Topic: What's the 'Best bang for the $' when it comes to rust remover liquid ?

[grcamna2]

I've been hearing a lot of different things over the years about rust remover but can't remember too many of'em.
I used some Oaxalic acid(wood bleach)on some oem spokes and the inside of a little fuel tank and I'm not too pleased w/ the finish after I removed them from the treatment. The stuff took off all the old cad. plating from the spokes and then left a type of white-ish powder sticking to the metal w/ a bare dark grey finish on all the parts & I guess that looks stripped of all the plating.I hope I can remove the white-ish coating from the parts w/ a small wire brush.
A guy really praised that Evaporust even though it's kind of expensive for me;are there a few other options you folks can recommend that works well but still leaves all the old cad. plating? & leaves the items w/ a smooth finish so I don't have to polish them before I (  ) paint/coat the surfaces again so they won't rust up again prematurely ?? Especially spokes..,I'd rather not have to mess w/ them too much...
                                    Your help will be Greatly Appreciated

[brandEn]

That Evoporust is awesome. I get it at Harbor Freight. Its expensive but it can also be re-used.

[grcamna2]

Did it harm any chrome/cad. plating or paint brandEn ?

[brandEn]

I used it on a couple fenders and it worked great. Didn't hurt the chrome at all. Works great inside a gas tank too.

[dave500]

molasses.

[grcamna2]

Hi Dave, they ask a ton$ for that strong Black Strap type molasses,they think of it here as 'Health Food' & market it accordingly.

[dave500]

go to a farm or horse supply place,its like a buck a litre?water it down 50/50 or so?the original question was bang for buck?health supply places are a #$%*ing rip off man!even if you just want a band aid?

[calj737]

Vinegar. Buy it at the grocery. Or electrolysis. Hard to be either on economy or results.

[grcamna2]

Dave and Cal, on those two molasses & vinegar., what'll they do to the original steel and cadmium/chrome plating ? also will they stain the metal? do I need to do a special prep before painting after using either ?
Thanks for that tip on the horse supply/feed supply place Dave,it should be cheaper there.

[calj737]

Likely if you out have that much rust, the plating is what is already sacrificed and turned to rust.

Vinegar won't damage the paint if dealt with while wet. Just add some light oil or 2-stroke oil to the internal after de-rusting. That will treat and protect the tank for a good while until use.

[madmtnmotors]

Likely if you out have that much rust, the plating is what is already sacrificed and turned to rust.

Vinegar won't damage the paint if dealt with while wet. Just add some light oil or 2-stroke oil to the internal after de-rusting. That will treat and protect the tank for a good while until use.

I follow vinegar with a baking soda rinse prior to oil treatment.

[grcamna2]

Likely if you out have that much rust, the plating is what is already sacrificed and turned to rust.

Vinegar won't damage the paint if dealt with while wet. Just add some light oil or 2-stroke oil to the internal after de-rusting. That will treat and protect the tank for a good while until use.

I follow vinegar with a baking soda rinse prior to oil treatment.

How long do you leave the vinegar(100% straight or watered down?)in the tank? Do you heat it up before filling up the tank with it ?

[calj737]

No heat. Pour it in and let it sit. Check it in a couple of days. If murky and frothy, pour out and filter the debris. Refill. Vinegar can work a few cycles. Just leave it in until the tank rinses clear. You may need to add more unused vinegar periodically with rinsing. But it's about the cheapest solution outside electrolysis.

[madmtnmotors]

But it's about the cheapest solution outside electrolysis.

And environmentally friendly! It will kill vegetation, so we use it along the fence as liquid weedeater.

[grcamna2]

No heat. Pour it in and let it sit. Check it in a couple of days. If murky and frothy, pour out and filter the debris. Refill. Vinegar can work a few cycles. Just leave it in until the tank rinses clear. You may need to add more unused vinegar periodically with rinsing. But it's about the cheapest solution outside electrolysis.

Cal, This must be vinegar 100% solution,correct ?

[calj737]

Yep. Can use White, Apple Cider, Distilled White. Whatever. White I find works best. Easy to find in the grocery by the gallon in the Laundry area.

[grcamna2]

Thanks for that feedback

[flybox1]

Kleen Strip Prep-n-Etch
2 day soak @ full strength.
Before and after photos of rear fender

[grcamna2]

AH,ok flybox, 
I can see how that Prep and Etch product is real good to the chrome plating.,I wonder how it'll treat spokes ? I'd like to save as much of the factory coating(cad.plating?)on my stock parts(spokes,nuts & bolts,brake cam lever,etc.)as I can and then if they're missing some plating in spots I can touch up those spots w/ some silver/chrome paint or something like that. I wonder how vinegar treats those kind of plated parts ?
How much is a gal. of that stuff flybox ?

[flybox1]

It did well on the chromed parts.  Only where the chrome was beyond repair was it clean, but rough, after treatment.
IIRC it was about $20/gal at Home Depot
If i had some old spokes, i'd throw a few in at intervals over the weekend for you. 
for most of my bolts and other small items, after i treated them, they came out with the matte gray phos coating this product is known for....

[dave500]

molasses wont hurt chrome or paint,it wont stain just hoses off,dont submerse any aluminium or zinc alloys though it will destroy them,ferrous can be left indefinitely,what ever you use wash it well off afterwards and use oil/atf/wd40 etc as its going to flash rust before your very eyes.

[Duanob]

Prep-n-etch works awesome! That and some fine steel wool on tough sruface rust.

[grcamna2]

molasses wont hurt chrome or paint,it wont stain just hoses off,dont submerse any aluminium or zinc alloys though it will destroy them,ferrous can be left indefinitely,what ever you use wash it well off afterwards and use oil/atf/wd40 etc as its going to flash rust before your very eyes.

Did you ever put spokes into it Dave ?

[dave500]

if they are zinc coated the zinc will tarnish or disappear.

[grcamna2]

ok