What's the best way to tidy this?

What's the best way to tidy this?

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Discussion

croyde

Original Poster:

24,548 posts

243 months

Thursday 30th January
quotequote all
The engine in my Alpine is pretty much hidden behind the back seats.

Accessible via lifting the rear screen and an engine cover whilst it's boxed in below by the flat underneath of the car.

The engine mount castings have what looks like white patches of mold all over them. I know it's not mold, just looks like it.

What's the best advice for cleaning this up and maybe protecting it?

Cheers.


Krhuangbin

1,004 posts

144 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
Might be wrong, but I always thought that kind of marking on metal was from road salt, which has stuck to the metal on a wet day and caused crystals to form/micro corrosion

Belle427

10,261 posts

246 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
There is a process ive seen but am struggling to remember it, maybe dry ice blasting?
A more gentle process for engine bays etc.
Not sure about protection, there are some clear rustproofing products available, Bilt Hamber UC is one.

SlimJim16v

6,555 posts

156 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
Wire brush or wire wool to clean it and wipe it with WD40 or similar to try and keep it at bay.

LennyM1984

834 posts

81 months

Saturday 1st February
quotequote all
That is just oxidation of the aluminium part. Personally I wouldn't bother cleaning or removing it, it'll only return and isn't serious

steveo3002

10,775 posts

187 months

Saturday 1st February
quotequote all
wire brush /scotch pad it off then acf50 or wd40 often on all the bare parts

normalbloke

7,998 posts

232 months

Saturday 1st February
quotequote all
Try wiping it down with some ACF50. It’s just aluminium oxide, on the bare ali. The ACF will help stop it coming back. The real solution is to remove it and have it anodised, which is what the cost cutting manufacturers should have done from the start.

M138

377 posts

4 months

Saturday 1st February
quotequote all
Tooth brush + Solvol Autosol

s p a c e m a n

11,195 posts

161 months

Saturday 1st February
quotequote all
+1 for acf50, it's what my bike is covered in through winter.

Pica-Pica

15,026 posts

97 months

Saturday 1st February
quotequote all
LennyM1984 said:
That is just oxidation of the aluminium part. Personally I wouldn't bother cleaning or removing it, it'll only return and isn't serious
That’s my view. The part will probably have been anodised, trying to clean it up will likely do more harm than good.