Help with rust!

[while e]

I have a heavily rusted and pitted set of headers, as well as heavy rust and pits on the interior floor and trunk off my RR clone. I need to know the least expensive method of removing said rust from those items. I'm on a non-existent budget, so i need something that works. I've wire brushed till my hearts content, and its helped with surface rust, but not with deep rust. Thx in advance.

 

[67 coronet]

get a rust converter from a local auto parts house.will convert the rust to black primer.never used it on headders and not sure it will stand up to the heat.

 

[Propwash]

Best way...Media blasting, but sounds like that would have a fist fight with your low-budget. Honestly though, the right way to do it. If not that, cut it out and replace with fresh metal.

Option C.....Wire wheel down like you did, metal prep or a virgin solvent to clean and then seal with a couple coats of Rust Bullet. Some folks like the POR15, I like the rust bullet because it's thicker and levels better. If you go that route, get the silver color. It has aluminum in it and has better anti-corosion capabilities. I used the Eastwood rust encapsulator on my snowmobile trailer, it has worked great thus far and puts up with aaaaalot of salt.

Myself, I would honestly get it media blasted or just cut out the rot and replace and be done with it. I sure don't use Rust Bullet for fix to all rust problems. Mostly applying on old metal, cleaned to a metal shine, then sealed with it for an extra barrier of protection. I do have a couple spots on my coronet I covered up wire wheeled rust with several years ago and there's still is no sign of it coming back

 

[RustyRatRod]

Sell everything and get a better budget first.

 

[while e]

LOL considered it! But have too much tied up in it, mostly in the engine n tranny though, so.....

 

[while e]

Would LOVE to be able to blast it, but the budget isn't there, and won't be However, I do like your idea about rust bullet. Do you think it would stand up to the heat on the headers? Or would this just be for the rest of the car? Thx for the help guys, I'm sure you will see a lot more Q's from me in the near future so I hope the help continues. Thanks again.

 

[67 coronet]

i dont think any rust treatment will stand up to the heat of headders.maybe try naval jelly to remove the rust and paint with a high temp headder paint.

 

[Donny]

Throw the headers in the junk pile, not worth media blasting, esp. the old Hooker headers, thin walled...junk. What's your time worth? You'll spend all weekend wire brushing one side of the floors, and never fulled penetrating down where the rust is...cut out the old floor, replace it, this way you will have fixed costs this way; send to the blaster, it comes back junk, you pay blaster, and you have a rusting pile of crap...so, since you have no money, spend what you have on cutting out the bad, weld in the new. Nothing's for free...

 

[snakeoil24]

Rust removal find a battery charger, and a box of washing soda. and an old 55 gallon drum.
Put 50 gallons water in drum with top cut off. add 4 cups washing soda. hook the postive lead of battery charger to headers tied together with copper wire. Get 3 pieces of rebar 4 feet long. stand vertically in drum. don't let it touch the headers. Tie the rebar together at top. Place headers in solution and hook up battery charger negative to rebar turn on charger to low setting 3 days. Rust will be gone thru electrolysis.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Rust removal find a battery charger, and a box of washing soda. and an old 55 gallon drum.
Put 50 gallons water in drum with top cut off. add 4 cups washing soda. hook the postive lead of battery charger to headers tied together with copper wire. Get 3 pieces of rebar 4 feet long. stand vertically in drum. don't let it touch the headers. Tie the rebar together at top. Place headers in solution and hook up battery charger negative to rebar turn on charger to low setting 3 days. Rust will be gone thru electrolysis.

That absolutely works great too......but like blasting, once the rust is gone, how much of the headers will be left?

 

[while e]

All very good points and suggestions. I have been and will continue to cut out the bad and weld in the new. However, I would like to salvage the headers, they aren't thin walled, however, one can't know how far the damage goes. And yes, is it worth the many hours/days to find out if they are in any kind of shape to be salvaged? Not sure yet, that one I'm still debating....

 

[RustyRatRod]

Only one way to find out and that's to remove the rust.

I see you're in Georgia. Where bouts?

 

[snakeoil24]

using the baking soda is good. If the headers are rusted thru then your screwed. Other wise you can go to pminustries.com and order a small bottle of liquid ceramic. After wash water is done removing rust you have to rinse them off, pickle the metal with Phosphoric acid or white vinegar, dry them then coat with liquid ceramic coating and heat them up to final set. The soak process is slow but is cheap. to do. If the rust has eaten thru blasting will just show its ugly head that much faster.

 

[while e]

Kingsland

 

[while e]

Thx for the additional help. Now I have more options to wrestle with in my head!