Rusting Frame - Should I Paint It?

[Camprunner]

When changing my oil on my 2012 Nissan Pathfinder I noticed some rust spots on the frame so is it best to leave it alone or paint the spots? If I do paint what should I use Rustolium?

Living here in Western Massachusetts rust on cars is a never ending battle!

 

[Bambam]

Fluid film, not a paint, just a non-toxic coating that stops rust and forms a barrier. Not permanent, I reapply every summer, easy with spray cans and fairly quick to do.

 

[deanm11]

I keep the rust at bay on my Tahoe's frame with POR and paint. Every other Spring works well for me. I apply the POR by brush and then use a Rustoleum spray bomb. I do an ok job in something like 3-4 hours.

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: Bambam
Fluid film, not a paint, just a non-toxic coating that stops rust and forms a barrier. Not permanent, I reapply every summer, easy with spray cans and fairly quick to do.


yup this, once you have rust start you don't want to lock it in with paint. Get something that seeps in like FF.

 

[Donald]

See how far you are from Dogeville NY. Go to the Rust Cop Shop there and have them and have them spray CarWell. It will be $100. Watch Cliff. Buy a gallon of the product and touch up on your own yearly.

You will never get paint into all the crevices and anything you apply will get scratched off with rocks and ice over time.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Bambam
Fluid film, not a paint, just a non-toxic coating that stops rust and forms a barrier. Not permanent, I reapply every summer, easy with spray cans and fairly quick to do.


yup this, once you have rust start you don't want to lock it in with paint. Get something that seeps in like FF.


The POR full treatment is a rust treatment followed by a cleaning followed by POR-15. It's like a hard coating that prevents oxygen from getting in. It works great if you can treat, clean and paint the area. But the underside of a car is full of crevices, hidden and blocked areas, fasteners. Not like a flat piece of steel.

 

[stockrex]

Originally Posted By: deanm11

I keep the rust at bay on my Tahoe's frame with POR and paint. Every other Spring works well for me. I apply the POR by brush and then use a Rustoleum spray bomb. I do an ok job in something like 3-4 hours.


POR, I watched it on trucks like 15 year back,
where did ya find it?

Op, POR is good stuff, brush off the loose stuff clean it, degrease it, POR it,

 

[deanm11]

Originally Posted By: stockrex
Originally Posted By: deanm11

I keep the rust at bay on my Tahoe's frame with POR and paint. Every other Spring works well for me. I apply the POR by brush and then use a Rustoleum spray bomb. I do an ok job in something like 3-4 hours.


POR, I watched it on trucks like 15 year back,
where did ya find it?

Op, POR is good stuff, brush off the loose stuff clean it, degrease it, POR it,


I have bought it at an auto swap meet (Carlisle, PA) and also have gotten some from a family friend who works for the company local to me in NJ. I get the smallest cans so I don't have to pour it into another container or re-seal.

Eastwood has it:

http://www.eastwood.com/por-15-black-rust-paint.html

 

[Linctex]

An old paint brush and used motor oil will fix that problem.

 

[Ducked]

Sunflower oil. Thin (diesel)/heat it until you can spray it.

I havn't decided whether its better to add motor oil or not, but I usually do. I don't use used motor oil because it contains dioxins, but it'd probably work.

Abrade actual rust spots you can get at with aluminium, by hand +/or with a power drill.

 

[stephen9666]

Another vote for Fluid Film.

 

[Ethan1]

Fluid Film is viewed as a magical elixir on this forum, but it isn't going to provide much benefit at all when applied to a rusty part. There are plenty of trucks on the road that have decades-old rusty frames. If you don't want to see any rust, you have to undercoat the vehicle when it is new.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Fluid Film is viewed as a magical elixir on this forum, but it isn't going to provide much benefit at all when applied to a rusty part.


Sure it will offer a benefit. It will slow or stop future rusting.

It's an exaggeration to say it's considered a "magical elixir." It's an affordable, easy-to-obtain, easy-to-DIY way to help prevent rust. That's why it's so popular.

 

[danthaman1980]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Fluid Film is viewed as a magical elixir on this forum, but it isn't going to provide much benefit at all when applied to a rusty part.


Sure it will offer a benefit. It will slow or stop future rusting.

It's an exaggeration to say it's considered a "magical elixir." It's an affordable, easy-to-obtain, easy-to-DIY way to help prevent rust. That's why it's so popular.


+1, Fluid Film is inexpensive, easy to find, and it will slow down the rust. The downside: it doesn't last long. Needs to be re-applied every ~6 months at least.

For a more semi-permanent solution, look into Cortec VPCI-368. It is expensive, but much better than Fluid Film.

 

[Ethan1]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
It will slow or stop future rusting.


How will it stop rust?

 

[Johnny2Bad]

If you have a body-on-frame vehicle, I'd concern myself with body rust only. Let the frame do what it may; it's thick enough (or at least is on North American vehicles) to outlast the vehicle.

 

[andyd]

Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
If you have a body-on-frame vehicle, I'd concern myself with body rust only. Let the frame do what it may; it's thick enough (or at least is on North American vehicles) to outlast the vehicle.
Maybe where you live where its frozen and they don't melt it with salt. I've been spending my spare time replacing the bottom of the left frame rail of the Rat. Best is to wash the crud out of where it collects before rust proofing. After using a knotted wire wheel in a 4" grinder to knock off the loose stuff, I've been using boiled linseed oil on the frame. I thin it with denatured alcohol, because I had it.

 

[VNTS]

go to eastwoods, buy some converter, then prime with Rust encapsulator, top coat with chasis black epoxy.

if there is rust inside the boxed section on an older vehichle frame or rockers, use their inner frame coating.

fluid film is good for new or newer cars, flood the inner frames, rocker boxes, inner doors, hatches and what not.

use the waxy coatings over the paint on the floor and wheel wells, fluid film will get washed off.

 

[Donald]

FF and CarWell and Krown all soak into rust. They will deal with the rust but must be applied yearly. CarWell says spring is best.

I sold my 2001 Jeep GC and 1999 Dodge Ram for more than average as there was no rust on the Jeep and very minor rust on the Dodge Ram. I looked at other ones from similar years and they were a lot worse in the rust area. Both of those vehicles had several years of CarWell treatment.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
It will slow or stop future rusting.


How will it stop rust?


It should stop oxygen and water from reaching the metal. Salt too. Should. I'm not sure at the moment that I've seen it stop rust on my fleet. Too few examples to call data, but I swear, stuff is rusting anyhow.