Removing Rust several options compared

Maybe some of you already have seen this guy's youtube channel. I just discovered it.
He does some basic comparisons on various motor/construction related topics. He really must spend hours/days putting these videos together. The best part is he gets to the point without any slack-jawing.

In this video he compares a few rust removers and controls against water.
He not only compares the ability to remove rust, but compares their ability to NOT harm steel, aluminum, or paint.

For example, muriatic acid removes rust the fastest, but it also erodes steel the fastest, and causes flash rusting rto happen right away.

Molasses, who knew???
Thanks Lou

I’m a big fan of Apple Cider Viniger. Vigilance is key, or it will really darken the item. I scrub the parts with a stainless steel brush and Greased Lightening degreaser and then immediately in an overnight soak in WD-40 to stop flash rust. Metal Rescue works well on chrome to remove the rust, I just used it to cleanup the rear shocks. Maybe not the best but works for me.

Thanks Loudvhx

Nice test but he forgot to test phosphoric acid. It's super effective against rust and is much less damaging than the muratic acid.

He did other videos on the topic and I think he included phosphoric then. He also included Coca Cola since it has phosphoric acid in it. The Coke did almost nothing. I don't recall the details on the phosphoric acid result, but in that test I think he only did rust removal, and did not include the steel preservation.

We've used a product called Metal Rescue with good results.

Depending on the item, we really like electrolytic rust removal using washing soda. Leaves an oxide layer that resists rust. Used solution is non-toxic. But then slmjim is a cross between a nerd & a gadget head, so there's that...

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Phosphoric acid ruined a chrome header pipe of mine. I didn't soak it overnight or anything like that. I just made an aluminum foil boat & rotated the exhaust pipe in the solution for a few minutes. Something I learned was that if the exhaust pipes are rusty, try running the motorcycle to full operating temps before using any chemicals >> the rust pretty much burned off the other 3 pipes & the chrome looked fine other than the exhaust blueing & minor pitting. This was a junk exhaust system in poor condition, so ruining that one pipe was no big deal.

Rust treatment & prevention. On the back side of chrome steel parts I clean off as much rust as possible, then use a rust converter spray from the auto parts store, then top coat with a spray paint or spray coating. On the muffler heat shields I use-b-que grill paint. On the tail light bracket, headlight bucket & other similar parts, silver wheel paint is good. For the fenders I use a rubberized undercoating. I hate rust, so just about every chrome steel part on my motorcycle has been treated. I think the only thing I haven't done is the chrome chain guard, but it's usually coated in chain sling, so it's automatically protected. hee.


Rustoleum silver bar-b-que grill paint. Cleaned insides of muffler system by various means & used EvapoRust,
then painted insides & exterior manifold section w bbq paint. Paint still intact.

Oxalic acid is the stuff for chrome. It's safe for painted parts too. The bicycle restoration guys swear by the stuff. Oxalic acid comes in many deck washing products and is dirt cheap and safe to dispose of. I filled an old garbage can with water and some oxalic acid powder and dunked my entire exhaust system in it with good results.

I thought it was odd that he used Evapo-Rust in his later comparison video rather than the phosphoric acid-based products (Krud Kutter, Naval Jelly) that outperformed the other products in his first video. Perhaps he liked the non-toxic and reusable aspects of Evapo-Rust? Or maybe he's just a clever marketer who knew that molasses getting curbstomped by phosphoric acid wouldn't draw views until the 10-minute ad marker on YouTube videos.

How does one safely dispose of phosphoric acid, anyways?

I've got a gallon of Kleen Strip Etch and Prep (phosphoric acid) and after using it I pour it back into the jug and recycle it again and again. A sludge builds up on the bottom of the jug but just leave it there and pour off whatever quantity you need for the job at hand.

Nessism wrote: Nice test but he forgot to test phosphoric acid. It's super effective against rust and is much less damaging than the muratic acid.

I love it!

Nessism wrote: Oxalic acid is the stuff for chrome. It's safe for painted parts too. The bicycle restoration guys swear by the stuff. Oxalic acid comes in many deck washing products and is dirt cheap and safe to dispose of. I filled an old garbage can with water and some oxalic acid powder and dunked my entire exhaust system in it with good results.

This.

I buy it online fairly inexpensive. Just dump the water out in your driveway when done, also used as wood bleach.