Road salt neutralizer.

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rfoll
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Road salt neutralizer.

Post by rfoll »

just bought a 2013 Sienna that lived for 30K in Brooklyn NY. There is a haze of salt damage on the aluminum engine parts. Is there a chemical product I can apply to neutralize or remove the corrosion from the aluminum and chassis parts and prevent further damage? They don't salt the roads in Oregon but it will see plenty of water from the monsoon rains we have in the winter.
So much to do, so little time...
lefty o
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by lefty o »

hose it down with pb blaster or something similiar. best way to eliminate salts though is to thoroughly flush with water.
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by BirdMan »

Possibly uncoated mag wheel cleaner which I have used on alum. intake manifolds that come out looking new.
Dale C.
rfoll
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by rfoll »

Do you have a product name? I have some generic aluminum cleaner, but after I use it I have to neutralize the acid it contains. I am also concerned about the other parts of the underside of the car. I lived in upstate NY and I know for a fact the effects of the road salt don't go away when you move the car to Oregon.
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F-BIRD'88
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by F-BIRD'88 »

Road salt is usually calcium chloride or some like derivative of that.
Like common table salt is sodium chloride.
These are both caustic 'Bases" as opposed to "acids" acidic ...

Both caustic bases and acids with water Humidity and oxygen (AIR)
allows and accelerates corrosion (rusting) of metals. (aluminum and steel etc)
You can neutralize the caustic base by applying the opposite. (A acid)
Vinegar is a mild acid.
So spray it down with a mix of water and Vinegar or straight 5% common household vinegar. You can load your power washer with common (5%) vinegar
and or 50-50 water vinegar mix
Vinegar is also a decent mild degreaser-cleaner.

THen get rid of the moisture (water) by spraying it down with RustCheck
or Crown automotive rust treatment. They both work.
They both essentially stop further corrosion action on cars.
They both need periodic re application on cars and trucks to stop metal corrosion.
Yearly is best.
Both these products work better at stopping corrosion than oil spraying and better than WD-40 (which contains some water).
Google search for your local "Crown" or "RustCheck" anti corrosion dealer.
They both work good.
F-BIRD'88
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by F-BIRD'88 »

Vinegar is a mild acid and also a mild degreaser. removes oils and greases.
So...after running vinegar thru your power washer, drain it and refill and flush out with water and a bit (solution) of bean oil or vegetable oil or WD 40 or the rust check to re lube up the insides and seals in your power washer.
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by F-BIRD'88 »

re RustCheck ing your car or truck to stop corrosion.

After getting it RustCheck ed, for the drive home, clean the windshield
and the WIPER BLADES with Sunlight liquid dish soap...

After you get your vehicle RustCheck ed let it be for a few days...
Then wash the outside of your vehicle and windows as normally, with common Sunlight liquid hand dishwash soap.
If it drips on your driveway wash down the driveway with some Sunlight dish soap+water and power wash it.
It will stop dripping within a few days. It will not hurt your driveway.

none of this will REMOVE the aluminum Oxide corrosion that is already there.
But will stop further rusting corrosion from eating your car/truck.
To remove the surface oxidation (rusting) of the cast aluminum will require sandblasting or bead blasting or soda blasting to get it off.
Aluminum wheel cleaner may take some of it off.
The wheel cleaner is also either a caustic (base) or acid cleaner
so it needs to be neutralized also.
use the opposite to neutralize
EG; to neutralize a salt based base use a MILD acid like Vinegar.

To neutralize a acid use a MILD sodium base like common Baking soda (sodium Bi carbonate)
or Soda water / tonic water
Shiny polished or machined aluminum surfaces will be pitted by the oxidation (rusting).
rfoll
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by rfoll »

I like the idea of the vinegar, but my wife might not like the smell. I'm certain the aluminum cleaner will solve the problem on theose parts, but I think it might not be best for the sheet metal. I have not been under the car yet. Fortunately, the car was from Brooklyn, probably didn't see the huge salt applications of the major highways. People from the east coast,(like me), are often shocked to see 50+ year old cars with 0 corrosion.
So much to do, so little time...
j-c-c
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by j-c-c »

Are there two different materials you are concerned about, steel and alum? Removing the corrosive agent by diluting and flushing is simplest, but not sure if every crevice will be cleaned, even with a pressure wash. Alum forms its own very durable long lasting protective layer once oxidized, problem I believe that the layer formed from chlorine it is not as durable, it needs to be simply removed and normal air will take care of the rest, do not oil initially. It can be as mentioned, chemically removed, or mechanically, the issue with chemical is you have added another agent to trap and then remove, and steel has its own issues.
rfoll
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by rfoll »

The obvious damage is on the aluminum. My concern is the effects of the road salt on the small crevices in the bodywork of the underside of the car. I'm looking for something I can spray on those areas to prevent damage further down the road. I plan on keeping this car for 150,000 miles.
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j-c-c
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by j-c-c »

Enclosed steel, I be would nervous any special solution, would be, on a micro scale too strong, or too weak, for any trapped residue salts, and maybe just cause more harm. In that case, use the best flush procedure, for the longest time, is the safest route IMO, and then attempt to keep water out of the area of concern, and then use a oil/wax rust preventive coating to keep any dampness from activating any left over salts. At that point, just hammer down, and worry about if air bag works, etc :D
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by F-BIRD'88 »

Vinegar only has a smell when its wet. When it dries there is no smell.It is gone.
No residue. no lingering smell.

The Rust Check displaces any all water. It is what stops further rusting.
It works. It gets everywhere. Applied at high pressure. Effective creeping agent.
It gets in all the seams. Smells nice. Does not eat swell rubber like oil spraying does.

http://www.rustcheck.com
rfoll
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by rfoll »

F-BIRD'88 wrote:Vinegar only has a smell when its wet. When it dries there is no smell.It is gone.
No residue. no lingering smell.

The Rust Check displaces any all water. It is what stops further rusting.
It works. It gets everywhere. Applied at high pressure. Effective creeping agent.
It gets in all the seams. Smells nice. Does not eat swell rubber like oil spraying does.

http://www.rustcheck.com
Which product? They show many on their website.
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F-BIRD'88
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by F-BIRD'88 »

It is the Rust Inhibitor that they spray your whole car with.
You take the car to them. They do it. You don't have the right equipment to do it right.
They do.
rfoll
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Re: Road salt neutralizer.

Post by rfoll »

There is no such animal in this area. A few locations in BC hundreds of miles away.
So much to do, so little time...
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