Preparing for winter-electronic rust prevention? (2 Viewers)

[prado t]

when i bought my 40 in Trail b.c. in 88 there was this body shop, cant remember the name but the stuff was called RUST CHECK they drilled holes in the doors and body sprayed the inside and put plugs in it was a gummy version of WD40 but pinkish I think it worked quite well on the light duty 78 i use in a spray bottle 50% biodiesel 40 (less smell than min. diesel )and 50% 2 stroke spray everything and go for a long drive or wipe the drip points.
p.s it is a good idea to powerwash all the dirt and **** first before spraying
aaron kuit

 

[1990 LJ78]

Out here it is also called Rust Check.
I switched to them a Instaed of going back to Krown.
Same sort of stuff. Still applied same way.
I have had mine done 3 times in the last year and half.
Once in spring and once in late fall.
The rust check is still pink.
You can even buy it in a spray can
that you can use anywhere else you desire.
It is said it displaces water so electrical comes to mind.

 

[mjohn7]

Sacrificial anodes of zinc are used also in outboard boat motors.
I know a guy who builds hotrods and puts zinc anodes in the frame, with a ground wie to the body to prevent rust. The zinc will corred before the frame or body. A zinc anode can be had a a boat shop or metal supply for less than $50.
Auto manufactures did put zinc in wheel wells to help with rust.

 

[bbpjunk]

I have been looking into these electronic rust prevention things for a little while now for my LJ78 and have been impressed with Counteract's system (same as sold by Canadian Tire, patented and different method than sacrificial anodes). They have an off-road version that recognizes the need for more protection than say, a soccer-mom SUV. They claim that a salt mining company has been using their system for years and have effectively protected their trucks which would go from scratch to perforation in 6 months, to lasting several years without perforation.

I was wondering since this thread is a couple years old, if anyone has bought these things and had much experience with them? I live about 1/2 mile from the ocean in the Philippines and spent 12 months a year covered in salt and mud. Anything I can do to prevent rust, I'll do! I just don't want to waste money.

 

[rat]

Many years back when I lived at the coast I installed these so-called electronic rust-preventers in my vehicles - but I noticed they rusted anyway. So I emailed the chemistry professor of the local University and asked him how they work. Answer: "You have been duped - for the sacrificial anode to work, the vehicle has to be immersed in water!". Does the USA not have strict advertising standards - making it illegal to make false claims in adverts?
I use gear oil in my trucks - pump it into chassis with oil can and blow it around with an airgun. Spray Tectyl on all bare metal. Or Galzinc if looks dont matter - is a soft, zinc-rich primer.

 

[JuanJ]

Many years back when I lived at the coast I installed these so-called electronic rust-preventers in my vehicles - but I noticed they rusted anyway. So I emailed the chemistry professor of the local University and asked him how they work. Answer: "You have been duped - for the sacrificial anode to work, the vehicle has to be immersed in water!".

Hello,

This is correct. Some thoughts on this matter from both background and experience. Please bear with me. All the errors are mine.

Corrosion is predictable and preys on iron's tendency to return to its natural state as iron oxide. Set up the right environment, add oxygen and there you go.

The device above looks like a variant of cathode protection, which basically relies on DC to prevent the conversion from iron to iron oxide by supplying additional energy (in the form of electricity) to the oxidation reaction, in order to prevent it from happening. Iron loses electrons (in the form of current) to oxygen when it oxidizes, and a constant supply will keep oxygen from reacting. This idea works well for tanks and pipelines, which are in contact with corrosive stuff, but is only a complement to surface protection; any exposed iron surface will attract oxygen to form oxide, losing current in the process and extending corrosion.

A Cruiser is neither a pipeline nor a tank. Or a submarine, for that matter.

Sacrificial anodes, usually made of zinc, work to certain extent provided there is good contact between them and the iron to be protected. This technique just displaces corrosion from iron to zinc, and requires periodic anode replacement. Again, if there is not enough zinc an there is exposed iron, the former will be useless to protect the latter; iron oxidizes far more easily than zinc does.

The above leaves surface protection as the basic prevention method. A physical barrier between iron and oxygen is an effective way to prevent corrosion. It is better if that barrier is an organic liquid such as oil, because corrosion needs an acqueous media; oil and water do not mix, and that is why oil is so effective.

Auto makers add zinc compounds to primer paint to prevent corrosion, but we all know the hard way this is not enough. Paint eventually strips from the surface, exposing the underlying iron to oxygen. And ever since Henry Ford tackled the Model T's axle problem in the 1920s, no maker is interested seriously in building cars that last forever, but that is another story.

It is possible to apply DC or connect a sacrificial anode, but nothing is as simple and effective as surface protection, be it a lining or repeated oil application. Furthermore, DC and zinc rely on evenly protected surfaces to work.

As for me, I rely on a dry garage, a monthly chassis wash to remove any dirt/salts that attract water (and oxygen) and frequent (at least every two weeks) oiling. My recipe is a combination of WD-40, grease and lube oil, and has served me well. Oil needs something to help it stick to surfaces, like WD-40's alcohols or grase's organic salts. Oil alone will eventually drip unless there is a bonding substance.

Like maintenance, severe conditions require shorter application intervals. And once all surfaces are protected, DC or an anode can work as a complimentary measure.

My two cents.






JuanJ

 

[bbpjunk]

Thanks guys for the information. I agree that one method is not enough. I am just living in such extreme conditions that I wanted to see if there is a method that can protect the areas I can't get to, or since washing the vehicle frequently and keeping it dry isn't an option for me, is there something that would work.

I read through the documentation for Counteract's system again and they also bash on the idea of sacrificial anodes for vehicles which aren't submerged. It is actually kind of funny how passionate they are about how silly of an idea sacrificial anodes are for cars. Of course they are selling a patented product and a "new (old) way to skin a cat" so it is their job to discredit the other guys. But is there any truth to the claims of their "capacitive coupling" system? They are essentially turning the car into a capacitor and using the paint as the dialectic. They charge the surface of the vehicle to slow down/prevent oxidation. The more extreme the size or conditions of the installation the more electric coupler patch things they put on it. A car driven in normal conditions gets 2 patches placed diagonally from each other (one in engine bay, one at rear quarter panel) and a 4x4 that sees frequent off-road time gets 4 patches.

Their system sounds like a reasonable one to me, but I haven't heard from anyone with real-world experience with one of these. My car has a very good paint job still and no rust, so would my paint make a sufficient dielectric to slow down the rusting process? Does anyone have experience with a Counteract or Couplertec system? (Oz name for Counteract, but same patent) To my knowledge they are the only company that is employing this flavor of electronic protection.

Couplertec - Home
CounterAct Electronic Rust Protection System - Corrosion Control

Thanks again for your replies guys. I have been thinking the same way as you about the whole sacrificial anode things. Good, wrongly applied tech.