How to remove rust without breaking a sweat...

Whether you're just washing the car, into detailing in a big way or enhancing your 406, collect and share hints and tips here.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
Piggy1987
1.8 8v
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:17 pm

How to remove rust without breaking a sweat...

Post by Piggy1987 »

Rusty car bits?

Put down the hammer/wire wheel/sandpaper...

try this instead!

Rust be gone!
User avatar
lozz
3.0 24v
Posts: 11908
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:18 pm
Location: where-ever

Re: How to remove rust without breaking a sweat...

Post by lozz »

excellent. 8)
User avatar
steve_earwig
Moderator
Posts: 19798
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:09 pm
Location: Jastrebarsko, Croatia http://www.jastrebarsko.hr/lokacija/

Re: How to remove rust without breaking a sweat...

Post by steve_earwig »

I think the process is taking the negatively charged oxygen molecules to the positive wire and the positivity charged iron molecules to the negative rusty car parts. Or some such, who cares, it works :cheesy:

Not sure about painting calipers with Hammerite as they get hot, probably be better off with pwoppa caliper paint. I'm thoroughly disillusioned with Hammerite these days anyway.
Unskilled meddling sin©e 2007

The submitted form was invalid. Try submitting again.
dirtydirtydiesel
3.0 24v
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 11:02 pm
Location: Coalville, Leics.

Re: How to remove rust without breaking a sweat...

Post by dirtydirtydiesel »

Hamerite or more importantly smoothrite paint works great on brake calipers, they don't get that hot !
I did mine on my Citroen zx 2.0 16v over fifteen years ago in gold smoothrite :oops: (I know, I know, I was younger & dafter)
Anyhow it still looked great when I sold it ten years later 8) .
2002 110 HDi estate, Rapier in monaco blue! ( found quite a bit more power :cheesy: ) SOLD I've sorted the airbag light :cheesy:
1998 3.0 V6 SE coupe in Diablo Red ( my baby ) sold
2006 206 1.4 16v sport in Aegean blue ( wife's shopping trolley :roll: )

2006 BMW e61 535d m-sport :supafrisk: run's for cover :lol:
MixMan
1.8 16v
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:07 pm

Re: How to remove rust without breaking a sweat...

Post by MixMan »

That just looks like me cooking dinner...... :supafrisk:
Currently frustrated by: 2002 2.2HDi Executive Saloon
User avatar
steve_earwig
Moderator
Posts: 19798
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:09 pm
Location: Jastrebarsko, Croatia http://www.jastrebarsko.hr/lokacija/

Re: How to remove rust without breaking a sweat...

Post by steve_earwig »

Your cooking involves wires? :shock:

Smoothrite's ok, I'm just not keen on Hammerite. BX 16Valve - blub :cry:

Piggy - I meant to say that battery charger might be no good for actually batteries but it still has a purpose :cheesy:
Unskilled meddling sin©e 2007

The submitted form was invalid. Try submitting again.
PeterN
3.0 24v
Posts: 1673
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:04 pm
Location: Charmouth, Dorset

Re: How to remove rust without breaking a sweat...

Post by PeterN »

Looks good - how about a tank big enough to put the whole car in? 8)
runner1
1.8 8v
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:47 pm

Re: How to remove rust without breaking a sweat...

Post by runner1 »

Steve_earwig Nice to see another member with interest in Citroen BX's, had a an old BX GT myself and dreamed of a phase 2 16valve! Never happened though :-(

Anyway, reverse electrolysis is great for removing rust but there are a few things the you tuber has not stated! For starters the bit to be de-rusted needs to be in generally good condition, i.e. only surface rusting, although it can often look far worse than it is! Also, the sacrificial anode MUST be mild steel and not an alloy, otherwise the remaining electrolyte could become quite poisonous!
Also, current should be limited. If the power supply is fixed this can be achieved by putting a car lightbulb in series with either negative or positive sides. If too much current is allowed to flow some parts could be damaged through the aggressive agitation of hydrogen release. Variable power supply is best and current limited to about 50mA per cm2 or similar.

Another thing, a huge amount of care must be exercised with this method. The electrolyte is really quite conductive, over 2A would flow at a voltage of 2V!! when the plates were clean. Seems harmless right? Well dip your hand in the water while it is running and you will realise it is not lol!
Also only ever do this outside, the resulting hydrogen and oxygen are highly explosive!

I saved a lovely old magneto phone from an abandoned mine before it was sealed a while ago and the results of this method were very good. However I still had to send the parts off to be sand blasted to remove the paint, I think using electrolysis was probably a more gentle way to remove the rust!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/olly_king ... 418314950/
Post Reply