OT- Removing Rust

[Big Bore 94]

I accumulate older BMW airheads. I was wondering if anyone had any easy rust removing solution to clean up the exhaust fin clamps. Would gun bluing/rust remover possibly work... I am not sure what type metal is used for that part. But Break Free, Elbow grease and brushes is slower than I imagined. Thanks in advance for any tips.

[Cliff]

Phosphoric acid (sp) available at paint stores will remove old rust and anything else that gets in its way. Naval Jelly is very good for removing rust. The commercial rust removal products all work good. I believe they only attack ferious (STEEL OR IRON) metals as well. Just check with a paint supply store I am sure they have what you need. ATB

[Big Bore 94]

Thanks for the information.

[Rusty]

If you're sitting around the house today and noting is open to be able to get phos acid maybe some Coke would work, it has Phos acid in it. I used to haul the stuff right from the plant it doesn't burn like other acids unless you get it in your eyes. In fact if you get it in a cut it will cause the cut to heal in record time.

[Grizz]

I accumulate older BMW airheads. I was wondering if anyone had any easy rust removing solution to clean up the exhaust fin clamps. Would gun bluing/rust remover possibly work... I am not sure what type metal is used for that part. But Break Free, Elbow grease and brushes is slower than I imagined. Thanks in advance for any tips.

trying to picture it. do you have a picture? the finned exhaust nuts at the cylinder head? mine are aluminum. is the rust bleeding from the pipes?

so, what airheads do you have in your herd? I only have one, an '79 R65, but I used to have an R50 that I rode across country twice, and an R60 that I rolled all around California.......

let's see whatcha got, if you don't mind expanding the thread.

Regards,

Grizz

[PaulB]

Look up a product called "rusteco". Best thing out there for cleaning things like the insides of gas tanks, because it does not attack painted surfaces. Expensive, though...

[Big Bore 94]

71 R75/5, 79 R100/7, 80 R100T Baskets. A 77 R100/7, 78 R100/7, 82 R65LS!!!, and a 82 R80 down Lousiana way. A 2007 Royal Enfield Iron head Bullet, and a 78 SOHC CB750K. In the daylight it looks like some road tar also between the fins. Wish I was 30 years younger.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

I accumulate older BMW airheads. I was wondering if anyone had any easy rust removing solution to clean up the exhaust fin clamps. Would gun bluing/rust remover possibly work... I am not sure what type metal is used for that part. But Break Free, Elbow grease and brushes is slower than I imagined. Thanks in advance for any tips.

Big,
Years ago I was a Harley hack. I had a part time bike shop and did paint and rebuilts. The Harley heads and crank case are aluminum casting. I suspect the BMW's are too. Ideally you would bead blast the parts before assemble but I had good results using Easy Off oven cleaner on the aluminum parts. It's somewhat caustic so it will slightly etch them. But, you may want to mask off the cast iron cylinders so that the Easy-Off doesn't flatten the black paint. Spray it on, let it set then water flush it off.
If the exhaust fin clamps are a plated steel and it has rust the Easy-Off will help kill the rust, too. The B&C bluing/rust remover is acidic and fairly aggressive. It may get under the plating causing it to peel.

[Big Bore 94]

On that silly experimental tank the M60A2 It did have a manual overide crank so it was sort of a levergun. The M60A2 had a 156mm bore and could also fire a laser guided missile out of the cannon. Cleaning the rotating and locking electric fired breach took at least an hour. The main gun cartridge case was completely combustible. It looked liked compessed cardbord and burnt like almost pure nitrate. We had 3000 PSI air tanks to hopefully clear any remaining hot embers. A GI tried Easy Oven cleaner once and made the process about a five minute task. TANKS! I had forgotten that trick.

[Cliff]

I thought I would weigh in again on removing rust. I recall some people recommend boiling the rusted parts, if they will fit into a pot. Get the rusted parts up to the tempurature of the boiling water and leave it there a while. This loosens the rust, then after removing it from the boiling water and still somewhat hot using a scrub brush and turpentine will usually pop the rust off. This technique is used in museums in restoring rusted antique guns and such. Turpentine is kind of nasty, but boiling will get the oils and paints if present loosened up. The museums had a vacum cabinet, called it their rust sucker probably not practicle for your use. OF course this type of rust remove will leave the surface prone to rusting so you need to oil or whatever to protect the finish. Just another old idea. Good Luck.