Magnesium is a pretty ugly metal.. What to do?

[27Carrera]

I have read countless threads, searched and watched videos on youtube and w/out much luck I haven't found a general consensus on what to do with a case.

After hot tanking the case it came back significantly cleaner but with a bit of crud still stuck to it. The case needs to be measured and checked so I am assuming a machine shop might do some cleaning on this but I am still at a loss as to how to make it look "nicer". I took a wire wheel and cleaned some of the areas as you can see from the photos. It cleaned everything off but takes quite a long time.

Thoughts?

[rgofast]

I would not hot tank a mag case. We send ours out to a large soda blasting company, and they come back spotless. We then use a very light satin clear coat on the outside. Magnesium is in a constant state of deterioration.

[OffCamber00]

Gibbs is perfect for Magnesium

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by OffCamber00

Gibbs is perfect for Magnesium

Do you have any long-term results using this stuff?

Sherwood

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

Do you have any long-term results using this stuff?

Sherwood

Have used Gibbs for years and many other Pelicans have as well , great stuff on magnesium as well as aluminum ! Check this site, and read the testimonials. It's the REAL THING!

Gibbs Brand penetrant

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by uwanna

Have used Gibbs for years and many other Pelicans have as well , great stuff on magnesium as well as aluminum ! Check this site, and read the testimonials. It's the REAL THING!

Gibbs Brand penetrant

The testimonials on the Gibbs site notwithstanding, are there any independent studies of long-term effectiveness versus scheduled re-application?

I asked the same question a few years ago. The responses were not definitive:
Gibbs metal treatment anybody?

Sherwood

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

The testimonials on the Gibbs site notwithstanding, are there any independent studies of long-term effectiveness versus scheduled re-application?

I asked the same question a few years ago. The responses were not definitive:
Gibbs metal treatment anybody?

Sherwood

Only analysis is my own! Have used on my own car's magnesium and aluminum for years,
and never see any "powder like" corrosion. Prior to using Gibbs here in the high humidity in Atlanta Ga, the magnesium and aluminum would show "powder corrosion" within a month or two after cleaning it up. I guess, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating".

[DG624]

I use a product by AMSOIL (Heavy Duty Metal Protector) that minimizes rust and corrosion on all metal. It is not wet to the touch after it dries but it is very good for hard to reach parts and underbody suspension parts. It leaves a very light coating that is nearly invisible.

AMSOIL Heavy-Duty Metal Protector

[frankc]

+1 on Gibbs. It has kept my 915 corrosion free for the past several years.

[WANNA930]

We are talking engine block coatings I am not sure ANY product will have an analysis done on it.

Gibbs works better then described. I was very skeptical myself and tried it. For the cost vs some coating like a Dow 7 you will be hundreds if not a thousand dollars ahead of the game.

Reapplication is simply spraying it on and wiping with a cloth it isn't a paint it is a penetrating oil of some type. It could be monkey piss for all I know but it works for many applications. Worth having around anyway.

[Steve@Rennsport]

If that were my case, I would soda blast it, then coat with Techtyl.

[ClickClickBoom]

http://www.magnesium-elektron.com/data/downloads/Corrosion%20Protection%20Principles.pdf

Use some of this stuff:
http://www.ppg.com/coatings/aerospace/coatings/coatingsproducts/documents/mag_kote_19.pdf

[André 3.0]

Originally Posted by steve@rennsport

if that were my case, i would soda blast it, then coat with techtyl.

+1

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by WANNA930

We are talking engine block coatings I am not sure ANY product will have an analysis done on it.

Gibbs works better then described. I was very skeptical myself and tried it. For the cost vs some coating like a Dow 7 you will be hundreds if not a thousand dollars ahead of the game.

Reapplication is simply spraying it on and wiping with a cloth it isn't a paint it is a penetrating oil of some type. It could be monkey piss for all I know but it works for many applications. Worth having around anyway.

How does one re-apply Gibbs to a Porsche crankcase? Obviously, exposed areas are accessible. What about the rest of the crankcase and other engine parts?

While Gibbs might have some benefits, it seems to be temporary, more or less like car waxes. Crankcase or transmission housings would benefit more from a permanent coating process. Outside of the anal-retentive and concours types, not sure how many owners are willing to treat all the metal parts of a vehicle on a periodic basis as some suggest.

The suggestion to re-apply Gibbs Metal Treatment clearly labels it as a temp. surface treatment, like so many anti-corrosion products on the market. Most are more or less effective and marketed for diverse markets (firearms, bicycles, motorcycles, automotive, skiing, skate boarding, electronics, outdoor furniture, lunch box collectors, etc.) - not unlike household cleaning products on grocery shelves, TV commercials and beyond.

IMHO, Gibbs is trying to replicate the folk-lore status of that ubiquitous lube/protectant, WD40, so I did a little research. Unfortunately, most of the testimonials of this product are from its maker, from retailers, press releases and from anecdotal comments by many of its users; many of which reach disciple-like praise. Okay as far as that goes. If current and potential users are good with that, more power to them.

ClickClick.... posted some Mg industry papers that mentioned the ASTM Salt Corrosion test (B117), a method to evaluate corrosion using a standardized test. A Google search didn't provide much in the way of independent tests for Gibbs. Some YouTube results used that testing standard and/or tried to provide some compelling results; again, not many included the Gibbs product.

Here's one for various coatings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlUwOR4Tq10

Other "tests" posted on YT seem more slanted than objective or only valid using their testing procedure. Here's one attempt using the very official ASTM salt test. Unfortunately, when there's only one identifiable product (by the manufacturer), it's kind of bogus. They're not alone. Several tests on YT tout the effectiveness of a product without identifying the other tested materials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aINn6kudw8

The following tests don't follow any standardized testing procedure. The test results are only valid for the products tested with their method:

Another firearm lube test:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOB5eCReAQY

Eureka! Here's a test that compares the topic subject Penetrol vs Gibbs vs WD40:
Protect Bare Metal - The test between Gibbs, WD-40, and Penetrol (picts)

I post these links just to further the discussion. I have no affiliation with any of these products. I thinks its safe to say this thread welcomes more definitive and objective test results.

Sherwood
Seine Systems

[ClickClickBoom]

The links I posted were freely available and easy to find. After having been in the aerospace industry for more than a few years, I have had plenty of experience with magnesium. The beauty of magnesium comes from its various attributes, the shortcomings are the inherent oxidation issues. If you want the definitive anti-corrosion solution the aerospace industry will give the best solution(no pun). Advertising and various oil/wax products leave plenty of open areas for concern. Oils and waxes will collect dirt and debris and when warm, might migrate to the oil cooler and cause airflow issues due to debris collection.

[Tidybuoy]

I cleaned my case with easy off oven cleaner and it got spotless and looked beautiful. Then I screwed it up by applying "one more coat" and letting it sit for a couple of hours - big mistake as the case became extremely oxidized. I scrubbed & scrubbed but never got back to perfect.

Then I read about the Gibbs, ordered some, and sprayed it all over the engine. The case darkened but the color became uniform and looked very good. I don't have long-term experience as the engine is still on the stand but it's looking good with the Gibbs.

[tobluforu]

Used gibbs on my tranny 4 years ago, still looks pretty darn Good. Have a bare metal bike, coated it wih Gibbs, but you have to re-coat. What this tells me, like stated above, it's only temporary.