Evaporust safe to clean brake drums?

[amishman]

I am doing some brake work on my old VW bus and the drums are real rusty. Wanted to clean all rust off and then paint the outer part of the drum to clean things up.

Never removed rust from a drum before but recently used evaporust to clean my real rusty tools. Thought, maybe buy a couple gallons at HF and soak the drums in the bucked two at a time for a week or two.

Is that safe or does it leave some residue behind that lubes the drum and makes them not brake well from that point on?

Curious what you all use to clean very rusty 1960s brake drums?

tj

[WVU Tuba Dale]

Even if there was an oily residue left, I don't see why a few squirts of brake cleaner wouldn't take it off. I say go for it. :) I ended up getting new drums for my '79, but they were on a fairly common GM 7.5" rear end.

[T56 Impala]

Brush of the heavy rust, Soak in EOR, wash off and paint. Then clean the braking surface with a brake cleaner and you will be good to go! It will not harm the metal at all.

[48548]

Wouldn't the cost of evaporust be more than the drums and they may not have a lot of meat left on them?

[jerk_chicken]

I brush my teeth with the stuff, so I don't see why not.

[amishman]

Wouldn't the cost of evaporust be more than the drums and they may not have a lot of meat left on them?

Not old 1960 bus drums. They are getting up their in price and harder to find.

tj

Edit... German brand are expensive. $130 each + postage and they are not lite weight. I suppose to could go non German brand but not sure quality. Those are $50 to $70 each. Maybe I can try a off brand. Just not sure.

[T56 Impala]

EOR is only $19 a gallon at HF. I think its $8 a qt at Autozone.

[speed bump]

Why bother? I would just hit them with a grinder with a wire wheel, paint them with Rustolem and call it good.