Rust Prevention

[booster]

One of the posters on the Yahoo board had their older (95is) Dodge Roadtrek done at a Krown dealer in Ohio and was very pleased with the results. I think one of the best reasons for success with these type systems is that they are able to spray enough product into the frame and other cavities until it runs into all the low spots and overflows out any openings. Messy to be sure, but very effective at getting the hard to get but easy to rust areas and seams. She said the areas that had some rust on them looked wet after the application and few days later, but haven't heard if it stayed that way. One the things I have noticed with spraying various oil based products like LPS products is that the rust will darken quite a bit when you put the stuff on and then lighten as the solvents flash (if there are any in the product). It will also lighten up over a few weeks if there wasn't enough oil to saturate the rust to it's full depth. After several applications with some weeks between, it will stop lightening very much. Good test is to just scape the rusted/treated area with a screwdriver and see if there is dry rust under the oily stuff.

[markopolo]

That's a good tip and easy for to observe on the rack stored winter wheels for the car. The backside of those rims have a lot of rust.

It will be interesting to see if any Corrosion Free remains on the rims after next winter. Rust Check (and I suspect Krown) does not last the winter on the rims. It gets washed off. I liberally sprayed Rust Check on the rims last Spring and they were still well coated when it came time to put them on but there was none left when I took the wheels off this Spring.

The van had Krown done for most of its life and Rust Check in more recent years.

[markopolo]

Just a few notes:

There are probably a few formulations of Rust Check. I've used the stuff in the red cans and it seems very similar to what you get when you have a shop apply the stuff for you. Last year I sprayed the green can formulation on a area in the wheel well (near strut) that was showing surface rust. It seems to have lasted the winter in that location. It was covered in grime but the rust appeared to be isolated from the atmosphere. The red can stuff would have washed off I'm sure. The stuff in the green can is much thicker.

I sprayed all the metal under the Travel Trailer with Corrosion Free yesterday. It was a difficult job as the trailer was not lifted. It was not messy though. I had cardboard on the ground and it hardly got any Corrosion Free on it.

[markopolo]

I saw Rust Check in bulk (non aerosol) containers today at a CDN Tire store. There was the red can - inner panel protectant formulation that penetrates into crevices

Inner-Panel-Protectant.jpg

and the green can - coat & protect - thicker stuff that's less likely to drip

Coat-Protect-Can.jpg

I bought the red can - inner panel protectant formulation to spray in the doors and hood etc.

I used my red undercoating gun to spray Corrosion Free under the van & behind bumpers etc. I made sure to spray all new parts and any area where a jack or stand had touched.

I used my blue undercoating gun with wand attachments to spray Rust Check in the door panels and any double panel area I saw.

undercoating equipment.JPG

I had the van up on wood ramps and had tarps down but it wasn't messy.

undercoating.JPG

I'll check to make sure there's some dripping from inside the doors & will likely spray a bit more if no Rust Check has leached out.

I've already done the Trailer & might do the car tomorrow. I seem to have plenty of stuff left - maybe enough to do it all again next year.

[WJones]

Marco,

In places that are well covered with rust (like the large bolts attaching the leaf springs to the axle), do you think there would be any benefit to using the red stuff first, and then adding a coat of the green? I'm thinking the red stuff might penetrate into small gaps, like inside the threads, better than the green.
Do you coat the brake lines?
Were you able to get into the frame rails?

William

[booster]

Originally Posted by WJones

Marco,

In places that are well covered with rust (like the large bolts attaching the leaf springs to the axle), do you think there would be any benefit to using the red stuff first, and then adding a coat of the green? I'm thinking the red stuff might penetrate into small gaps, like inside the threads, better than the green.
Do you coat the brake lines?
Were you able to get into the frame rails?

William

On things that easily accessible like you are describing, you might want to try some of the industrial oil based corrosion products. On stuff that I may need to get apart someday, I usually will give it a couple of soaks of PB Blaster over a few days and then use a couple of coats of LPS3, which leaves a heavy waxy coat over some oil. It seems to stay on better than other stuff I have tried, although can't compare it to the Rust Check stuff as we can't get it here. If the rust is very heavy, I might even do a couple of coats of LPS2 in between the PB and the LPS3, as the deep rust will soak it up pretty badly until saturated. It will look wet when you put it on, but just discolored and mostly dry the next day, so it can take few applications.

[sheral]

Sorry if it’s been mentioned, but just a FYI, I just use ‘Fluid Film.' It can be sprayed or brushed etc. Is it the best? Likely not. There are always trade offs with these products, but for me it is just easier and works well on everything.

[markopolo]

Originally Posted by WJones

Marco,

In places that are well covered with rust (like the large bolts attaching the leaf springs to the axle), do you think there would be any benefit to using the red stuff first, and then adding a coat of the green? I'm thinking the red stuff might penetrate into small gaps, like inside the threads, better than the green.
Do you coat the brake lines?
Were you able to get into the frame rails?

William

If using Rust Check products then using both makes sense to me. One is designed to penetrate more & one designed to coat. You can try the aerosol cans.

I think the red can stuff is more likely to wash off if exposed so if using only one product on exposed surface I'd choose the green can stuff.

The green can stuff seems to react with rust after you spray it on - it bubbles up a bit before eventually settling to a oil like coating. That's what I see using the green aerosol can.

I didn't spray inside the frame rails (I forgot ) - this van has been done many times before by shops that do this though.

The biggest issue I have with the aerosol cans is that product comes out at what I'd assume is a lower velocity so it doesn't reach as far, nor is it as targeted as what comes out of the undercoating gun. A fair percentage of the mist would end up on the ground with the aerosol cans.

If a shop does it and you continue to have it done on the recommended schedule you get a warranty. No warranty with DIY.

I'm not doing the car today but will do it soon. I wasn't very methodical doing the van so some things might have been done more than once and somethings missed. That experience should help when I do the car. It would be exposed to a lot more salt so it needs a really good job done.

I said the job wasn't messy but that's half the story. It was difficult. I was under the van and all around the sides trying to get different angles. Having it up on a hoist would be so much better.

undercoat.JPG

[markopolo]

Car is all done; easier to do than the van I'm getting more experienced.

The car winter rims are stored on a rack in the garage. The backside of those rims have a lot of rust. I sprayed Corrosion Free on them last April and did Booster's scrape test today using a screwdriver:

winter rims rust oil soak.JPG

As far as I can tell, the Corrosion Free did soak into the rust. It has that wet look for sure.

Those rims are still very coated with Corrosion Free, quite a glossy sheen & slippery. No apparent solvent flash off.

[markopolo]

Just an update about Corrosion Free.

The gallon that I bought 17 months ago has gone a long way. I've sprayed the underside exposed metal on:

Camper Van x 1
SUV x 2
21' Travel Trailer x 1
34' Motorhome x 1

and still have enough left to do either the van or SUV again.

I sprayed under the SUV today and was pleased to see that it looked like most things still had Corrosion Free on them from the last time I coated it. There was no evidence of new red rust to be seen at all.

[booster]

When you respray, are you using the wands to get into the frame sections again, or do they stay OK for a while longer?

[markopolo]

I didn't use the wands today. The liftgate and door bottom edges still show evidence of Rust Check creeping out. The oil attracts dirt & it looks black and creeps up the outside of the door panels.

I might still use the wands and the red can Rust Check formulation (inner panel protectant) this year as I still has some on hand. That job is easier than under the vehicle work.

I did shoot some Corrosion Free in holes that I saw underneath. I think that all these products last a lot longer when not exposed.

[Eraygunz]

Hi.
Do be careful.
Companies used to offer this service.
Not sure how many do anymore?
You must be careful not to clogged any of the drain holes built into the body panels.
Remember all the cool hot rods with rusted out quarter panels.
Often caused by clogged drain holes.
Good stuff,we use several different types in the Bodyshop.....but watch out for the drains.
Cheers
Eddie

[markopolo]

Good point. The trend here for inner panel protection is to use the light weight oil type formulations that creep. There almost no chance of them blocking a drain hole.

From years ago, decades actually, I remember hearing a sloshing sound when driving. The Ziebart rust proofing application had plugged the drain holes in the doors and allowed several inches of water to accumulate!