Diff Case Refurbishment

[Rosc0PColtrane]

I'm going to take the slipper off my scrapper soon. The case has some obvious surface rust. I'd like to clean it down and repaint it. Any tips on the best way to approach this?

I'm thinking wire brush, scotchbrite followed by hammerite.

Also thinking about soaking in a vat of vinegar. I'm not a big fan of manual labour, and vinegar is meant to be awesome for removing rust.

The car it's going on is a cheapie, so not looking to spend shit loads sand blasting etc etc, it's got to be DIY-tastic and council to boot!

My thinking is the diff will outlast the car, so wish to conserve it really.

Cheers peeps!

[march109]

How long can you do withought it?

Vinegar is good, tried it the other day, BUT you need alot of it and time!

Coke is next up, wire brush it first to take the worst of it off and let the vinegar do the hard work.

[Rosc0PColtrane]

TBH mate, no real rush, slippers are just better than open wrongness!!

[maxfield]

^^^ Beat me to it.

Seen it before and does come up well.

[march109]

TBH mate, no real rush, slippers are just better than open wrongness!!

You could give it to mne to sort then? I can shot blast it if you want if I can get the compressor plugged in and running.

[Rosc0PColtrane]

You're more than welcome to explore your rust fetishes with it, should you so fancy. Though I have no shekels to rewards your efforts with, our household income has halved with Laura being on maternity and Maisie joining us. To put it into perspective, it's a £400 car! TBH I'm not overly comfortable with extorting your time for no real ends mate, it sounds like a lot of effort for which you'd surely deserve some recompense?

[E30BeemerLad]

if it looks like it has come from the bottom of the ocean and has thick flakes/layers then bash it with a hammer. Then a wire brush on an angle grinder.

or for the armchair method

http://www.bilthamber.com/deoxgel.html

[march109]

Mate I don't care about the money, I want rusty parts to play with. I won't be doing it for free forever though . I have many many rust killers to test.

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Cheers dude, we'll cross paths at the SW meet, or en route?

[march109]

Both unless one of us gets lost!

[e30325itourer]

TBH mate, no real rush, slippers are just better than open wrongness!!

You could give it to mne to sort then? I can shot blast it if you want if I can get the compressor plugged in and running.

What do you use to shot blast with?just im looking into this at the minute i have the compressor just need the gun.

Just done my diff with a wire brush on a angle grinder.

[oze30]

The coke trick works better if you can get it concentrated. Freeze a bottle of coke. the water in it will freeze first leavng you with concentrated syrup. Then use this to clean stuff.

job done

[E30BeemerLad]

red hammerite FTW

[oze30]

red hammerite FTW

make sure you chase out those bolt holes!

Interesting.. not sure I'd have done it in red, but each to their own

[E30BeemerLad]

think i must have been smoking solids at the time colin

May opt for a conservative black after all, was gonna do the beam and trailing arms red too

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Both unless one of us gets lost!

Get to Yeovil, I'll look after us from there mate.

[Rosc0PColtrane]

red hammerite FTW

make sure you chase out those bolt holes!

Interesting.. not sure I'd have done it in red, but each to their own

I was thinking bright green.

I want something council!

[E30BeemerLad]

green has been a recent thought as it'll match my council dynamics ARB's

[Rosc0PColtrane]

green has been a recent thought as it'll match my council dynamics ARB's

My only concern is it will bring it to the attention of other magpie-esque council types, who'll think it's a magical green diff.....