# dealing with rust? do those rust converter products work?



## Wantboost (Oct 3, 2017)

just picked up a sierra 2013 that was used for plowing. underbody has a significant amount of rust. I was thinking of applying some of this eastwood products that eats at rust or should I use POR-15


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

Por -15 requires you to remove the rust first. might as well by a truck without rust to start with. Fixing it after rust is the biggest PIA EVER


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## Wantboost (Oct 3, 2017)

How about Eastwood products??


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

There is no product that converts rust to something structurally sound. The best they do is adhere to the rust and prevent moisture and oxygen from causing more. However, many of the "conversion" coatings (Eastwood, for example) don't adhere to bare metal, so they are worthless in the long run, as there will almost always be a gap where moisture can get at the metal. 

There is not real shortcut when dealing with rust. Get rid of it mechanically, and then paint it if there is enough sound metal or cut out and replace if there isn't.


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## Wantboost (Oct 3, 2017)

Body is ok ... I was trying to find something to deal with the underbody


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

It's the same story with any metal, whether frame or body. If it is heavily corroded, the only solution is removal and replacement. If it is lightly corroded, remove the corrosion, smooth out any pits so they don't form stress risers (10x the depth is a typical diameter) and paint.


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## Wantboost (Oct 3, 2017)

It's lightly corroded ...thats why ideas hoping these products would help .??? 
Or should I mechanically remove say with a wire wheel ??Do I need to seal it after somehow? Or just keep rust proofing it ??


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Basically for corrosion to progress on steel you need moisture, oxygen, and time. Salt or other contaminants makes it worse. Leaving dirt on a surface traps moisture and makes it worse. The conversion coatings basically try and isolate the metal from moisture and oxygen, but since the corrosion may have flakes, pits, etc., it needs to form a perfect seal. Any hole will allow moisture to get under the coating and hold it there, in which case it could be worse than nothing. 

It's a PITA but the best way to address it is to mechanically remove the corrosion, then prime it with a good metal primer, and then topcoat it with a paint or other coating. You want it so that if you get a scratch in the coating that the corrosion is limited to the scratched area and doesn't propagate underneath it.


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## rick W (Dec 17, 2015)

If truck rotting is well underway you are never going to win. Good clean, then quality primer that seals up well and paint best option if accessible but you will never get to all. Its the hidden stuff that is the issue. I have tried all sorts of snake oils for years. By far the best i have found is LPS3. It aint cheap, but buy a jug, warm it up so its thin and spray the crap out of everywhere, especially up high so it runs down and seeps to where the salt water has attacked in the cracks, crevasses, hidden spots. Not going to win but it does seem to help. We have one plow truck that is a 2009 2500 dodge and when we bought it, it has the electronic rust box on it (came that way used) Everything i have ever read says those are stupid...well it has no rust anywhere. Not a speck. It has been used for commercial plowing and salting for 4 years now... amazing the diff between every other piece of machinery that age. Just find that funny but thats just our experience.


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I also like LPS3, as I have posted in other threads. Dries to a waxy film, rather than staying liquid and attracting dirt. If I had a rusty part, however, I'd still remove the corrosion mechanically and prime and paint before spraying everything.


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## Wantboost (Oct 3, 2017)

rick W said:


> If truck rotting is well underway you are never going to win. Good clean, then quality primer that seals up well and paint best option if accessible but you will never get to all. Its the hidden stuff that is the issue. I have tried all sorts of snake oils for years. By far the best i have found is LPS3. It aint cheap, but buy a jug, warm it up so its thin and spray the crap out of everywhere, especially up high so it runs down and seeps to where the salt water has attacked in the cracks, crevasses, hidden spots. Not going to win but it does seem to help. We have one plow truck that is a 2009 2500 dodge and when we bought it, it has the electronic rust box on it (came that way used) Everything i have ever read says those are stupid...well it has no rust anywhere. Not a speck. It has been used for commercial plowing and salting for 4 years now... amazing the diff between every other piece of machinery that age. Just find that funny but thats just our experience.


Where do u get the lps3 from in Ontario ? Also I'm curious what brand/model rust module came with that truck


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## rick W (Dec 17, 2015)

Acklands Grainger, or any industrial supply house. Even some of the auto parts shops like APC might have it. Its not as popular as most of the other LPS products, but surely they could get you a quart or gallon.

Will have to look at the module. We thought it funny when we bought it, (used) The owner had pimped the truck with dash pad, weather tech floor mats, this rust module etc. It bolts on the firewall, always has power and a light on. Looked up reviews and science of it and its all voodoo bs...but for a work truck that salts and plows and pulls trailers every day....its a 2009 and their isnt a dot of rust anywhere. Maybe we just got lucky but seems odd.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

I remember an old Dodge pickup truck. It had s small box on the firewall, it was electric, and supposedly it stopped rust. It didn't work.


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

whenever i see rust or get something with rust, first thing i do is wash it good with a pressure washer to get it clean. then i give it a good soaking with Ospho. once the Ospho dries and the rust turns flat black, i prime and paint. 
Ospho is phosphoric acid, and will convert the rust from iron oxide to iron phosphate.


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## snowish10 (Oct 29, 2010)

Aerospace Eng said:


> I also like LPS3, as I have posted in other threads. Dries to a waxy film, rather than staying liquid and attracting dirt. If I had a rusty part, however, I'd still remove the corrosion mechanically and prime and paint before spraying everything.


I bought lps 3- whats the best way you found to apply it to the undercarriage? I was thinking of using my fluid film air spray gun


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## rick W (Dec 17, 2015)

Just warm it up so its thin. Actually a windex spray bottle works too


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## Wantboost (Oct 3, 2017)

tjctransport said:


> whenever i see rust or get something with rust, first thing i do is wash it good with a pressure washer to get it clean. then i give it a good soaking with Ospho. once the Ospho dries and the rust turns flat black, i prime and paint.
> Ospho is phosphoric acid, and will convert the rust from iron oxide to iron phosphate.


How about applying ospho and the just doing rust proofing..??


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## hbrady (Oct 28, 2003)

snowish10 said:


> I bought lps 3- whats the best way you found to apply it to the undercarriage? I was thinking of using my fluid film air spray gun


As pointed out, make sure it's warm. Your FF gun should work fine (or any spray bottle). One thing to watch out for is wind and ventilation. Last year I applied outdoors on a breezy day and I had a nice film of it all over my windows. It requires cleanup with mineral spirits. Best bet is to apply indoors but make sure you are well ventilated. Also, you are bound to get over-spray on exhaust components and it takes a while to melt away, you will have a hot smell for quiet a while. Great product, I'm very happy with the results and longevity of LPS3.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

Wantboost said:


> How about applying ospho and the just doing rust proofing..??


What does this mean ? What do you consider rust proofing ?

Not being a ........ just wondering what you actually mean.


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## Wantboost (Oct 3, 2017)

Buy rust proofing I mean companies like. Krown . Rust chek. Corrosion free.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

Rust ? I'm tired of rust. Scraping, using phosphoric acid, re painting... Seems like nothing lasts more than a few years.

This is what I'm doing right now. Tomorrow, the 3 hours of rust scraping / removing loose paint will be black from the phosphoric acid. Then it's more scraping in other places, to get the scale off.

Haven't decided to change out the crossmembers as of yet, but I found some NOS on Ebay, ordered them, and they fit in different spots, should I need. Won't know till I get through to the other crossmembers.

Not fun, under any circumstances, and eventually will trade the truck in for new, so I can live for a few years without being on the ground.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

Wantboost said:


> Buy rust proofing I mean companies like. Krown . Rust chek. Corrosion free.


ahh.

We don't have those here, unless it's under a different branding. Nearest one is up in Syracuse NY.


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## Wantboost (Oct 3, 2017)

tjctransport said:


> whenever i see rust or get something with rust, first thing i do is wash it good with a pressure washer to get it clean. then i give it a good soaking with Ospho. once the Ospho dries and the rust turns flat black, i prime and paint.
> Ospho is phosphoric acid, and will convert the rust from iron oxide to iron phosphate.


Can i skip the prime and paint . And just do rust proofing underneath as a final step 
??


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## Wantboost (Oct 3, 2017)

Here's why I'm confused . Look at the section that compares how to attack rust ... 
Which products and inhibitators and encapsulate ? 
http://www.corroseal.com/rust/convert-rust.aspx
I want the easiest way to approach this i won't be doing the work my self . 
I was hoping for a product to clean up the existing rust and or doing it mechanically and then sending it somewhere to do some type of rust proofing (ie applying a chemical / oil . In Canada krown. Corrosion free . Rust chek)


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