Favorite methods to remove Rust and Grime. Chrome and Aluminum

[Mr_Dunev]

So I am planning on starting my LONG airhead rebuild in the next week or so, and it's about time I started thinking about cleaning the old girl.
I have been looking into a few different methods of removing the little bit of rust there is. I want to bring the bike back to life.

However the whole bike is pretty filthy, and I'm not sure if I should take parts to be bead blasted, or if I should sand them down.
Also do you guys use any products on the dirt or rust?

I'll try to show some photo's to show the different parts of the bike. The rust isn't too bad, i think it spent most of it's time indoors when not running.













Luckily most of the chrome is in really good shape! I just wanted to show you what kind of cleaning I was going to have to do. If you guys have tips on cleaning, I promise to make a thread showing my progress ;D

A buddy said I should bead blast the aluminum, and sand down rusted the chrome.

I don't plan on turning the bike into a showroom piece or anything, but I still want it to be CLEAN.

Thanks for the help!
Lucas

 

[dualitymike]

Bead blasting might be a bit aggressive for aluminum. See if someone in your area does soda blasting or vapour blasting. Aside from a thin layer of aluminum oxide, your aluminum parts look fine.

 

[Bozz]

Some of the old time Airhead guys swear by Petrolium jelly and scotchbright pads to take the oxide off without disturbing the aluminum.


I do not yet have any first hand experience with it, but I've seen the same thing mentioned by several people over the years...

 

[treitz]

I used scotch brite pads on my aluminum parts last night and really like how they turned out. They will scratch (which I'm okay with because I like the "brushed aluminum" look), but you can get rid of the scratches with a high grain sand paper and bring them to a nice shine if you're willing to take the time.

For chrome I have used SOS pads without scratching.

 

[Bruiserinok]

We do soda blasting here in Tulsa Ok. You can see results here www.sodaoftulsa.com also on FB https://www.facebook.com/pages/Soda-Blasting-Of-Tulsa/335180013256580

 

[Bruiserinok]

PS I love my airhead
76' R90 with 100K miles on her, she leaks, smokes when she first fires up, shes perfect and just like yours with the big tank.
The soda blasting is great for stripping paint also

 

[Teddy21502]

I am definitely going to try the SOS pads on my chrome, thanks for the tip.

 

[Sonreir]

For stripping both chrome and rust, it's hard to beat muriatic acid:

Before:

After:

 

[Mr_Dunev]

Cool guys these are all great ideas! keep 'em coming. I am going to see if I can find a friend with an air compressor to make my own soda blaster.

Does the acid strip the chrome too?

 

[speedfourjoe]

I like Noxon 7 metal polish for making old chrome look decent. Waxing it afterward will slow the rust from returning.




For very rusty or peeling chrome I'll sandblast and paint. The chrome doesn't need to be completely removed if it isn't peeling or flaking, but just roughed up for paint adhesion.






Sandblasting works great for removing rust and paint from steel parts.




For bare aluminum I first use paint stripper to remove the clear coat if it has any, then wet sand with soapy water using 600 to 1000 grit paper, and then polish with Autosol.

 

[speedfourjoe]

Here is a quick way to do a clean brushed look on aluminum you don't want to polish.


Give it a light sandblasting.


Use wax and a scotchbrite pad to rub it out.


The lighter one isn't rubbed out with wax yet.


Done.

 

[titan5699]

I've used Metal Rescue. It's great for removing rust and it's safe on painted metal. Let the part soak overnight and in most cases it looks good as new. It saved me a lot of money in new parts. All my chrome pieces look great. My shifter, brake pedal and fenders came out great.

 

[Seaking]

And I thought my 83 GS650G was rusty.. very similar condition to your bike. As a n00be, I'd been trying various methods to see what works best for my needs and here's what I've discovered thus far. The more experienced folks out there will no doubt have better solutions than what I've gone through with my tests...

Frame and steel parts, I tried the stainless steel and brass wire wheel but felt the slight lines it leaves in the metal were unsightly.. I then used 80 grit glass blasting and it did a nicer job, getting into the little areas that the wire wheel couldn't. But though not as abrasive as sand blasting, it still left some 'marking' on the steel. After washing the parts off, I rubbed green scotch bright over all the parts to smooth out the metal and cleaned them off before painting and I quite liked what it did. I did try soda blasting but either my nozzle is too large or my compressor output isn't adequate enough to get into the steel nice enough. (lacking CFM, have a new nozzle being machined to increase CFM with slightly smaller nozzle orifice)

Oddly enough, I had wired wheeled a section of the frame in the back of the bike to test various paints.. One section was left bare metal for over 2 weeks now and it's not flash rusted yet.

Aluminum parts like engine covers, brake calipers etc, Soda blasting worked super nice. Gets rid of all the crud and what ever was left of the clear coat. Left a nice smooth undisturbed finish to the aluminum surface. Even rust pitted chrome surfaced were cleaned up nicely using soda as it will take the rust stains off the chrome and for the pieces I've done thus far, doesn't hurt the chrome (early 80s Suzukis were notorious for horrible chrome..) I've taken the aluminim engine side covers to the buffing station, using sisal wheel down to loose spiral stages with compounds to flatten the ridges and ploishing. They come out looking like chrome, but for some strange reason, every time I tried to put a protecting film of aluminum polish, they would turn hazy again. I then tried the 'brushed aluminum' look using soap and scotch bright and like THAT a lot.. At least the surfaces are flat and if I ever discover why I get the haze effect after polishing, they are ready for polishing..

All the hardware I've removed from the bike that were heavily or lightly crusted in rust I've soaked them in Evop-Rust. I had several cups laying around the shop with various hardware pieces soaking for a day or more to bring them back to life. You can re-use the product until it gets dark and its enviromentally safe-ish to toss out..

So far, this has worked for me, but always interested in learning and trying new techniques.

Cheers

 

[clem]

Wet aluminum in rusty chrome.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

4 ought (0000) steel wool on the chrome, keep turning it to the clean side. Much cheaper than SOS pads... also works well on aluminum when wetted down with ATF or WD40
Rusty steel, Blast.

 

[runmikeyrun]

For surface rust or light pitting on chrome, 0000 steel wool is amazing.

I like Milkstone remover (Tractor Supply Co, basically phosphoric acid) for heavier rust on chrome that steel wool won't handle. Eats the rust but leaves the chrome alone. Get a gallon or two and fill a 5 gal bucket with the MSR and water. Leave part inside (completely submerged) for 1-3 days. Just remember, it is water based so when the part comes out thoroughly dry it and polish the chrome with a good chrome polish. I usually wipe it down best I can with a rag, and use a hair dryer on the non-chrome sections (like underside of a fender) to get it really really dry.
It also works WONDERS on rusty gas tanks, fill em up and let sit for 3 days. Eats all the rust and converts the steel to an oxide that won't rust- no need for Kreem or other liners.

 

[Killman77]

For chrome I use Coca Cola and aluminium foil. Cheap and fast, doesn't hurt the chrome. You still get left with the pitting, though.
Evapo Rust is the shit for steel.
Nylon wheel for aluminum, (spell check says the other spelling is right, but it looks limey/pretentious, so the Hell with it) haven't found a clear-coat for aluminum yet, thinking about trying Shark Hide, and if their polishing product works like it's supposed to, that'd save me from farting around with different wheels and compounds too. Anyone got any firsthand experience with the stuff? Supposed to last for 7-8 years...

 

[K0Kid]

For surface rust or light pitting on chrome, 0000 steel wool is amazing.

I like Milkstone remover (Tractor Supply Co, basically phosphoric acid) for heavier rust on chrome that steel wool won't handle. Eats the rust but leaves the chrome alone. Get a gallon or two and fill a 5 gal bucket with the MSR and water. Leave part inside (completely submerged) for 1-3 days. Just remember, it is water based so when the part comes out thoroughly dry it and polish the chrome with a good chrome polish. I usually wipe it down best I can with a rag, and use a hair dryer on the non-chrome sections (like underside of a fender) to get it really really dry.
It also works WONDERS on rusty gas tanks, fill em up and let sit for 3 days. Eats all the rust and converts the steel to an oxide that won't rust- no need for Kreem or other liners.

Almost all metal preps and rust removers use phosphoric acids (even soda or Coke, read the label). You can buy it at Home Depot in the paint aisle as "metal prep" 15.00 for a gallon. Follow directions or dilute as req'd. when dried it leaves an oxide coating ready for paint.
A number of years back when "Naval Jelly" was bought by Duro Corp I asked their corporate office where I could get Naval Jelly for aluminum and they replied we stopped marketing it due to low sales. I asked what the difference was between it and the jelly for steel, they actually told me it was just half strentgth and to go ahead and use the stuff made for steel(its phosphoric acid also).
In another forum and club we use "Easy Off" oven cleaner on aluminum engine blocks 2, 5-10 minute sessions and rinse well between, wash all the dirt, grime and oil with soap and water first. The "Easy Off" will get rid of the crud on the aluminum and make it like new. if you wait to long it will turn it black,watch it. I use 4xxxx steel wool also very soft fine no scratching. For steel as others have said. Good luck.

 

[behrboy]

Good info here. Thanks to all who posted.