Anti-corrosion Treatments - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jim Austin · #1 11-24-2010, 01:42 PM

Hello all. New member. I have a 1983 MB 300DT turbo with 114,000 miles. It's a recent purchase. There's very little rust on it right now -- one superficial spot that I'm going to repair in a couple of weeks -- but I live in Maine so I'm very concerned about corrosion.

Apart from keeping it off the road in the winter and washing the undercarriage frequently, do you have any suggestions? Are there any rust-prevention treatments for these older cars that are effective?

Thanks,
Jim

barry123400 · #2 11-24-2010, 02:18 PM

A mixture of grease and some oil mixed in to thin it a little sprayed on with enough viscosity to stay will help big time. If doing it yourself the mixture has to be heated up enough to spray through a cheap shultz or undercoating gun. A pot of boiling water with the gun container submerged into it will do. We used an old hotplate to heat the water.

. The petroleum content saturates any existing oxide and denies oxygen to it. Effectivly reducing the oxidation rate very substantially. You cannot ever totally stop oxidation once started other than total removal. And that is basically impossible other than perhaps with Arizona cars.

Get inside the rocker panel and any other trapped area by drilling 1/2 inch holes and buying plastic plugs. The mix creaps everywhere.

It was the only method we found to really be effective on used cars ourselves over time. Everything else on the market came nowhere close to it's effectivness.

You have one major strike against you with the existing factory undercoating. You cannot additionally protect any activity underway between it and the parent metal. We used and still have a 3000 psi hydralic pump that enabled us to spray pure very high viscosity grease and graphite mixtures on.

Jim Austin · #3 11-24-2010, 03:00 PM

Barry, Thanks for this. I live in a condo and have no place to do this kind of work myself. Is there any kind of professional shop -- a body shop, perhaps -- that does this?

Stretch · #4 11-24-2010, 03:10 PM

Hi Jim - if you are looking to get someone else to do the work I'd do an internet search or look in the yellow pages for your area. Did you buy your car privately or via a dealer? If it was a dealer you could start by asking his advice.

I'd then post where you are planning to go to see if anyone knows if they are likely to be any good or not.

barry123400 · #5 11-24-2010, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Austin

Barry, Thanks for this. I live in a condo and have no place to do this kind of work myself. Is there any kind of professional shop -- a body shop, perhaps -- that does this?

I is enviromentally frowned on to spray oil or whatever type of petroleum based product on a chasis now. You will probably have to ask around and find a backyard type of operation to do it.

Remember you have to use your judgement as everyone is trying to sell you usually. Whatever you do do not spray on anthing that hardens up. You can also speed up rusting believe it or not.

JHZR2 · #6 11-24-2010, 03:46 PM

If you're near canada, go to krown - they are the best. Also consider waxoyl.

Also consider amsoil hd mp spray, Eastwood hd anti rust, or parafin cut with mineral spirits and a bit of motor oil...

toddyvol · #7 11-24-2010, 04:07 PM

I used a paint called ZeroRust. I applied it to the under-carriage and chassis of another vehicle I use to own. Went on great with a roller. You can paint right over the rust with it. Just remove any flakes first. It can also be thinned with lacquer thinner and then sprayed on. I prefer it over POR-15 because it has better UV protection and at the time I bought it, it was cheaper.

I also used a product called Phosphate and Etch that can be bought at Home Depot. It converts rust to black oxide and leaves a protective coating on the metal. It will strip paint too. It will protect bare metal for a long time. It also etches the metal which allows paint to adhere better.

On a side note, the neatest product for stripping paint is Dawn Power Dissolve. Stuff works like magic.

mach0415 · #8 11-24-2010, 04:38 PM

When I lived near Rochester, NY there were franchises that rustproofed and undercoated new and used cars, called Ziebart. This stuff worked great, as the car that was 4 years old started to have rust form in places where condensation may occur - i.e. rocker panels, behind fender/wheel openings, windshield frames, door bottoms, etc. You could always tell it from the car that had been treated, because it still looked great! They also undercoated. Here is a link to their product:
http://www.ziebart.com/protection/rust_protection/

pgringo · #9 11-24-2010, 09:24 PM

boiled linseed oil is the main ingredient in most rust proofing products, but it's repackaged and sold for much more money. smell some rust proofing product and some linseed oil. smell similar?

barry123400 · #10 11-25-2010, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgringo

boiled linseed oil is the main ingredient in most rust proofing products, but it's repackaged and sold for much more money. smell some rust proofing product and some linseed oil. smell similar?

Good observation. Linseed oil is a great rust inhibitor. May dry out too much on existing rust but on clean metal it is hard to beat. I have also read it is unwise to hold containers of the pure product inside dwellings. I found that pretty strange but it is suggested as a potential fire source if I rember well. some form of spontainious combustion I thought. Kind of unusual.

Mark DiSilvestro · #11 11-25-2010, 09:36 AM

If I were to apply something inside the rockers, I would pry up the plastic sill covers under the doors and drill the application holes there, rather than have to see the unsightly plastic plugs.

In the past, I've had excellent results using a pump oil-can to squirt heavy gear/diff oil inside areas like door bottoms and rear wheel-arches. Anyplace where the oil will settle in crevices where metal panela are attached together. The stuff does smell though.

Happy Motoring, Mark

funola · #12 11-25-2010, 12:00 PM

Has anyone tried Fluid Film? It it non petroleum based and made from natural oil from sheep I think.

http://www.theruststore.com/Fluid-Film-C67.aspx

Alastair · #13 11-25-2010, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark DiSilvestro

If I were to apply something inside the rockers, I would pry up the plastic sill covers under the doors and drill the application holes there, rather than have to see the unsightly plastic plugs.

Happy Motoring, Mark

No need to drill holes....

Just emove that trim and its fixings, then you got a hole every three inches or so!

At the rear, remove the rear seat-belt mount-bolt near door and pour waxoyl in through there. It will work its way right through the sill area, but some may come outta the drain halfway along car if you use more than a litre down there--Ask me how I know!

For the box from sill up inside the rear-wheel arch on inside, lift seat and locate the rubber-bungs on the side-rail where the seat sits, pull 'em and shove your waxoyl wand in there both directions, but most importantly Rearwards........

Can do these places in less than an hour....

MTUpower · #14 11-25-2010, 12:45 PM

In places with lots of rust a common cheap "protectant" is to spray grease/oil on the underside then drive down a dusty road. The dust adheres to the grease/oil and covers the underside.

JHZR2 · #15 11-25-2010, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funola

Has anyone tried Fluid Film? It it non petroleum based and made from natural oil from sheep I think.

http://www.theruststore.com/Fluid-Film-C67.aspx

Yes, good stuff.

My main concern with any of these is the effect on the factory undercoating. Some may dissolve it due to it's solvent.

I'd like to test the various protectants.