Rust prevention?

[jsfbond]

Okay; you guys who know metal, and its many quirky properties, chime in on this one. The newest wheel weights are made of zinc, and zinc by contact will "sacrifice" to protect an adjoining metal.

Why can't we (old car owners) attach these to flanges all over the car body and frame to prevent the advance of rust?

 

[tdskip]

You'd have to treat the whole car...

 

[Andrew Mace]

I tried but couldn't get the car to stay on the bubble balancer.

[ rimshot ]

 

[jsfbond]

I tried but couldn't get the car to stay on the bubble balancer.

[ rimshot ]

AND YOU DON'T WONDER WHY YOUR NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE STATE OF NEW YORK?

 

[71MKIV]

I think the key would be the "adjoining"

In a water heater the water does the job of the "adjoining"

Attach one to the lip of the fenders, drop one down in the sills

Dunno.

'course that's what hot dip galvanize is, it's coating the whole thing with zinc.

then you gas yourself when you weld on it.

ps, I like the rimshot emoticon.

 

[angelfj1]

Okay; you guys who know metal, and its many quirky properties, chime in on this one. The newest wheel weights are made of zinc, and zinc by contact will "sacrifice" to protect an adjoining metal.

Why can't we (old car owners) attach these to flanges all over the car body and frame to prevent the advance of rust?

There have been rust and corrosion prevention systems marketed for cars for donkey's years, and they work about as well as snake oil.

Attaching zinc anodes to the steel sheet metal or chassis "all over the car" , in the presence of moisture, any moisture, will cause electrolytic corrosion at each junction (steel/zinc). So, rust and corrosion will increase not decrease.

Now, if you wanted to bury your car or float it in water, sacrificial anodes might help. But under normal operating conditions your tires provide enough insulation to prevent significant current flow from car to the earth.

 

[AEW]

Agree, I've never heard that the add on things work. So that said has anybody ever had experience with a powered cathodic protection device? I mean one in your garage where the wet car gets parked 99% of its life... a clip to the bumper when you park it.

just feference info...
https://140.194.76.129/publications/armytm/tm5-692-2/c-29.pdf
specifically note section 29-2.b

 

[CJD]

For the zinc to work, you have to be operating in a medium which conducts current. Air will not, and fresh water is a poor conductor. If you do a lot of salt water boating with your car, though, it will work great!

Any powered device has the same restriction...you have to complete the circuit through a conductive medium.

John

 

[UltimateQuestion]

I think the only sure bet for rust prevention is an airtight hermetically sealed, inert gas filled storage cocoon! But where's the fun in that?

 

[NutmegCT]

I think the only sure bet for rust prevention is an airtight hermetically sealed, inert gas filled storage cocoon! But where's the fun in that?

hmmm - aren't those the cars that are rolled out of enclosed trailers and usually win at Concours competitions?

<ducks and runs>

T.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

I think the only sure bet for rust prevention is an airtight hermetically sealed, inert gas filled storage cocoon! But where's the fun in that?

hmmm - aren't those the cars that are rolled out of enclosed trailers and usually win at Concours competitions?

<ducks and runs>

T.

Yeah, but due to inflation, most of them resell equal to less than original MSRP. I love watching barrett jackson with my inflation calculator when these things roll up onto the block. Those beauties took up garage space for decades and not only could you not drive it, but you couldnt even see it or sit in it. What a waste. I would say great for buyer, bad for seller, but at that point, would you drive it? To quote Harrison Ford: "It belongs in a museum!"