Product to Slow Down Corrosion of Components in the Engine Bay

[Marc Boucher]

Here's a summary of the suggestions that I got for possible ways to slow down Corrosion of Components in the Engine Bay:

powder coat
www.kanolabs.com products
de-oxit 
kerosene
paint that turns rust hard and black (usually a rust converter such as tannic acid mixed with an organic polymer)
ACF-50  (made for aircraft, and can be ordered from places such as Aircraft Spruce Company)
Rustproofing company such as RustCheck.

I had a question concerning the suggestion that "if your goal is cheap easy weatherproofing, kerosene does work.."   I'm guessing that the idea behind kerosene working is that the oily component provides a water barrier, and the solvent compoenent is just a convenient (albeit smelly) delivery agent.  Would kerosene really be any better than a light coating of gasoline mixed with old engine oil?  Or for that matter, diesel fuel?  

Thanks,
MC





From: brian hoeft 
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 9:10 PM
To: Marc Boucher 
Cc: quattro at audifans.com 
Subject: Re: Product to Slow Down Corrosion of Components in the Engine Bay


Much of my nice pieces have been powder coated, including wheels, and hold up surprisingly well (if done properly).

I really like the products from www.kanolabs.com, some of their names are corny but the stuff does work.

Not application specific, but years ago working on an old audi, I was spraying de-oxit on some harness connections near old white chalky fuel lines. Well, the accidental overspray turned intentional, with remarkable results.

And may sound crude and smelly, but if your goal is cheap easy weatherproofing, kerosene does work..




On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 6:32 PM, Marc Boucher <mboucher70 at hotmail.com> wrote:

  Sorry if I was too long winded before...I'll be more succinct:  what products do you guys generally use to protect the metal components inside your engine bay?


  From: mboucher70 at hotmail.com
  Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 8:33 PM
  To: quattro at audifans.com
  Subject: Product to Slow Down Corrosion of Components in the Engine Bay



  Preparing the car for winter and thought I'd reach out to see what recommendations I could get for a product to slow down corrosion of components in the engine bay.   The roads are salted in the winter, and sooner or later a certain amount of salt must make its way into the engine bay.  Otherwise, its just the combination of heat, oxygen, and time that's at work.

  I've got corrosion starting to form over multiple components.  It might be purely cosmetic in some cases, such as the fuel filter which will probably be replaced soon enough anyway.  And I believe that the fuel filter, and other items are made from aluminum or a type of metal where the corrosion (Aluminum Oxide) prevents further corrosion.  Same thing for the fitments that connect the fuel line to the fuel filter and then the Fuel Injector distributor...they're either copper or brass, so they won't rust through, but they will get surface oxidization.

  Other items, like the sleeves of the fuel injection lines, are iron, and I'm seeing rust come through.  Then there's the myriad of screws that aren't painted.

  If its something that I was going to use to coat much of the engine, some of it might end up on rubber or plastic components, thus the ideal product would also protect rubber and plastic, or at least not harm them.

  One substance often used to prevent rust is oil.  But coating your engine with Oil makes for something very unpleasant to work with.  And from what I understand, engine oil causes rubber hoses to deteriorate.

  The next item that came to mind was Armor All.  But further reading led me to believe that Armor All and other silicon based preservatives actually damage rubber and plastic over time.

  So, what do people recommend for treating their engine bay components to slow down oxidation, corrosion, and general deterioration?

  Thanks for any suggestions,

  MC

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-- 
       -Brian
      [blinders off&earplugs out]