De-rusting and re-plating bolts etc

[Gad-Westy]

Anybody have much experience of this? I have a car full of rusty bolts and would love to to tart them all up. I've read a fair bit about different plating kits etc and my head is frazzled.

What I'm looking for is lazy, near fool proof method that won't break the bank....

[phillpot]

New bolts

[Gad-Westy]

phillpot said:

New bolts

It's an option. Heck of an effort and potentially costly though, massive range of sizes and all small quantities.

[Pistom]

Still probably cheaper to buy new though.

[williredale]

Buy new. You can get quantities of different sizes from online suppliers which if I hadn't had a couple of drinks I'd be able to remember who...

[HumbleJim]

Here you go.

http://www.wrightsautosupplies.co.uk/

[Gad-Westy]

Cheers chaps. Looks like I've got a bit of measuring up to do!

[paintman]

Not a lot of help for you due to the distance, but if anyone in the Leicester area wants to replace nuts bolts etc with stainless try 'All screwed up'. They have trays of various s/s fasteners on display so you can do self selection & if you wanted one s/s washer they will sell you one s/s washer.
http://www.allscrewed-up.co.uk/

[Crafty_]

If want to keep the bolts you have you could chuck them in a bucket of this stuff : http://www.bilthamber.com/deox-c

I've used the gel version and put simply, it works...

Not my pics, but:









Once done you could then get them zinc plated to have that yellowy factory look.

[andyiley]

paintman said:

Not a lot of help for you due to the distance, but if anyone in the Leicester area wants to replace nuts bolts etc with stainless try 'All screwed up'. They have trays of various s/s fasteners on display so you can do self selection & if you wanted one s/s washer they will sell you one s/s washer.
http://www.allscrewed-up.co.uk/

Just a word of advice though firstly stainless is not good at heavy heat cycles as in what would be found on an exhaust part.

Also stainless bolts on carbon steel fittings will cause the carbon steel to rust many times faster unless there is insulation between them.

[paintman]

Galling can also be a problem & can be caused by the heat generated just doing the fastener up.
I've used a lot of stainless fixings in marine & vehicle applications & TBH can't say I've ever had an issue with the corrosion you mention.
Brass nuts are probably the best way to go with exhausts, especially if you ever want to undo the joint again!

Edited by paintman on Wednesday 12th February 01:11

[andyiley]

In fairness the rusting issue is most obviously exacerbated by salt rich environments, but it is a well known side effect.

It is caused by galvanic corrosion, where one metal acts as an anode & causes the other to corrode significantly faster. (IIRC)

[chipbury]

I got a load of Land Rover bits zinc plated recently at S&T electroplate near Bristol.
I took them in covered in paint/rust/grease and they came back like this!

[dandare]

If you can remove the bolts/parts, then soak them in black treacle or molasses and water (buy molasses from a farm animal feed supplier). That is supposed to work well and is much cheaper than named rust removers.

[GBTurbo]

Used to get a load of stuff plated at work and it always came back better than new.

If the thread is damaged then it will come back shiny, but damaged.

So if its sound underneath then get a load of it bagged up and get it plated.

[Meldonte]

chipbury said:

I got a load of Land Rover bits zinc plated recently at S&T electroplate near Bristol.
I took them in covered in paint/rust/grease and they came back like this!

How much was this out of interest

[chipbury]

It was £96 but they dipped 4 fly screens to get the paint off as well.