Technical De-rusting on Mixed Metals

I've read lots of good advice here about dealing with rust, but I haven't seen this question yet.

The grille bars on my Plymouth are stamped stainless steel, but they have trim clips with studs spot welded all over them, and those clips & studs are plain steel and most are rather rusty.

What's the best way to approach this problem? Can I use electrolysis to remove the rust without etching the stainless?

I'm also afraid the spot welds might give out with the etching that happens.

What to do?

 

hey,

Are the trim clips still intact, i.e. do they still hold the moulding in tension, and can the nuts that hold them in place still be fastened and unfastened? Is your main area of concern the visable rust from the carbon steel where its' blead into visable areas?

The rust ''stains'' that have run onto the stainless can removed with sanding & polishing.

If the trim clips themselves are toast, you may have to source new ones from a Mopar parts source or fab your own.

 

Definitely DO NOT use stainless in the electrolytic rust removal process. I have heard that this will produce Hexavalent Chromium (think Erin Brockovich).

 

Those "clips" are not removable. They're welded to the trim.

They're all OK except for the rust, but that rust is gonna sit right on the new paint.

I'm probably just gonna scrub it off with the die grinder & wire wheel & a Dremmel with a tiny wire wheel. Otherwise I don't know how to get the "inside" face.

 

Have you thought about Oxylic Acid? Read up on that a little. Don't believe it'll bother the stainless, but check that out first. There are plenty of articles about it on the interweb. I've used it for some rust removal and it worked great.

 

I would take the surgical type and localized mechanical approach on this one.
Get off what you can and artist brush on some por 15 type paint, then over coat the clips with silver enamel.

Reason being is submerging the grill is bound to cause you more work to get it back.
But if I were to try something it would be the wood bleach or oxalic acid.

 

Try soaking the grill in vinegar for a week, vinegar is good at removing rust. I don't think it will hurt the stainless.

 

^^x2^^ or the por15

 

I have a spare bent grille bar. I can afford to experiment with that a bit.

 

Any other suggestions?

 

Try water and molasses.

pdq67

 

Yes. But IMHO the surgical/artistic approach is least likely to cause some unintended consequence.

 

I use Oxalic acid to restore old school BMX bikes all the time. 4 tea spoons to 5 gallons of water, and submerge your parts. It will remove rust easily. Check on it every 4-6 hours, and wash off with soap and water.

 

There are plenty of articles about it on the interweb.

 

I've always had good luck with this, in hard to reach/access areas.
3M Mar-Hyde.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...0000_nid=8J5MFL2F6CgsS38K155C5RglZHFL32W2C0bl

 

NAPA sells a similar product & I've used it before. I don't think it's for this, as the parts are all loose and accessible.

There's just this seam between the stainless & the carbon steel, that I know has rust inside it, so I'll want something thin that will suck up in there by capillary action.

I was just gonna use Jasco Metal Prep, and dip the rusty spots, then soak them in a water bath to neutralize the phosphoric acid.

I just didn't know what'll happen to stainless when you dip it in phosphoric acid. I guess I'll find out when I dip the test piece.

 

I did this awhile back & I threw all kinds of crap in the mix to see what would happen.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=693523

 

Thanks Duck.