Thread: Bundalenes '51 Restoration

I envy your success with the firewall with molasses.

I have used it a couple of times and it did not work for me so have given up on it.

I have tried various strengths - 10:1 down to 2:1 and other than stinking the place out for a month the rust is always still there.

I have found mechanical removal and then rust converter is the go.

Garry

Originally Posted by garrycol

I have used it a couple of times and it did not work for me so have given up on it.

I have tried various strengths - 10:1 down to 2:1 and other than stinking the place out for a month the rust is always still there.

Garry

How strange! Sometimes molasses is sold in semi-diluted form, which is apparently so it is easier to mix with chaff, but even so it should have worked at 2:1.

By contrast I have never had a failure with molasses in the last 11 years

Cheers Charlie

I found that my molasses bath only really worked well in the warmer temps during winter it didn't do much but come spring it worked very well indeed.

Originally Posted by Lost Landy

I found that my molasses bath only really worked well in the warmer temps during winter it didn't do much but come spring it worked very well indeed.

Could be that failure is associated with living in a relatively cool place like Canberra?

We have 3 lots of molasses going at present. The first was a sort of trial which has been used to clean all sorts of items, pedals, brake lines, mechanical parts, brake parts..., the second is a larger tub which had the firewall in it which took about 3 weeks and is now loaded with a heap of loose spring leaves which I was given and shackle / bolts and a bunch of spare parts I bought at am auction sale. Both these are working very well, frothing away and leaving an imprint on the surface 2 days after putting in an item.


When I remove items, I wash the parts individually, then dry with a blow dryer, then stabalise with phosphoric acid, then dry clean and coat with Penetrol. In the case of the firewall I used a clear POR15 product, which I will also use on the chassis, I am now rubbing back the firewall with 1000 wet'n'dry and will recoat with a flat clear coat as I don't like the gloss finish but am impressed with the POR15 rust protection - not sure what to use yet as a clear coat, I will experiment.



The ground pit is working the slowest of all and I think this is associated with the temperature. When I opened it up today, there was a full chassis outline on the surface, and there was bubbling but the action wasn't near as rapid as in the other two. I rubbed the rusty surface and a lot of the corrosion came off immediately, but the process is nowhere complete.



Erich

I am watching with interest .....great pics and write up !

A product which may be of interest is Ankor Wax , I have used with great success on my cars , they claim it will last 5 years in the Antarctic as a rust/corrosion inhibitor .
I have coated inside , upside and outside of an old valiant as I didn't want to change the patina of the car ....It can be buffed to a high shine if required or left as a satin finish . It's great stuff , I have also used on my old caravan and camper , it resists stone chipping - wouldn't recommend it for the gun barrel hwy tho !

Cheers

Originally Posted by Rextheute

I am watching with interest .....great pics and write up !

A product which may be of interest is Ankor Wax , I have used with great success on my cars , they claim it will last 5 years in the Antarctic as a rust/corrosion inhibitor .
.....
Cheers

I do not think that lasting five years in the Antarctic is any recommendation - for rust to progress it needs to have mobility of ions on the surface - and once the moisture is frozen the mobility of ions is several orders of magnitude less than it is for liquid water. Temperatures in Antarctica rarely are above freezing anywhere, and even then only for brief periods. In addition, any chemical processes, including rusting, slow as temperature drops.

It seems to me that referring to how well it works in Antarctica is misleading advertising, and, while it does not mean the product is necessarily no good, it certainly suggests that it is.

John

Their own website suggests 18 months uncovered outside.
Don.