What to use for rust prevention

[GaryL]

Hello All. On my BX's front snow-blower, would you all recommend for treating the surfaces post-winter? I am trying to treat the existing rust, and prevent further breakdown. And, if I was to paint the surfaces, what do you recommend using before hand? The blower is not something that I think I want to disassemble just to paint. First go-around, the paint will be wore right off again. The outside surfaces, I figure I can just sand, prime, and paint for touch up.
Thanks,
-Gary

 

[Tooljunkie]

I used evapo-rust when replacing cab corners on my pickup,soaked all the areas i was welding to before during and after patching. Before priming and painting. Two years And it seems to be holding up ok.

 

[cerlawson]

Old engine oil works pretty good. Just don't get too generous.

 

[D2Cat]

For rusted iron, use wire brush to remove all loose paint and iron. Spray "Skyco Ospho surface prep" with a spray bottle for small areas. (Available on Amazon, I got it from a boat supplier). Let this dry, rough with a pad and paint right over it.

For the painted areas you want to keep rust free use "Eureka Fluid
Film". I use it on my snow plow and plow truck underbody. If you want to read testimonials go to Plowsite.com, scroll down to eurika fluid film.

 

[maxvolk]

Hi retired Coast guard here, I have been chasing rust on equipment for over 23 years and the best way to keep steel from rusting is a good metal etching primer and a quality paint. the hardest part of your job will be finding Kubota orange to match your blower. Make sure the area is clean, I like to use alcohol
that is 90% or better before primer. Good luck on your project.

 

[Diydave]

If you can get it on before rust really starts, (wash the snow off after the last use), Plow Coat should prevent further rust till the next season. It is a product sold at farm stores like TSC, made for coating moldboard plows, to keep them from rusting from outdoor storage. It is a black oily substance that dries in about a half a day, to a waxy coating, that wears off quickly, in use.

http://www.championbrands.com/SpecSheet/4186spec.pdf

 

[GBJeffOH]

I use Fluid Film.

http://www.fluid-film.com/spraying/

I use it on hinges. Anything that moves that does not have a grease fitting. Door locks.

There is a thicker version that my truck is undercoated with.

I use it on the bottom of mower decks.

I spray the whole snow blade when I put it away.

It is a lot cheaper by the gallon. Then you needs there spray equipment.

The seat on my tractor was moving hard. I took it off and you needed a hammer to move the track. Some Fluid Film and tap it back and forth a few times and it moves with no effort.

 

[D2Cat]

GBJeffOH, you're right, it works on most anything metal that needs to move. I buy it 2 gal. at a time. It is sold at some auto parts stores now, like O'reilly.

 

[Stubbyie]

Knock off the worst of the rust and apply naval jelly or one of the many equal products.

If you can lay hands on some phosporic acid, it will do the same but better than naval jelly (it's the much-diluted active component of naval jelly-type products) in converting the rust (iron oxide) to a stable hard black material suitable for painting.

I use as a primer on cleaned rusted areas a spray on cold zinc galvanizing material in a rattle-can available from AirGas Welding Supply under their Radnor house brand. Let dry, wipe clean with vinegar then alcohol , apply topcoat. Best stuff I've ever found. Other brands of zinc-in-a-can are available but in my area AirGas has the best price and availability. Great for painting new weld repairs.

If stripping and painting isn't your thing you might consider any of the wax-type spray-on protectorants. I don't have a snow plow but there are other implements I only pick up couple or few times a year. Drive by the outside faucet and hose the piece off after each use. Let air dry a day or so. Then...

After each use apply-to-drip a good thick coat of whatever material you can lay hands on in your area. Mine is a commercial goo used to protect pipe stored on racks. I've had it last couple years and still be thick enough to scratch it with a fingernail--and it's somewhat self-healing.

Please post back your continuing experiences so we may all learn.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Fluid film is great stuff. A little expensive but very effective.just need to clean thoroughly before painting.

 

[olthumpa]

I have used Rust Kutter with good results.


http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/rust-kutter-rust-prevention-and-control-1-qt?cm_vc=-10005

 

[Bulldog]

If protection during storage is what you want I suggest Amsoil Heavy Duty Metal Protector. It's as simple as spray on and let dry. Only takes a few minutes after you apply and it ready till you need it the next time.

I took these pics this afternoon of the cutter bar on my disc mower and the inside of my baler (bale chamber) so you can see the results for yourself. They are stored in a shed but it's only closed on 3 sides. I sprayed them down when I got thru baling hay last year. This may not be a factor on your blower but after the MP dries it's like a wax and doesn't attract dust.

It may not be what you're looking for but it works great for my needs.

 

[apeckham]

Check out eastwood.com They specialize in old car restoration which is all about rust. LOL.

 

[hodge]

Anything that you spray on, paint-wise, is going to erode back off when you use it again. To me, it is a maintenance issue, not aesthetic- those areas are going to wear no matter what you apply. So, I use fluid film to keep them from rusting further. It works well. I use it under both of my trucks, too.

When I first heard of it, I bought a spray can and applied it to a piece of bare steel (I degreased and sanded the steel, to make sure that it was as bare as possible), and left it outside, in the open, all winter long. It looks like the day that I had cleaned it up- not a speck of rust on it. I became a believer.

 

[Billdog350]

For rust prevention, LPS3 is pretty hard to beat if you don't care about looks. It sounds like some of the other products out here, basically goes on with a sprayer and hardens to a waxy type of film. Doesn't look pretty but protects from rust better than anything else I have tried. I will have to try some of the stuff that was recommended here as well, lots of great suggestions.

 

[Stubbyie]

LPS-3 is good stuff, although it can be bit pricey at retail.

I didn't mention it in my prior post because I've consistently had trouble with the spray nozzle clogging when the can is about half empty.

I've had some luck declogging by heating the can in hot--not boiling--water. Do this outside; if a can were to fail in a shop or kitchen it would be a gawd-awful mess you'd never get cleaned up.

This is a good discussion; I'd like to learn about other materials used successfully. Please continue posting experiences.

 

[GaryL]

Wow!! Thank you everyone for all of the information. I am going to look into a couple of those products today and see what I can get my hands on. I figure if I try to protect the surfaces a bit now, it will pay off in the long run. This ain't no little investment we have in these machines. I used to rinse down, and spray wd40 on my regular snowblowers. That seemed to work okay, but the switched to penetrating oil which gave longer protection over the summer and fall. The tunnel where the auger fan is is where I am most worried about. Also the area behind the fan, but that would require dis assembly to get to it. I will just have to rinse it as well as I can with my power washer before protecting the whole area. Again, Thanks for all of the tips.

 

[andmel]

One more for you. A cheap and easy fix is to just brush on 80-90W gear oil. That is if you're not worried about a 'repainted' look. My father-in-law lives in Buffalo. He coats the entire undercarriage of his vehicle with gear oil and a paint brush. Touches up every year. Dealerships can't believe the age of his cars when he goes to trade them in because the fenders and frame are never rusted out! Just don't want to store it in your house garage because the smell of that oil will make your eyes water.

 

[Billdog350]

Stubbyie - I bought a gallon of the LPS3 and use an air charged sprayer to apply it. Like you mentioned, the sprayer does get clogged so I thin it with some paint thinner and it helps it flow....however overall LPS3 is difficult stuff to keep from clogging. However, once its on, it protects great!

 

[Tooljunkie]

Lps is popular with the hydroelectric generating stations here in manitoba.
I never asked what they used it for, but they used a lot of it years ago.

Fluid Film is great,first thing i ever sprayed it on was the water valve on my 80 power wagon, prone to siezing from lack of use. One application many moons ago (guessing twenty years) and it never stuck once. Was a yearly thing before.