New toys

For cleaning up the rusty bits, try electrolysis.

Here's one of my steering arms after a dip in the tub.

Just do a google search for Rust and Electrolysis.

That's pretty impressive, but most of my bits are aluminium anyway. I don't want to spend too long on making it look pretty, just wanted it clean and ready to go in. You wont see it once the bonnet is closed :)

However I will definiately give that electrolysis lark a go at some point. Wonder if Nat would mind me putting those tubular manifolds in the bath ;)

I'm pretty much stripping my Sylva down to the last nut and bolt, so I want it to look presentable under the bonnet. Suspension, as well as other running gear and engine will all be on show, so it's well worth the effort in my case.

nice but this all sounds like modding to me!

Sorry dude.

I would like everything to be perfect, but for now I'll settle for running well :)

Hydrogen embrittlement - thinking about that on the motorway should keep you alert!

Yes, I'm aware of that. Light bake in the oven afterwards ?....

No need, it will most likely have normalised itself by the time you use it anyway, I was joking! I wouldnt try it on critical bolts though!

More interestingly have you tried anodising yet? Its easy. And it looks great (on ally of course...) rocker covers, inlet manifolds, alternators water pumps, countless other dubries?

Look here a 123!

Sulphuric acid ?

I reckon that's maybe a step too far for me :-)

needs a couple of turbo's looking at the pics of it again ;)

While it's in there, coat it with this

Main advantage for me is, there's no 24 hour wait for it to cure like paint, so parts can be used as soon as they've cooled.

I'm not allowed to use it again until I've procured my own personal oven though.

SWMBO insists, "really" insists...

It works well but I've found it's hard to completely remove rust from pitted areas and that it soon comes back. Very handy if rust's causing a physical problem though - like brake calipers being covered in the stuff and binding.

Nice manifolds, have you converted to electronic ignition yet ?

Manifolds need a bit of tidying if I was going to use them - the ends of one of the downpipes has been a bit mangled, and they've been repaired in the past. But I wasn't going to refuse them!!

TBH I really don't know much about electronic ignitions, as I've never needed to do anything with my previous cars. The SD1 runs an electronic distributor, so at least there's no points to worry about, and it doesn't seem to have caused any issues so far. However the new engine did come with a Lumenition box of tricks and some gubbins in the distributor:

That's why painting the part immediately is a good idea.

Even if painted immediately.

Fill the tank with copper sulphate and copper plate it. Copper doesent rust!