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ChrisTropea
ChrisTropea Associate Editor
12/8/22 4:26 p.m.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/epCT3lY9Uq4

Play with cars long enough and you’ll likely have to battle against rust­–but which method is most effective?

We’re in the shop comparing CRC Evapo-Rust, sand blasting and a wire wheel to find out.

Presented by CRC Industries.

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David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
12/8/22 4:51 p.m.

My experience with Evapo-rust: Evapo-rust just saved me $120

I've used it to clean up guitar parts, too. It's like magic. 

Opti
Opti Dork
12/8/22 8:11 p.m.

I dig evaporator, but it boils down to time.

Water pump bolts came out rusty and go back in now. Grinder with a wore wheel.

Rusty stuff comes out and I have some time, drop them in evaporator.

Stuff I want really nice. Blasting

20Ver
20Ver New Reader
12/8/22 11:10 p.m.

I'd love to see some info about replating hardware. Does Evaporust remove the zinc like sandblasting does?  What about the battery charger and sacrificial piece of metal? 

RonPNW
RonPNW New Reader
12/9/22 2:10 a.m.

All three methods have a place but the real tough problem is what to do after you have taken the rust off. Depending on where you live it could be rusty again in weeks.

For purely cosmetic and well protected spots I have had good luck with simply coating with floor wax. That would not last a day on a suspension bolt.

Aside from simply buying all new bolts what have folks done to restore plating on steel bolts?     (All new bolts is not a bad idea and the cost is not that bad, the tough part is getting all the correct dimensions and bolt types and then waiting for your bolts to ship.)

Thanx

Ron

RadBarchetta
RadBarchetta New Reader
12/9/22 10:04 a.m.

I see that taped up box of shop rags in the background and I feel like I'm amongst my people.

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
12/9/22 1:57 p.m.
RadBarchetta said:

I see that taped up box of shop rags in the background and I feel like I'm amongst my people.

EDIT: Ugh I guess we can't do gifs.

Oh well. That's actually my dad's corner of the shop, which is why it's somewhat clean. The rags are right above his never-ending assembly line of cockatoo chewies waiting to be turned into splinters.

OLWC
OLWC
12/9/22 2:14 p.m.

Where can I find Evapo Rust in the North Las Vegas NV area?

oneway
oneway New Reader
12/9/22 2:39 p.m.

When I first read about EVAP-O-RUST, I was very skeptical and purchased just the small sized product at O'REILLY AUTO PARTS to use in my long term resurrection project of my 1978 280Z.  That was about 7-8 years ago and have since purchased a couple of the big size containers.  It does lose it's potency after many cycles but one of the best products I have come across.  I simply pour the used EVAP-O-RUST from the parts containers-some identical to this video-through a couple of paper shop towels back into the EVAP-O-RUST container.  I highly recommend this great project.  Just wish I had a large enough container to dip my whole car into!  Thanks for a great video and the safety factor should be stressed even more.  Those wire bristles will fly and can be very dangerous.  The product also works OK if you soak some rags, wrap them around larger parts-control arms, mount brackets, etc-and the seal them with some Saran Wrap, and leave them a few days.  Thanks again for the great info, ONE WAY-John-Lugoff, SC.

93gsxturbo
93gsxturbo UltraDork
12/9/22 3:37 p.m.

Ive got a local yokel zinc plate shop that will recoat fasteners, your pick of bright finish, yellow, or black oxide.  Price is per batch, so run all your parts through at the same time.  Doesn't cost much.  

Noddaz
Noddaz GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
12/9/22 4:18 p.m.

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench at the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned guitar calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, "Ouch...."

NOHOME
NOHOME MegaDork
12/9/22 5:58 p.m.

Best thing I ever bought was a vibrating bowl of sand to do bolts and brackets. If I could build one to do a full car I would.

nlevine
nlevine GRM+ Memberand Reader
12/9/22 9:28 p.m.

I used the ziplock bag o' Evaporust method for the strut tops of my Porsche when I ran out of used plastic containers. Worked great...

 

Scott Skillman
Scott Skillman GRM+ Memberand New Reader
12/10/22 12:33 a.m.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I would urge everyone to see some real testing here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-MC_ZEXQbw

SkinnyG (Forum Supporter)
SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) PowerDork
12/10/22 12:54 a.m.

I blast fasteners through a metal strainer, just "sifting" the strainer to keep rotating and moving the fasteners.

Also started praying epoxy primer on the fasteners, also in the strainer, also sifting as I spray to get decent coating. 

deaconblue
deaconblue New Reader
12/11/22 10:54 a.m.

I have used Evaporust for several years now and liked the results, just need to soak the parts overnight.  The parts corroded in the first place since the tin or zinc coating was sacrificed.  So It would be smart to use something like the Eastwood electroplating kit to reapply a new protective coating on the part or if not a fastener then to paint the part.

earlybroncoguy1
earlybroncoguy1 Reader
12/12/22 9:33 a.m.
jharry3
jharry3 GRM+ Memberand Dork
3/22/23 1:08 p.m.

 

Here you go.  Testing from Machinist's Workshop Magazine

Noddaz
Noddaz GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
6/21/23 3:57 p.m.

I am  thinking of getting a length of gutter from a home store and use it to hold the Evapo-rust.  This will let me soak the lower three inches of my Jetta doors with the doors still on the car.

 

 

Panhandler
Panhandler GRM+ Memberand New Reader
6/21/23 4:05 p.m.

In reply to jharry3 :

Used this for years. Never fails...

hybridmomentspass
hybridmomentspass Dork
6/21/23 10:34 p.m.

Bought a gallon off of amazon and I can say Im THRILLED with it.  I was shocked by how easy it was

I had some older bolts on the Land Cruiser and first started with a wire wheel and it was tedious and had metal wires flying about.

Got this, dropped them in an old talenti container - next day they looked like new!

Used it on a few parts and was sold

jwagner (Forum Supporter)
jwagner (Forum Supporter) HalfDork
10/20/23 10:24 a.m.

I used a lot of Evaporust building the Exocet.  Started with a '96 Miata and wanted EVERY fastener rust free.  The thing I never figured out is how the rough surface left behind after the rust is gone affects how you should torque the bolts.  It's definitely not the same finish as a new fastener.

lieb923
lieb923 New Reader
10/25/23 8:26 p.m.
hybridmomentspass said:

Bought a gallon off of amazon and I can say Im THRILLED with it.  I was shocked by how easy it was

I had some older bolts on the Land Cruiser and first started with a wire wheel and it was tedious and had metal wires flying about.

Got this, dropped them in an old talenti container - next day they looked like new!

Used it on a few parts and was sold

 

lieb923
lieb923 New Reader
10/25/23 8:26 p.m.
hybridmomentspass said:

Bought a gallon off of amazon and I can say Im THRILLED with it.  I was shocked by how easy it was

I had some older bolts on the Land Cruiser and first started with a wire wheel and it was tedious and had metal wires flying about.

Got this, dropped them in an old talenti container - next day they looked like new

Used it on a few parts and was sold

 

rande
rande New Reader
10/25/23 8:36 p.m.
hybridmomentspass said:

Bought a gallon off of amazon and I can say Im THRILLED with it.  I was shocked by how easy it was

I had some older bolts on the Land Cruiser and first started with a wire wheel and it was tedious and had metal wires flying about.

Got this, dropped them in an old talenti container - next day they looked like new!

Used it on a few parts and was sold

I've also found it at Harbor Freight.

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