How do you guys prevent winter salt damage?

[belfert]

I took my bus from Minnesota down to Florida for Bussin' 11 this past winter.  How do you prevent salt damage?

I have a number of latches and such that won't even operate anymore after just one 3,600 mile trip in the winter.  I've sprayed them down with penetrating lube to see if will they start working again.  I did spray WD-40 on some steel surfaces a couple of times, but not on the latches.

I probably should have taken the bus to a truck wash when I got back, but I didn't.  It was well below freezing when I got home so I couldn't hose off the bus at home.

[zubzub]

up here in the insane winter I live in we spray our vehicles with a kind of jellied vaseline like stuff.  buy it in 5 gallon drums, spray on with a specialized crude sprayer.  Actually really helps, has to be done every year to be succesful.  In your case with just one run a year maybe spray oil on all latches etc..before you leave.

[robertglines1]

Tried wd40 on wheels. stained them. determined best way is to just wax ahead of time and wash afterwards. For hinges wd40 would work  or any other petroleum product. In the old days I used diesel   on metal surfaces we didn't want rusted/corroded. This was a short term solution. Easily washed off. Not politically correct nowdays

[luvrbus]

This kinda like after the fact washing with water and soda works it removes the salt most all the commercial neutralizer are soda but after 6 months I have no idea what would work.
I understand about the freezing weather but most carriers wash the units every day the NJT buses were washed every night in the winter you could have saved yourself a lot of grief by stopping at a truck wash damaged is done now the worms are alive and well

good luck

[artvonne]

  How do you prevent salt damage?

   The only way to prevent salt damage is to stay out of salt. Once a vehicle runs the highway in heavy salt spray, it not much different than dunking it in the stuff, it sifts in eveywhere. You can wash it all you want but youll never get all of it. And everytime its humid and sweaty out it will be active.

   What you really meant to say is how do you live with it. Paint, oil, grease and wax. As long as salt, water and oxygen cant get into the metal,, it wont rust/corrode. At least not where you can see it.

[luvrbus]

Washing with soda seems to work that is what all the guys use leaving the Bonneville flats

good luck

[Van]

OH NO! not the worm!

[Dreamscape]

I'm not a big fan of WD-40. Use a Silicone spray instead, works much better and longer lasting. This is just for preventative maintenance, not sure if it would help with the salt problem or not.

[belfert]

I don't use WD-40 as a lubricant.  It was recommended to spray WD-40 on some of bare metal to lessen the rust issues.  I just didn't realize how much rust would occur in one trip on all the latches and such.  My generator is painted and even it has minor rust on it.

I live in Minneapolis and they use tons of salt here.  My car gets lots of salt exposure and the latches and such still work just fine.

[bevans6]

With my old engine it wasn't an issue - it wouldn't start when it was cold enough to need salt!   

The only way to prevent salt damage is to keep it from getting to the bits that will be damaged.  Either don't go there, or seal them up somehow.  Paint, wax, undercoating, materials that don't rust or otherwise corrode, plating, etc.  If you have rust already and just want to stop it getting worse, brushing then treating with phosphoric acid wash converts the rust and forms a tough coating that takes paint really well.  I've used the high-solids cold galvanizing paint to great effect, it really works. 

As noted, washing off after exposure is a good idea but it can also just force the salty water in even farther.  Neutralizing is a great idea.

Brian

[rv_safetyman]

Brian, I asked that same question to a Bonneville Forum.  Obviously, Bonneville has salt issues  .   Unfortunately, that site is down right now.  When it comes back up, I will post a  link to the thread, as it is pretty interesting.

One of the strongest recommendations was a product called Salt-X.  Here is the website:

http://www.saltx.com/


Jim

Update:  The site I mentioned is back up and the thread I mentioned is here:

http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,5708.0.html

[gus]

WD-40 is pretty much worthless in this case. The best thing is Corrosion-X or Boeshield which are made for aircraft use.

They are made to spray inside Al aircraft structures and work great. C-X will also stop battery corrosion cold. I use this stuff all the time on my buses. I just yesterday cleaned up the pos battery terminal on my granddaughters auto with C-X. It was nothing but one big fluffy ball of corrosion underneath one of those really dumb plastic terminal covers.

[JohnEd]

WD-40 is pretty much worthless

And Paul said that also and I will give that a big thumbs up.  WD40 is really great at displacing water so the oil you apply will get to the metal.  That's what the "WD" stands for.  It isn't worth a crap as a lube and disappears quickly....as it should by design.

Real men don't use WD for anything except......

John

[belfert]

Obviously, I should have done more research before my trip.  Paint has been suggested, but it would have been hard to paint stuff like latches.  I actually have some Boeshield, but I never thought about it for this.

The latches really aren't rusty.  They have a layer of corrosion that makes them not work, but it sure doesn't look like rust.

[robertglines1]

Brian ;you bring up a intresting subject with your last statement it really doesn't look like salt.   In Indiana they use allot of Beet Juice. It is unknown what this will do. is it sticky? more corrosive? or maybe cause locks to stick? Although salt is the main item they have been using alternative methods in our area for several years.  Better??