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What to spray-underside surface rust?

Yesterday, while under my 26 year old F250, I noticed lots of upper surface rust.

I'm inclined to wire brush and spray coat with something?

What kind of spray paint should I use? Maybe black Rustolium?

Maybe this is me being OCD, but I hate rust.....even if you have to crawl underneath to see it. GAD ZOOKS

Jerry
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
From what I've read from people living in the salt belt, por15 is top notch, good stuff.
 

O'Rattlecan

Redneck Prognosticator
26,687
797
Belton, MO
You could save some money, go to your local tractor supply, and get a can of their tractor paint. I put some of that on my frame 8 years ago on my 1994 and it's held up fine. You don't see a fraction of the salt I do, so it'll be there a long time.

Ryan
 

taxreliever

Licensed to Represent!
14,695
287
Maine
Yesterday, while under my 26 year old F250, I noticed lots of upper surface rust.

I'm inclined to wire brush and spray coat with something?

What kind of spray paint should I use? Maybe black Rustolium?

Maybe this is me being OCD, but I hate rust.....even if you have to crawl underneath to see it. GAD ZOOKS

Jerry

If that's OCD, than I'm OCD! smilieFordlogo

I've used this stuff and it's awesome....works real well:
http://www.eastwood.com/rust-encapsulator-27490.html

You can first treat with this, which I've also used in the recent past:
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-rust-converter.html

Then what others are saying on here, POR15:
http://www.eastwood.com/por-15-top-coat-gloss-black-13713.html
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
POR 15 works damn well...do NOT get it on your hands...it will be there for a while...:wasntme:
 

jebadiah04

Rooster Snorkler
849
27
i always maintain that a tiny oil leak over several years is the best solution. :)
 
Rust on the underside

I am a retired bodyman and have done a lot of restoration work on the side. I always was surprised when I had to go over work where POR-15 was used. People feel confident using this product because it dries real hard, so they feel it will stop rust. Rust you can't see is felt to be no problem. What I have found over several years is that the metal will continue rusting under that product. I have seen floor panels that your foot could go thru but it looked so good and smooth.

What I have seen happen is that the POR-15 will develope minor cracks in the surface. Those cracks will allow moisture and air to enter and feed the rust. The panel then rusts thru and you can't see it.

A better way if you want to prevent the rust from continuing there is actually a better way. Stopping rust is only done by stopping the entry of air and moisture. There is a product that the auto manufacturers use that does that. It is a self-healing wax product that is sprayed on. If it cracks, no problem, because the normal heating of the surface causes it to seal up again. I cannot think of the names of any or them, but if you go to a bodyshop supply place and ask for "Self Healing Wax" they should know what you want. You will also need a gun to spray it. The gun attaches to the top of the quart bottle. You will of course need compressed air to apply.

You can use a wire brush to remove the thicker part of the surface rust if you want, or just spray over it. Don't worry about making it nice and shiney. What is left there then will actually help protect it.

Aaron D. Thomas
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
Cavity wax by chance? I've seen body shops use that stuff after working on places where applying other materials would be very difficult and the result, unpredictable.
 
Yes Bill....that is one name for it. Sometimes I forget some of the terms I want to use. Yes it is used in places that are hard to get to, but it is also used on truck frames. Well, not much on real trucks, but mainly on GM frames. If you are wanting something that will go on nice and smooth, and stay that way, then it might not be what you want, but unless you are planning on sand blasting or sanding it smooth and applying a true epoxy, it is the best you can do. It is kind of hard to do on the underside of a vehicle that is completely assembled and being used. If it is disassembled, then blasting it and applying a product like SPI Epoxy Primer would be the best.

Aaron D Thomas
 

taxreliever

Licensed to Represent!
14,695
287
Maine
I am a retired bodyman and have done a lot of restoration work on the side. I always was surprised when I had to go over work where POR-15 was used. People feel confident using this product because it dries real hard, so they feel it will stop rust. Rust you can't see is felt to be no problem. What I have found over several years is that the metal will continue rusting under that product. I have seen floor panels that your foot could go thru but it looked so good and smooth.

What I have seen happen is that the POR-15 will develope minor cracks in the surface. Those cracks will allow moisture and air to enter and feed the rust. The panel then rusts thru and you can't see it.

A better way if you want to prevent the rust from continuing there is actually a better way. Stopping rust is only done by stopping the entry of air and moisture. There is a product that the auto manufacturers use that does that. It is a self-healing wax product that is sprayed on. If it cracks, no problem, because the normal heating of the surface causes it to seal up again. I cannot think of the names of any or them, but if you go to a bodyshop supply place and ask for "Self Healing Wax" they should know what you want. You will also need a gun to spray it. The gun attaches to the top of the quart bottle. You will of course need compressed air to apply.

You can use a wire brush to remove the thicker part of the surface rust if you want, or just spray over it. Don't worry about making it nice and shiney. What is left there then will actually help protect it.

Aaron D. Thomas

Good advice, thanks.....is that stuff like the Fluid Film (or should I say is Fluid Film like that material?) they use to spray inside body panels and all throughout the under carriage of vehicles?

Cavity wax by chance? I've seen body shops use that stuff after working on places where applying other materials would be very difficult and the result, unpredictable.
 
Sprayed flat black

I finished spraying flat black over surface rust after wire brushing some areas. Most affected areas were frame rails and rust was very minor. Sure looks a lot better. Or.....makes me FEEL better, anyway.

While under there, I oiled up E brake pivot points and clutch pivot point and this WD-40 action really made a difference. Prob had never been done in 26 years....
 
Good advice, thanks.....is that stuff like the Fluid Film (or should I say is Fluid Film like that material?) they use to spray inside body panels and all throughout the under carriage of vehicles?

I must say I have never heard of that. What CowboyBilly refered to is what I was talking about. The gun to apply it comes with a "wand" that you can get into frame rails, body panels with small holes in them, like rocker panels and such. Most of the insurance companies that write their own repair estimates do require the use of "cavity wax" for corrosion protection where refinishing isn't realistic.
 

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