrated as when you poured it in.

The funny thing is you would think that you would **** up the concentrate in a few seconds, but you don't. Very little is sucked up at a time and mixed. I did my whole car with about 3 ounces in the container, and when done poured at least 1-1/2 or more back.

At first when I tried this I thought it was wrong because just water started to come out, but then....tons of foam MUCH more that doing the diluted way.

Try doing it the right way, it works a he'll of a lot better!

 

[Lespauldude]

Jon -

This is like the "blind leading the blind". When you look at Junkman's video, he specifically mentions to add 2 ozs. soap to 3/4 water and to NOT shake. What you experienced today makes more sense. It's alot like an Ortho lawn chemical hose sprayer. You place the chemical into the unit and connect to a hose. When done, empty remaining back into the bottle. It sounds like it worked just fine. What model gun do you have? I was going to order the Gilmour 75QGFMR. BTW - took the Viper out for a while around Kings Park today. A bit too much sand on the local roads.

Scott

 

[PDCjonny]

Scott
This one on amazon: Gilmour 75QGFMR Foamaster Adjustable Multi Ratio Cleaning Gun
by Gilmour

I saw how to do it on a detailing website, forgot which one. Think about it, if you mixed it in the bottle what's the point of having the metering adjustment or mixing head, you would just need to spray the bottle contents. The head does the mixing...duh....and the leftover is saved and still in full concentrated form.

Sorry detailing guru's but this is the right way to use the unit.
Live and learn.

OT: We had a fun run today down to Captree and then Maureens for breakfast.

 

[Lespauldude]

That's the one! Thanks Jon. How's the parking over at Maureen's on a Sunday? Whenever I went there it was a bit tight. They do have great food. I'll be sure to meet you and Pete over there one of these weekends. Come on Spring!!


Scott

 

[eucharistos]

 

[PDCjonny]

From chemical guys website:

Start by rinsing of the vehicle-The Included Foam easily clicks away from the foamer to be used for superior pre-rinse.
Select appropriate soap and pour into foam canister bottle.
Connect Spray gun
Aim and Fire!
The foam rapidly coats your vehicle in a extra thick layer of citrus wash Foam.
The gently foam pre-soaking gently  loosens dust, dirt and contamination, so hard rubbing is never necessary( this greatly reduces unwanted surface scratches) .
 Always start at the top and work your way down.

 

[Junkman2008]

The instructions that came with my foam gun distinctly states that you add 2 ounces of the DP Foaming Solution to every quart of water. That's exactly what it says to do and I have been doing that for years. The metering at the top of my Gilmour form gun determines not only how much foam is produced, but it also controls the rate of dispensed formula.

Here's something else to keep in mind. Production of the Gilmour foam gun has moved to China. Both of mine were made in the USA. Maybe something has changed but explain to me why in the following video, I am able to produce so much foam using the two ounce measurement? Also, watch how quickly the bottle is emptying. In 53 seconds, I have used 2/3rds of that quart container. Do I want to go through a bottle of expensive car shampoo with every wash? Not on my budget! This pouring stuff back and forth is for the birds because my shampoo is much too thick to be going through all that. I'd be waiting for days for that stuff to pour back in the bottle.

This may totally depend on who's soap you're using. Mine is concentrated. Maybe yours isn't and is not made for the foam gun. At the following link, you can see the instructions toward the bottom of the page as I have been following for years.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFIILkkdqaA&feature=channel_video_title[/media]

 

[PDCjonny]

WRONG.
GILMOUR DOES NOT SAY THAT.
THE SOAP BOTTLE SAYS THAT.

Just got off the phone with Ashley at Gilmour.
Foamaster® II

When in doubt, ask the people who MADE THE FOAM GUN.

I am correct, you do NOT MIX THE CONCENTRATE WITH WATER IN THE BOTTLE.
She specifically told me thats the point of the head is to mix the concentrate with water.
The slide metering guage will allow you to control the amount of dilution.
I didn't even use two ounces to do the whole car, and I was blasting it twice as long as needed just for the fun of it.

You are mixing DILUTED soap with water. The adjustable head will meter out the correct amount of soap to mix with the water.
This is my last post on it I don't care how anyone uses it.
But because some car care website shows it being done wrong doesn't make it right.

I think Gilmour would know a little more than the car care website?

 

[PDCjonny]

Okay, second to last post....

Car Wash Shampoo **** Suds No Wax

This stuff works great.

$12.00 for a gallon....that should only do about 64 car washes with foam gun...
Seriously, are we worried about using soap here? Is this the Prius website?

 

[Slithr]

We might be talking Apples & Oranges here? AJ might have an older version of the Gilmour gun? The foam gun I purchased from Eric @ Thompsons (I think Adam's), does not have a slide meter, and empties the jug in a couple of minutes?

 

[Junkman2008]

We might be talking Apples & Oranges here? AJ might have an older version of the Gilmour gun? The foam gun I purchased from Eric @ Thompsons (I think Adam's), does not have a slide meter, and empties the jug in a couple of minutes?

I agree. I bought my first Gilmore gun in 2007. Like I said, it was made in the USA, not China, which is where their guns are now made.

I will add this also. If you're supposed to add staight soap to the foam gun, then why has no one from Gilmour, no one who uses DP's Extreme Formula or any professional detailer bothered to contact Autogeek and tell them that their instructions are wrong for the over 5 years that their instructions have been posted? Also, why wouldn't DP want you to use more of their product faster, so that they can sell more of it to the public? I'm pretty sure that it is because they purposely designed that product to be used as the instructions say on the bottle, and on Autogeek's website.

One look at my video shows that it produces plenty of foam using the 2 ounces that I used. You also never addressed how fast my bottle was emptying. If that was straight soap, it would cost me a fortune to wash my car twice a week. On my foam gun, the mixing element not only controls the soap to water mixyure, but it also controls how fast my bottle empties out.

But hey, there's no law that says you have to do it my way. I just wanted to show that I do it as I was instructed and I also wanted to provide the proof of those instructions. The video is for those who don't believe their lying eyes.

 

[PDCjonny]

Okay, one last post.......
Obviously they both provide results.
Don't take it personally Junkman, I have great respect for your detailing prowess and have said so many times.
But your position flies in the face of the actual manufacturer which is the fnal authority would you not agree?

But when I buy a tool, I want to know the correct way to use it.

I don't know why no one corrected "autogeek" or the other websites.
Some say to dilute, chemical guys say it correctly, use straight.
Some guys have been doing it incorrectly for many years.
Why would Gilmour care, they sell the gun not the soap.
When you dilute it you still get foam. But not as much. Or as thick.

But I know this.

If you had a question about using something (a tool) correctly, would you trust the Home Depot guys advice or the MANUFACTURERS advise?

You are saying the Home Depot guy because they sell it, along with a myriad of other products.
I say the manufacturer because they......MAKE it.......and having spoken directly to them and they told me HOW TO USE THE PRODUCT THEY MAKE.

I used less than two ounces of soap to do my whole car.
Using a gallon jug of chemical guys concentrated soap at $12.00 a gallon.....thats 60+ washes. Let me say that again. 60+ washes for $12.00....um....I can swing that.
Even Vette guys can...

 

[Junkman2008]

I'm not taking it personal in the slightest way. I often get asked questions as to why I do something one way, and another guy does it a different way.

I first explain WHY I do it the way I do. I allow people into my mindset so that they will have a thorough understanding as to how I'm thinking. I then show proof as to the fact that my way works. After all that, I have them ask the other person why they do it the way that they do. Once they get both sides of the issue, I then ask them which way makes the most sense.

When they answer that question, I tell them that is the way they should do it. The way that makes the most sense to them. I am more than open to a better way of doing something but the way I do it now makes perfectly good sense to me. That's the way that I will continue to teach it.

 

[goldcup]

I can tell you for a certified fact I am supposed to fill the reservoir full of Meguiars car wash soap and no I did not get directions, the reason I know to use a full reservoir is I have 15 gallons of that crap stacked up in the cabinet!
When I run out I'll bet I am supposed to use 2oz per but most certainly not until then.
Tomorrow night the new car gets washed snow or shine and I am going to test the junk mans method. Unfortunately I know the outcome.....
My grandchildren will be washing my tombstone with Meguiars soap.

 

[viper067]

So why would mixing concentrate and water drain the bottle so much faster than straight concentrate?

Viscosity? Concentrate is thick and flows slowly, mix it with water and it flows quickly. If you were to fill a cup with water and pour it out through a straw, it would drain much quicker than if you filled that same cup with milkshake and pour it out through the straw.

perhaps experimentation is due ... I haven't gotten what I would call great sudsing performance from my foam gun ... next wash I'll add much more concentrate and we'll see if it gets better.

 

[Mutts02GTS]

I just ordered my foam gun yesterday and after all this new information I might have to wash the wifes car AFTER I wash the Viper just to keep playing with the foam gun and see if there is a difference! I'll have my son wash and rinse her car, NO ONE touches my Viper but me. hehehe

 

[Dan]

So why would mixing concentrate and water drain the bottle so much faster than straight concentrate?

Viscosity? Concentrate is thick and flows slowly, mix it with water and it flows quickly. If you were to fill a cup with water and pour it out through a straw, it would drain much quicker than if you filled that same cup with milkshake and pour it out through the straw.

This is exactly right. It depends on the soap you're using. A thick soap will not work well by itself, more foam will be produced when water is added in the container.

 

[Junkman2008]

I just ordered my foam gun yesterday and after all this new information I might have to wash the wifes car AFTER I wash the Viper just to keep playing with the foam gun and see if there is a difference! I'll have my son wash and rinse her car, NO ONE touches my Viper but me. hehehe

And there you are. Experimenting with the mixture is going to be key to you deciding which way is best. If the foam canister was air tight, you wouldn't have to pour out the remaining soap after you completed your wash. Doing so is going to waste a lot of soap. For those who leave the soap in the canister, you are going to end up with a clogged up mess.

Looking at my video shows how much soap I get with two ounces of soap. That lather is rich. I have since purchased another foam gun with a half-gallon sized reservoir and it will last during the entire foaming process.

Remember, it has to make sense and be feasible to you. If not, why would you do it?

By the way, this isn't the first time this has been discussed on the web. It has been discussed often!

Autopia Discussion

Another Autopia Discussion

...and another...

... and I could go on for days...

 

[PDCjonny]

You are using soap that is MUCH to expensive if it is even a concern.

I use the same two ounces of soap, get thicker suds and:
Use the gun the way the manufacturer designed it and according to their explicit instructions.
Is the goal to conserve soap?

1 US gallon = 128 US fluid ounces

Car Wash Shampoo **** Suds No Wax
Sorry, but cheaper and equal to Adams products that are repped here.

I am saving up my allowance in case I use 3 ounces of soap instead of the allotted two.
If I do, I may only get 42 washes out of a $12.00 gallon of concentrate.

That would be $.29 a wash.
I will waste this $.29 while sipping on my $4.50 coffee using my $6.00 microfiber towel on my 100K car.

I might even go completely insane and NOT pour the remainder back in the bottle, just pour it out.
But that's just me.

 

[Junkman2008]

Like I said before, do what makes sense to you.

 

[67PLY]

I've used my foam guns (that's right, I have two) both ways. For the first year of ownership, I used about 1 1/2 gallons of Adams car shampoo doing the 100% product in the container. Then this thread and the other came up, so I've washed my car twice using the diluted method.I did not notice any difference in the amount, or thickness of the foam. I did notice that I empty out the container at a much faster rate (I guess because of viscosity). So 2 washings and I've used a fraction of shampoo compared to what I was using. At $30 a gallon, it matters to me, but to each his own.
Just my observation.
Joe B

 

[goldcup]

I might even go completely insane and NOT pour the remainder back in the bottle, just pour it out.
But that's just me.
__________________

ViperJon shame on you, do you realize how many people in India have to wash their car with lye soap because they can afford nothing better? Waste not want not!!!

 

[eucharistos]

I can tell you for a certified fact I am supposed to fill the reservoir full of Meguiars car wash soap and no I did not get directions, the reason I know to use a full reservoir is I have 15 gallons of that crap stacked up in the cabinet!
When I run out I'll bet I am supposed to use 2oz per but most certainly not until then.
Tomorrow night the new car gets washed snow or shine and I am going to test the junk mans method. Unfortunately I know the outcome.....
My grandchildren will be washing my tombstone with Meguiars soap.

lol

cleanliness is next to .....

 

[PDCjonny]

So 2 washings and I've used a fraction of shampoo compared to what I was using. At $30 a gallon, it matters to me, but to each his own.
Just my observation.
Joe B

Bought 100k Viper ACR. Check.
Likes to take care of it. Check.
Owns two foam guns in case one breaks. Check.
Pay's close to $4.00 a gallon to run said Viper. Check.

Concerned about soap for said Viper costing $30.00 or $40.00 a YEAR. Check?

LOL Just messing with you Joe B.....

 

[thompsonracing]

I have a Gilmour II and and Adam's (Hydro) Foam Gun. I have tried putting straight car wash in and the foaming in not much better than diluting it. I agree with Junkman in it's a waste to use a whole bottle of car wash each time.

Also, I've done a straight comparison of Mequire's Gold vs. Adam's Shampoo on the same car, at the same time, and there is a world of difference. You can feel it as the pad glides across the paint using Adam's and sticks using Mequire's. Even if I stop being a dealer for Adam's, I'll never use Mequire's again. I'll pay the extra for good soap because it makes a huge difference. Quality over quantity.

Why cheap out a couple bucks on a $100k car? Buy quality Car Wash Shampoo, it'll show in your paint.

 

[Junkman2008]

Hell, the way Adam's foams up in a bucket is enough to tell you how good it is. That is some very rich soap.

 

[goldcup]

Because we haven't argued enough about the foamer I washed the ACR tonight and filled the reservoir with 2 ounces of Meguiars and went to town. Definitely uses the container quicker but produces more foam for me this way.Another improvement was the car was much easier to rinse. ViperJon is right everything you recieve with the foamer indicates to use the soap straight, but works better this way.The meguiars foamed nicely but not like the Adams. Some how I have to have a soap accident with my Meguiars so I can replace with the Adams. Used my Adams jumbo wash pad for the first time and all I can say is WOW works great and is so soft on the paint highly recommended! By the way after cleaning my black ACR with red drivers stripe if you have one of a different color
IM SO SORRY!!!!!!

 

[Junkman2008]

Free Washes At Goldcup's House!!!

We'll get rid of that soap for you buddy!

 

[goldcup]

That's a fact if you will come to KC and do a detailing tech session I will load ya down with it not to mention Barbeque!

 

[Junkman2008]

It's funny that you bring up KC. I plan to do something of a clinic in St Louis. You and I are both 4 hours away from there. Sound like a perfect opportunity to get the Vettes and Vipers out for some fresh air!

I don't know when I'll do the clinic but it is definitely on the list.