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[Teg2boo]

I was watching videos on Youtube to know the techniques people use to remove rust and found out a video about CLR. The thing is that the previous owner of my house left a full bottle in the bathroom so at midnight Wednesday I decided to give it a try and removed one of the PS brackets and put it in a CLR bucket.

The next day when I saw the amazing result I decided to try electrolysis to do a comparison on the second PS bracket.



I don't have the before picture so I'll use my engine bay picture:

It's the first PS bracket



The next morning result (~7 hours later)
CLR result (first bracket and bolts):




As you can see, result is amazing! You just put it in a bucket full of CLR and next day it's brand new, no effort needed.


Electrolysis:

I wanted to try the second bracket with electrolysis so I used my battery charger to set it up. You just need a small power supply and baking soda. They say one table spoon for 1gal and in another place they say 1table spoon for 1L. Just poor some and give it a try...

Before pictures (no flash and flash):




Positive to sacrificial anode and negative to the part you want to remove rust.



It was really not a success... After some measuring with voltmeter I think the charger as a security or something that prevents using it other than on a battery.

After failed attempt:




I had to find a new power supply so I used my boost pack

Here is the setup:


Congrats, you have bubbles!



Few hours later:





Final comparison (electrolysis top and CLR bottom):





Final product with caliper spray paint and cooked 1 hour in the oven:



They are not installed yet, so here's a picture of the car instead









Conclusion:

Electrolysis is good for big part and heavy rust and you need little more effort to use it and it's free (if you don't count electricity).

CLR is good for any parts that fit the the container you put CLR in, but it's especially good for bolts as you can put 30 bolts at the same time compare to electrolysis that you put one part at the time (with my actual setup of course). It's 8$ for 800ml so it's a bit expensive.

There's other rust removal product out there like CLR, but I used what I had at home at the moment.












 

[92CXyD]

And the CLR was free for you. 

Nice little write-up 

[HiProfile]

Wow, amazing results for such little work. Here I was thinking it would be best to blast them with coal slag. I think it will be the final step to get the harder shit off, if done at all. I'd guess any battery placed in line would make that charger work, it just has to see a battery load.

[accordepicenter]

what happened to an angle grinder with a wire wheel?

[dvst8r]

what happened to an angle grinder with a wire wheel?

Same effect with less work, it is the RHMT way. 

[PhilStubbs]

I just bead blast. I have one at work, doesn't cost me anything to use and I can usually do my own parts at the same time as work parts, so I get paid to do it.

It is cool though. I might do that to a pile of bolts and then try one of those DIY cad plating kits.

[gfrg88]

Wish i could do this to my entire chassis 

[Teg2boo]

Wish i could do this to my entire chassis 

Just put the car into the pool and turn the power on.

[weirtech]

this writeup should be sticked.  great post.  i wonder if i could use the clr to spray the fenders on my truck...  i think it is a bit more than surface!

[Teg2boo]

You could try to soak a towel with CLR and attach it in some way to your fender. If there's bubbles, use a flat screw driver to remove most of it before using clr...

I think it should work if the rust is not too deep, because I tried the same thing on my power steering hose and I can see some metal color, but the rust is deep so it would need a bigger bath.

[Teg2boo]

By the way, I'm not sure if my CLR is at full strength because it was here when I moved into my house. Maybe it has been sitting here for years and years, I don't know...

So it might work even better than I think.

 

[Teg2boo]

Security comment here:

Don't smoke while you do electrolysis, it's hydrogen that get out of the reaction. I would also recommend to open a window or a door or even do it outside if the weather is good. Don't cover up the bucket also.

You could also get that extra hydrogen and do explosive balloons with it

[PhilStubbs]

Hmmm.... Hydrogen balloons. I think I'll make some for my next party. Throw them in the bonfire, that will be fun.

[Phate]

Hmmm.... Hydrogen balloons. I think I'll make some for my next party. Throw them in the bonfire, that will be fun.

[walter]

wow great results with CLR! in Spain i never seen that... i was wondering if i can clean a alternator and starter by using electrolysis process..

[Teg2boo]

Alternator is aluminium isn't it? I don't think it works with aluminium.

For the starter I would remove the motor out of the case first

There's equivalent to CLR like citric acid, phosphoric acid and maybe some other ones.


Btw, the bottle of CLR I had was very old and now it's not the same mix. Sadly I'm not sure the efficiency to remove rust is the same. There's no more phosphate in the mix for environmental issue. I'll do more testing later and post up the result with different products.

[walter]

i see, it's ok thanks!