Cleaning Rust off fittings under the Car

[Dave Ploss]

The suspension and brakes are going together this weekend but there are rusty and dirty fittings on some of the oil lines and fuel pump (?) lines under the car. What is the best way to remove the rust, get the fittings sparkling clean (Not really) and keep them from getting crappy again?

I'm using a wire wheel to get the rust off but in the RR wheel well and near the fuel tank in the front, there are parts I can't get to real well.

Thanks.

Dave

[BGCarrera32]

Hmmm...trying to do it without removing the lines and fittings will largely be a pain. You could try a scotchbrite pad...

Removing and replacing anything that has to do with fuel would be advised. If they are really rusted that bad then the hoses are probably in question as well. Any brackets you want to clean you could have bead blasted (try the local auto parts store), and I would just replace any hose clamps. Do not try and bead blast fuel line fittings as any glass beads (like fine grains of sand in size) that found their way into the fuel could cause serious problems...

-BG

[targa80]

I have read that using por-15 metal ready in a small container throw the rusty nuts and bolts in for a day or two and they come out clean. I have not tried it yet myself but will be in the near future. The metal ready can be run through a filter screen and re-used over and over again. Check with the por-15 web sire FAQ section on the metam ready.

[kstylianos]

Pat,

That's a good tip. I have numerous nut/bolts in labeled baggies that I want to clean up prior to putting everything back together. I was thinking wire wheel, but don't want to strip off the plating. How about soaking them in that gallon carb cleaner solution you can buy at the auto parts store? Anyother good tips?

[jhelgesen]

Originally posted by targa80
I have read that using por-15 metal ready in a small container throw the rusty nuts and bolts in for a day or two and they come out clean.

I'll post some before and after pictures when I get home this afternoon. Works great.

[HarryD]

Originally posted by targa80
I have read that using por-15 metal ready in a small container throw the rusty nuts and bolts in for a day or two and they come out clean. I have not tried it yet myself but will be in the near future. The metal ready can be run through a filter screen and re-used over and over again. Check with the por-15 web sire FAQ section on the metam ready.

I elieve that POR-15 metal ready is a phosphoric acid solution and will remove the rust but also any plating. Once out of the cleaning solution you need to restore the corrsion protection (plate or coat) to keep the part from rusting again.

[jhelgesen]

The metal ready leaves a zinc phosphate coating on the parts, looks like a greyish coating, after the parts are rinsed. Haven't seen any rust on the stuff I've cleaned yet.

[BGCarrera32]

For those of you wanting to get fancy and wishing to drop a little more $, you could buy a vibratory tumbler (similar to a rock tumbler only faster) with derusting and polishing media loaded inside. You can get them from eastwoodcompany.com...I think around $100. Shine up the stuff and then get a home plating kit from caswellplating.com.

I suspect however that this will put a serious damper on the time you have available to actually DRIVE the car...

[RallyJon]

I tried Harbor Freight's $30 rock tumbler.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=46376

Works great removing rust and paint from fasteners, but not so good removing crusty adhesive for some reason. Their so-called metal polishing media is probably inferior to the specific purpose media Eastwood sells.

[HarryD]

Originally posted by jhelgesen
The metal ready leaves a zinc phosphate coating on the parts, looks like a greyish coating, after the parts are rinsed. Haven't seen any rust on the stuff I've cleaned yet.

I saw that on the MSDS but suspect the coating is pretty thin. Given some of the harshness of the outside environments, I, for one, would add another coating of something (POR-15, cold galvanizing spray, paint etc).

Also, Metal Ready (like many rust killers - Rust mort, naval jelly, etc.) contains phosphoric acid. While it preferentially eats the rust (roughly ten times faster than the base metal), once the rust is gone, it will eat the underlying metal as well.

[jhelgesen]

Good points Harry. It probably would come off pretty easy.

Thanks

[JasonAndreas]

Evapo Rust

[HarryD]

Originally posted by JasonAndreas
Evapo Rust

Interesting. Didn't know that Stainless Steel can rust though.