fluid film ya or ney?

[artieb]

Hello, I'm looking to prevent or slow down rust on vehicles. I have some rust starting and want to slow it down. I'm hoping that Fluid Film would work well in seams, pinch welds and general rust areas.
I have lower door seams that are starting to rust, I'm wondering if I was to coat inside the door shell, if it would seap in and help?
Thanks Rusty in the rust belt!

 

[404]

Yes it will help a lot if you keep it up. I do the inside of my doors and fenders and under the car. Get the gallon cans, diluted with kerosene or acetone and sprayed with the harbor freight remote tank spray gun.

http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-spray-gun-kit-93312.html

or

http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-hvlp-spray-gun-kit-93305.html

Adjust the fan angle on the gun from pinpoint to wide for quick coverage of big areas.

 

[artieb]

Thanks 404, how about cleaning application equipment? When I was a kid, I worked at Rusty Jones, long time ago, we had a siphon cup, with a flexible hose for internal spraying. Would a applicator like that work?

 

[Ainsley]

I love fluid film! I use the aerosol cans for quick touch-ups when ever I'm working under my car between the annual oil spray (used motor oil for the big spray).
My dad uses it for everything and has for as long as I can remember. Calls it "super juice".

 

[GarageWarrior]

Fluid Film works great! I'm in New England and that's the only way I can drive old cars around here without them falling apart.

In 2008 I did a 6 month long salt-spray corrosion test on about a dozen corrosion prevention compounds (tested with 2"*6" bare steel coupons). Fluid Film was one of the best (based on durability, ease of application, and cost). Since that time I've used up a 5 Gal. pail of Fluid Film NAS - rust-proofing vehicles, trailers, implements, parts, equipment.

For application I use engine degreaser spray wand - it's ~18" long and has angled tip that can get in to tight spots better than a spray gun.

Bulk Fluid Film is hard to spray at ambient temperature - put it in to a tea pot and bring to boiling (I use old tea pot and propane camping stove) - it will spray like water!!! Fluid Film NAS has high flash point (405F), so flamability should not be an issue. Another way to make it easier to spray, like somebody else mentioned - mix with Kerosene.

On application - you'll want to get INSIDE all the door panels, rocker panels, wheel wells, quarter panels. Each vehicle has it's typical "bad spots" - so put extra effort to get good coverage in those areas. In some cases it might be necessary to drill access holes, but I found that removing inner/outer trim and body plugs will usually give sufficient access. It gives off fumes for about a day after application, so it would be better to let vehicle sit and drive something else if you have that option.

 

[12ozd]

Fluid film can also be sprayed with electric, airless paint sprayers.

That's how we do it, 55 gallons a year.

 

[zhome888]

I could use some of this stuff on my car. Thanks for the insight.

 

[slickstysix]

I've used it to keep my 2003 Ford from corroding and today the truck has NO rust where everyone else's does.

 

[radguard9]

Fluid film is awesome!!!

 

[Fastfish]

Ya for Fluid Film here. Just got a toyota pu from down south and really don't want the frame to rust out. Researched many oils.... and other compound. Initially concluded bar and chain oil sweetened up with STP. It was too hard to spray from pump sprayer. Gave it up and purchased the specific Fluid film spayer set up (spray head and 2 tube nozzles) and never looked back. Used up about 1 gallon on the Toyo after painting the frame. I'll let you know next spring how it held up. The fluid film has many desirable properties and I thought it was the best thing available.

 

[nine4gmc]

I used it on the last few machine refurbs I have done and it has held up well. I keep a microfiber hand towel soaked in it and wipe the bare metal down before/after using the machine to prevent rust from returning and keep things working smooth. Haven't heard anything bad about it yet either.

 

[SARG]

I buy spray cans by the case. Use it on stored hydraulic pistons , mower deck storage and everything else I don't want to rust (except the firearms )

 

[Streetbu]

Love the stuff & use for everything I can including inside my doors, tailgate, etc. No rust from those areas at all. Wish I had done my rocker panels too

 

[GarageWarrior]

Denwood asked about the salt spray test I did with Fluid Film back in '07-08 (he has similar thread going on about CPC on Samba forums), figured I'd list the results here:























As you can see Fluid Film, CRC Heavy Duty CPC, and Johnson Triple Guard Grease did well. Boeshild T9, Boiled Linseed Oil, and WD40 did not do well.

Here my notes from the test:
Started 10/26/07 - all coupons were cleaned to bare metal with a grinder and deburred. Before application of CPC, coupons were cleaned with mineral spirits

12/22/07 Inspected and photographed all coupons.
Found visible rust only on bare/wd40 coupon (both top and bottom). Linseeed oil turned brown color in few spots, making it difficult to see the metal underneath.
Sprayed salt water on all coupons on both sides

12/23/07 Inspected all coupons.
Found abundance of rust spots on unprotected/wd40 coupon, with a few spots exibiting heavy rust formation. Very light rust started to form on coupon covered with boiled linseed oil

12/27/07 Inspected and photographed all coupons.
Results:
Wd40/clear -heavy spot rust
Linseed Oil -spot rust, mostly in the top half
Boeshield T9 -light spot rust, mostly in the top half

2/3/08
Fluid Film, CRC, Johnson - no rust on
T9 - rusted top half
Linseed Oil - heavy rust, mostly top half
Unprotected - rusted uniformly

6/1/08 - finished testing, wiped down all coupons with cleaner
Fluid Film - no rust on
CRC - slight rust in the corners and by the scratch
Johnson - slight rust in the corners
Linceed Oil - very heavy rust
T9 - rusted top half
Unprotected - rusted

Advantage of Fluid Film over hard film CPC (like CRC) is that it remain liquid and will self-heal minor scratches. Disadvantage is that it's messy to handle and attracts dirt (but easy to clean when needed).

 

[artieb]

Thank you for all the replies. I'm going to start my war on rust. Any idea of the shelf life of the opened, unused portion of a gallon?

 

[Denwood]

Garage, great test! It's very difficult to find tests like these. I'll definitely link back to your test from the samba thread I've been posting on. No question that FF will be part of the testing I do here as well.

 

[404]

Thanks 404, how about cleaning application equipment? When I was a kid, I worked at Rusty Jones, long time ago, we had a siphon cup, with a flexible hose for internal spraying. Would a applicator like that work?

I actually keep that spray gun around for just the fluid film. I don't know how tenacious it would be if I wanted to clean the gun to use for other paint. The siphon cup with the hose sounds fine.

I must have about 6 gallon cans in the house and it does not go bad.

 

[Regnar]

Just to let you guys know Fluid Film is used on Coast Guard Aircraft to prevent corrosion. Nothing like hovering a huge piece of aluminum 10 feet above the ocean.

 

[obiwan101]

Yup, I've been using it for the past 2 years now. No new rust I can see. I spray my cars every September. Great product.

 

[justme-]

FF is awesome - do not dilute with kero unless you have no other option. All FF dealers have the FF sprayer for undercoating available inexpensively for the overall picture. This became huge on one of the premier snowplowing professionals forums several years ago. We all use it.
FF was originally designed for off shore rig rust prevention - drilling rigs, ships, and sub ballast tanks. Been a staple in the Navy for decades.

Bioshield was developed by Boeing, and works pretty well. FF smells like lanolin (since that's what it is), T9 smells of peppermint IRRC. I used it (and it's rust remover) for wood shop tools table protection (table saws, jointers).

 

[404]

FF is awesome - do not dilute with kero unless you have no other option. All FF dealers have the FF sprayer for undercoating available inexpensively for the overall picture. This became huge on one of the premier snowplowing professionals forums several years ago. We all use it.
FF was originally designed for off shore rig rust prevention - drilling rigs, ships, and sub ballast tanks. Been a staple in the Navy for decades.

Bioshield was developed by Boeing, and works pretty well. FF smells like lanolin (since that's what it is), T9 smells of peppermint IRRC. I used it (and it's rust remover) for wood shop tools table protection (table saws, jointers).

Do you mean an airless high pressure sprayer? The kerosene helps the flud film penetrate cracks and overlaps..

 

[GarageWarrior]

Garage, great test! It's very difficult to find tests like these. I'll definitely link back to your test from the samba thread I've been posting on. No question that FF will be part of the testing I do here as well.

Denwood, here are the results of comparison from the study we've talked about ( The Protection Performance of Corrosion Prevention Compounds on Aluminium Alloys in Laboratory and Outdoor Environments - Dr. Bruce Hinton, Mr. Peter Trathen, Ms. Elaine Duxbury, Ms. Maria Salagaras and Mr. Peter Bushell. Defence Science and Technology Organisation. Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory. 506 Lorimer St., Fishermans Bend, Victoria, 3207. AUSTRALIA)

Note that WDSF stands for Water Displacing Soft Film, and NWDSF stands for Non-Water Displacing Soft Film. Top scale is logarithmic.

They also tested Water Displacing Hard Film (WDHF) and Non-Water Displacing Hard Film (NWDHF).

Lots of interesting details there:

...

4.4 Details of CPC Breakdown
During the salt spray tests, the oily based CPCs appeared to be washed away at localised areas on the test panels, leaving gaps in the film at which corrosion pits developed and coalesced into clusters. These oily film products are not designed for protection in the open but are meant to work in crevices and cracks in paint coatings. The waxy films tended to remain intact on the test panel surface during the NSS test. Black spots appeared, possibly beneath defects in the films, and developed into isolated corrosion pits. The first sign of failure of both the WDHF and NWHF CPCs which provided good protection was the appearance of isolated etched areas beneath the film. With time, corrosion pits formed within these etched areas. With some CPCs pitting never developed from these etched areas with prolonged exposure. For the hard film CPCs, the sites for coating breakdown appeared to be small defects in the coating. With time, underfilm or filiform corrosion, cracking and blistering were associated with the corrosion pitting. When an oily film was applied beneath the HF CPCs eg. Ardrox 3961 beneath Ardrox 3322 these features were not observed. In the salt spray tests with SO2, isolated pits were the first visual appearance of corrosion on panels coated with the soft film CPCs. These isolated pits developed into clusters and eventually spread over the whole test panel. Isolated pits also formed under the hard film CPCs, and they did not grow appreciably with further testing time. The breakdown of the CPCs during outdoor exposure either on land or at sea followed a similar pattern for all products of a particular type. The oily WDSF films were usually not visible on the CLIMAT tests specimens after a 3 month outdoor exposure period, and in many instances the aluminium wire had almost completely corroded away. After 3 months, the waxy type of NWDSF products such as LPS-3 were always present on the specimens. They were still soft and mobile. In general, most of the hard film CPCs appeared dry after exposure were cracked and sometimes crumbling with poor adhesion, although these films still provided good corrosion protection.

....

I can't publish the whole study, but you might be able to request a copy through your library.

 

[Fastfish]

Holy Cow. It looks like I picked the right stuff!!!!!!!!

 

[pickardracing]

I've used Fluid Film for years since I was given a sample at SEMA in 2011. There's nothing this stuff can't do. Rust prevention, lubrication, etc etc. Great stuff, I'll never use anything else.

 

[olds70supreme]

Are there any materials you don't want to spray it on? As in, when you spray the underside of the car is it ok to spray on rubber brake flex lines, or does it degrade the material over time? How about upholstery, plastics, etc...? What does it do when on a high temp surface (as in overspray on a header), obviously it wouldn't be effective at rustproofing anymore but does it leave impossible to remove stains/deposits?

Just curious, I'm thinking of doing an undercoat spray myself on our newer car and don't want to do anything stupid.

 

[internetdude]

Fluid Film is good. If you're in Canada, try Krown T40 or KL73 both are what the Krown dealers use to rustproof. I have Fluid Film & KL73, man they work!

 

[artieb]

Thanks for all the info! I thought I would just run to town to get some... Wrong, Autozone, O'Rieley had was spray cans. NAPA never heard of it, Carquest sold another brand. Nobody had a gallon. I went online and will be here 5 days.
if cold outside and need to work in the garage, how much is normal " over spray " and does floor dry work for clean up?
I'm looking forward to using this product, Artie

 

[adblink]

I've never heard of this stuff!

So sounds like this would be great to use on my lawn mower when I put it away for the winter and for my brand new snow blower I just picked up before it sees any snow?\

Not cheap here in Canada though, $15 a can.

 

[artieb]

I read about Fluid Film a few years ago and thought it was some mystery snake oil. I live in the rust belt and would have had more exposure to this product.
I bought a out of state, no rust, 01 F350 superduty. In 2 years my truck bed sides are rusting badly, and my door pinch welds are starting.
I'm wanting to treat my snow plow and mower decks before winter hits.

 

[artieb]

http://www.autoundercoat.websitetoolbox.com/post/which-fluid-film-formula-do-i-buy-3911053?trail=15
Watch the video at the end of this. It's in German, but they heat up ar formula and then spray it.

 

[justme-]

Do you mean an airless high pressure sprayer? The kerosene helps the flud film penetrate cracks and overlaps..

No need for the Kero - FF will do that all on it's own in short time too - remember it's original purposes.
As to the sprayer - My local supply (dealer) has a FF branded of this

however FF also has an undercoating gun - I recommend buying from Kellsport - they were one of the original dealers and IRRC helped source and develope this undercoating gun and tips.

 

[e30bradley]

I love ff.

 

[PittChao]

Thanks for your sharing. Salt Spray Tester(Salt Spray Tester TU380) is used to test the anti-erosion quality of the surface of all materials after the rust-proof of painting, coating, electroplating, anodizing, and rust-proof of greasing. Welcome to contact us.

 

[HMCFab9]

Has anyone used fluid film on a vehicle & had to do any paint repair after?
They say it soaks into the pores of the metal. If that's the case, how hard is it to remove?

Being in the autobody / paint business, I know silicone is a real bear to get rid of. I wonder if this is similar, or will solvent easily remove it?

 

[Jeepster04]

I've sprayed it all under my vehicle and the over spray gets everywhere. No paint issues thus far.

Only issue I've had is the rubber trim around my windows. There was some rust behind the rubber trim along the tops of the windows so I pulled the rubber back and brushed some FF down in there. Next day the rubber was all swollen. Ended up putting some vent visors on to cover up the expanded rubber and to keep the area dry.

 

[Jlbc212]

Do you need to wear a respirator when spraying? FF doesn't look like something I would want to be inhaling into my lungs.

 

[Firebrick43]

Just to let you guys know Fluid Film is used on Coast Guard Aircraft to prevent corrosion. Nothing like hovering a huge piece of aluminum 10 feet above the ocean.

But military grade aluminum doesn't "rust". Just ask the ford fan boys.

 

[Jeepster04]

Do you need to wear a respirator when spraying? FF doesn't look like something I would want to be inhaling into my lungs.

I do. I've not and it makes you feel like you have really bad allergies for a few days.

 

[fasteddie]

You should wear a respirator when spraying anything except water.

 

[77thor]

:thumbsup:

Another satisfied Fluid Film customer here...