What causes body rust?? (1 Viewer)

[erics_bruisers]

So, I have spent the last two weekends with my 80 -- last weekend, draining and filling the gas-tank -- and making the mistake of not reading IN-Ft lbs in the FSM on the gas tank plug -- thanks for a new one, C&#039an! There as a ton of silt in the bottom of the tank, though no visible water -- I poured the old gas in my Civic and got new ga for my 80...

This past weekend, my parents were in town and we took my 80 up to Hartford to a dog show, with my two pit bulls in the way back, in their crates -- see below -- everyone had a great ride --

-- and Sunday, I spent the day sort of winterizing my 80 -- cleaning up the inside, using Leatherique on the seats, and washing and waxing the exterior --

Yesterday, I got a magazine (called Carcovers, unimaginatively) that had some sort of odd zip-up baggie for your car's storage -- like a zip-up taco. You drive on the bottom of it, and then zip the top up around it -- it looked odd, and very anal -- but they said it help stop rust -- ??

My question is, what really causes rust? I know it usually comes from the inside out, and salt and crap can add to it, but has anyone ever seen rust occur from just plain age (up North) where the air's more moist than in the South? Especially if the car's been garaged and not driven winters? The only reason I care about this is that my 80 WILL drive forever -- that is, if I don't get rear-ended by some socialite soccer-mom gabbing on her cell-phone -- !!

 

[Hltoppr]

If you insist!

Rust is the common name for a very common compound, iron oxide. Iron oxide, the chemical Fe2O3, is common because iron combines very readily with oxygen -- so readily, in fact, that pure iron is only rarely found in nature. Iron (or steel) rusting is an example of corrosion -- an electrochemical process involving an anode (a piece of metal that readily gives up electrons), an electrolyte (a liquid that helps electrons move) and a cathode (a piece of metal that readily accepts electrons). When a piece of metal corrodes, the electrolyte helps provide oxygen to the anode. As oxygen combines with the metal, electrons are liberated. When they flow through the electrolyte to the cathode, the metal of the anode disappears, swept away by the electrical flow or converted into metal cations in a form such as rust.

For iron to become iron oxide, three things are required: iron, water and oxygen. Here's what happens when the three get together:

When a drop of water hits an iron object, two things begin to happen almost immediately. First, the water, a good electrolyte, combines with carbon dioxide in the air to form a weak carbonic acid, an even better electrolyte. As the acid is formed and the iron dissolved, some of the water will begin to break down into its component pieces -- hydrogen and oxygen. The free oxygen and dissolved iron bond into iron oxide, in the process freeing electrons. The electrons liberated from the anode portion of the iron flow to the cathode, which may be a piece of a metal less electrically reactive than iron, or another point on the piece of iron itself.

The chemical compounds found in liquids like acid rain, seawater and the salt-loaded spray from snow-belt roads make them better electrolytes than pure water, allowing their presence to speed the process of rusting on iron and other forms of corrosion on other metals.

(Source: Howstuffworks dot com)

-H-

 

[erics_bruisers]

dawg, H -- did you pull that out of your head??



even put the little-uns to sleep --

So what about moisture then??

THANKS!!

eric

 

[DVader]

H,
Dang dissertation on rust! Here's your award.

Rolly

 

[Junk]

Hltpper has plenty of time on his hands. He's got to wait a few more days.

Eric, if you don't want your future beater, dog poop carrier to rust, then park it in the garage, with a dehumidifier set on low and never take it outside.

Dude, things rust. That's a fact of life. If you wheel your truck hard, you'll be replacing enough bits frequently enough that you'll be ahead of the rust.

 

[Asiarider]

Eric,

just paint your rig in rust color and you will never see any rust forever. Guaranteed

Mike

 

[bkgiii]

has anyone ever seen rust occur from just plain age (up North) where the air's more moist than in the South?

Huh? You're tellin' me the air is more moist up nawth than on the Mis'sippi coast where I'm a block off the Gulf it's rarely under 90% humidity?

No rust, BTW.........must be the baggies.....

 

[T Y L E R]

2 cents ..

Rust never sleeps as they say . Sucks eh ? But if you want to make things worse , just park it in a heated garage ... I think the baggy idea would suck because the moisture found in the bag ... exhaust driving in , engine heat etc . All that will cause some moisture , and that can't be good .

Luckily I would at a base that allows washing of vehicles ... spray off the crap a few hrs before going home , and then park outside in -30° C .

I'm wondering if this underground parking is going to kill my LC this winter ? $%^& Hope not ; am enjoying the no-scrape mornings ..

 

[landtank]

I was once told that the outside temp also played a role in the process. As if it was cold enough rust vurtually stops. His thoughts were that spring time in the north east was the worst for a vehicle and the one time that washing the car was the most benificial. One thing about garages is that moisture will come up through the concrete floor and carry some of the chemicals with it. I put down a heavy plastic barrier prior to pouring the floor to help eliminate this.

 

[T Y L E R]

My thoughts exactly on the temp thing Rick .

I wonder if this would fly with the condo committee ... A silica filled sandbox that I park in every nite

Tyler - *raising eyebrow and voice simultaneously* Eh ? ehhh ??

 

[GXO]

Here is an even more nerdy site...

http://library.kcc.hawaii.edu/external/chemistry/everyday_corrosion.html

 

[Photoman]

Did anyone ever think about attaching sacrificial anodes?

http://www.ruststoponline.com/rust-protection/car-rust-proofing.html

I know they use them on boats to help with the corrosion.
Bill

 

[T Y L E R]

*throwing hand in the air!* I did

I seemed to remember watching a show on such a device . I think they were using them on drilling platform pylons in the North Sea ... just didn't know what to call it , or how to explain it .

 

[Scamper]

[quote author=Photoman link=board=2;threadid=7376;start=msg62095#msg62095 date=1068625954]
Did anyone ever think about attaching sacrificial anodes?[/quote]

Bill: I was thinking the same thing as I read this thread. Couldn't hurt to sprinkle a few zincs around the frame in various places--preferably places that you can see without too much difficulty so you can keep an eye on them. If you're really worried about it, use magnesium--they go faster but are less noble than the zinc and will suck up those stray electrons even better.

Tom

 

[Jim_Chow]

[quote author=Junk link=board=2;threadid=7376;start=msg61741#msg61741 date=1068577355]
Eric, if you don't want your future beater, dog poop carrier to rust, then park it in the garage, with a dehumidifier set on low and never take it outside.

Dude, things rust. That's a fact of life. If you wheel your truck hard, you'll be replacing enough bits frequently enough that you'll be ahead of the rust.
[/quote]

That was one of my peeves about living in Central NYS...tailgate on my '84 Xtracab disintegrated over 6 winters of salt. There should be some kind of state gov't liability for rust damage. If there were, they'd use sand like out West instead of salt. Now, I live in Southern Arizona....no rust here

 

[landandsea]

Forget the zinc idea unless you park your 80 in a pool of saltwater. A very deep pool of saltwater.

Ed

 

[cruiserdan]

Ed,

The anodes on my fresh water boat are nice and crusty. They appear to be working ???

D-

 

[Riley]

On the garage storage thread - couple of points:

1) I've heard that heated garages are worse for rust. This makes sense considering the above comments on lower temps slowing down the process.

2) Keep the garage vented to get rid of the high levels of mositure.

my 2 cents.