Electronic Rust Protection

[studd469]

Has anyone ever heard of or, used some type of electronic rust proofing?
I have seen some on Ebay and found multiple companies on line that sell these products. The use of electricity to inhibit the formation of rust sounds a little to god to be true. The one time cost is a little high to ($200+), but you wont have to oil spray your car every year, so it should eventualy pay for its self. Any input would be great

 

[BrooklynBay]

I've heard of it on boats, since they are in water, they need it. There is a type of anchor that stays outside of the boat in the water which has a high voltage charge. This ionizes the water surrounding the boat, and is supposed to inhibit rust formation. What does the car type look like, and how is it supposed to inhibit rust? There is no high voltage charge when the engine is off, or it will drain the battery.

 

[IZwack]

This ionizes the water surrounding the boat

It doesn't really 'ionize' the water. The whole 'rusting' process is a chemical reaction that is, in its simplicity, a battery - or a transfer of electrons. Most electrical devices force the rusting to occur on or inside these devices instead of on the ship because the ship is electrically connected to these devices - a weird electro chemical process to cheat rusting on the boat.

 

[BrooklynBay]

If this is the case, this would cause the anchor to rust instead of the boat? What would happen if the anchor were made out of brass, or aluminum?

 

[IZwack]

aluminum is actually a very reactive metal - just below magnesium.. but becuase it reacts so quickly, the reaction forms a very thin protective coating over the rest of the aluminum and prevents the rest of the metal from reacting. brass is made of mostly copper and zinc - both of which have reactivity levels below aluminum (copper is a lot lower, zinc is just below aluminum in reactivity).

this would cause the anchor to rust instead of the boat?

I believe that is the case - most of the time, the anchor is almost always rusted on ships. if the anchor is painted, once there is a breach in that protective paint, then all hell goes lose as the anchor is constantly dipped and removed from the water. but then again, i have no idea, i've rarely stepped on board a ship let alone looked at its anchor.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Paint would act as an insulator just like rubber over a wire.

 

[IZwack]

here is a great explanation on 'rusting' from wikipedia, once you get to the page, scroll down almost to the bottom to where it says "Corrosion"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrochemical

 

[IZwack]

Paint would act as an insulator just like rubber over a wire.

Oh sorry for not being clear. WHat i meant was the wire electrically connects the ship and the device. It's not so much as an insulator as it is an electrical connection for the reaction process. If the ship and the device werent electrically connected, then the ship would still rust.

 

[toypaseo]

My brother shipped his Mazda truck over from Hawaii, and it had some sort of electronic rust equipment. Every like 10 seconds you could either hear a click, or a small buzz. I can't remember for sure. The body of the truck was rustless. The chassis had a even sheen of rust though.

 

[IZwack]

Sorry to get off topic but how much did it cost to ship from Hawaii?

 

[Jefe]

On a boat all the metal that is in contact with the salt water is strapped together with a ground strap, along with one or more zinc anodes. The zinc (or magnesium) is a sacrificial peice. The saltwater oxidizes it, leaving everything else alone, due to the electrical reaction. The engines also have their own set of zinc anodes.

I don't think this process would work on a car though as its usually not submerged in direct contact with electrically conductive water.

 

[techieman33]

I saw something like that on shadetree mechanic years ago, it was a little box that you attached to the body, it ran off the battery, and run for quite a while off of the battery, then when the battery started to run low on juice it would shut itself off.

 

[toypaseo]

Sorry to get off topic but how much did it cost to ship from Hawaii?

I am not sure on how much it was.

I do know that he bought the truck dirt cheap, since it on a Mazda lot, BRAND NEW, and TWO years old. It was cheaper to ship it, then to sell it on Kauai and buy a new one when he got here.

 

[studd469]

I just spoke with a buddy that works for the chevy service department. They are offering these rust protection devices as a rust proofing option. It cost about $600 (I'm sure that is the marked up price) Anyways it must work cuz if you buy this option they tell you that you do NOT have to get you car under coated. They do how ever, want you back every year for a free rust inspection. Any one know of any good brands?

 

[studd469]

ooops sorry about the larg text, I'm new..

 

[IZwack]

ooops sorry about the larg text, I'm new..

Thats okay - i edited it.

But anyways, personally I wouldnt spend $600 for the device - I mean maybe if I had a fancy shmancy vehicle . Plus I dont think all parts of the underside can be electrically connected. Some are isolated (rubber mounts, etc...)

 

[BrooklynBay]

Find out who makes it, and post a picture of the control module.

 

[IZwack]

Find out who makes it, and post a picture of the control module.

So that we may copy it And sell it for less <- ahah!

 

[BrooklynBay]

I'm sure that it's a basic HV pulse generator that is modified a little bit.

 

[churd69]

I'm sure that it's a basic HV pulse generator that is modified a little bit.

Yeah, exactly whatever the heck that means.

-Rich