Hi all,
am thrashing on Jeep again... vehicle is mostly rust free (surprisingly, since it's from PA) but I've started ripping the old rear bumper and gas tank skid plate off so as to install a new rear bumper that isn't made from poop and fail, and has proper D-ring tabs and a Class 3 receiver for it.
So far, I've managed to destroy everything that I needed to and nothing that I didn't want to, so I've got that going for me.
However, as part of this exercise, me being as I am, all of the little bits that came off that need to go back on I would like to have cleaned and painted so that they won't be overly rusty (or just plain gone) in another 14 years when I take it apart again (or more likely, my cousin's little son, who thinks this Jeep is the greatest thing since sliced bread, does.)
My usual weapon of choice is the magic derusting tank, the electrolytic thing that if you haven't used yet, you should. Basically just take a large plastic (non-conductive) container, a piece of scrap steel, some water, and a little bit of washing soda to make the water conductive, hook your 12V power supply or old battery charger up to the scrap (+ive) and piece you want to clean up (-ive) let sit for a few hours et voila. Nothing short of miraculous.
Well, that alone caused an issue, I've been using the crap out of the thing and I'm nearly out of washing soda. Apparently Ace Hardware is the ONLY store in my area that sells it anymore - I called or stopped by all of the grocery stores, big box hardware stores, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. - no can do. But at least I have some, and also found a pool supply place that will sell me some soda ash if I go back with a container (which I probably will, because they're much closer than the nearest Ace.)
Next issue - the gas tank skid plate. It's far bigger than my container, and even just the flanges where the rust is won't fit in. So I figured I'd drop back and mechanically remove as much as I can (angle grinder, then wire brush) then finish with some phosphoric acid solution e.g. "Metal Ready" or similar and just use some rust-oleum rusty metal crap which I normally hate because it's so soft but hey, it's not going to get damaged and I'll just coat it with roofing tar anyway where it mates to the frame rails.
Issue: Phosphoric acid, "metal ready" etc. seems to also be similarly off the shelves of anywhere that I'd expect to find it. I did pick up a jug of something called "Evapo-Rust" we will see how that works out but I have to admit that I'm awful skeptical of anything that I haven't used before because nothing that I've found ever seems to work any better than the two old reliables, phosphoric acid and the electrolytic tanks.
Where are you guys finding phosphoric acid, or are you all having the same problems?
I'm starting to think that $250 for a shiny new skid plate, while a lot of money, might not be exorbitant considering the PITA that this exercise is turning out to be given all the time that I've spent trying to find supplies and not waving a spray bomb or turning wrenches...
nate