Rust "IN" the frame...

[RedBaron]

I have a uniform thin layer of light orange rust inside the stamped steel platform on which the battery box, on the left side, and the overflow bottle, on the right side, both rest. I can press down on the rusty area within using the factory stamped holes in the platform and the metal is still very strong and so it seem only to be surface rust and so I wish to keep it from eating down furthur and weaking that part of the frame.

Here is the question, what have you guys done about that rust assuming you also had it before painting your frame, did you treat it before sending it off or painting the frame yourself , and if so, what did you use to treat it?

Thanks ahead of time...

Red

[Lucky]

Sand blasting is effective if it's structuraly sound. Sandblasting does have the potential to weaken metal, but the home type kits aren't that strong.  you can even make one with playsand, a compressor, an air gun & some brass fittings.  i've done this & made a 'soda blaster" it's smaller scale & good for small parts.

other than that loosen what you can with whatever tools you can get in there & then pour in a few onces of Ospho. (phosphoric acid) or navel jelly.  it'll convert the rust to black metal.  rinse off, dry well & coat with oil, or paint with appliance epoxy paint.

the reason it's all rusty down there is twofold: 1) it gets a lot of road moisture (make sure there is good drainage) and 2) the vent from the batery dumps there.  make sure your vent hose extends well below this area.

--Lucky

[RedBaron]

Thank you very much, Lucky.

[QBS]

Phosphoric acid kills rust....dead.

Clean (wire brush, sand paper, whatever) rusty surfaces as best you can.

Wipe them down with damp rag.

Brush on phosphoric acid.

Wait 48 hours.

Wash and dry treated surfaces.

Paint or powder coat as soon as possible.

[The Prophet of Doom]

I am doing my frame now.
POR Strip & High Pressure hose.  3 coats to get everything removed
POR15 Marine Clean
POR15 Metal Ready
POR 15 Rust Preventative 2 coats                        <<== Up to here
POR 15 Tie Coat Primer
POR 15 Hardnose Top coat (Orange) 2 coats

Going well so far.  Sanding required between coats only if you let it cure like I did.  I got a lot of flash rusting from washing after the stripper and marine clean.  The metal ready made it disappear in seconds.
I'm brushing this stuff on, and it leaves no brush marks, though you do have to watch for runs.

[Night Vision]

I used a 30 gal garbage can and made a mild solution of muriatic acid.. dipped the frame twice, right side up and wrong side down...

took off paint and rust... then a baking soda bath and pressure wash, then por paint, then top coat...

careful using an acid bath on the removable frame piece.... it eats the mounting points  :P