Valuable advice on how to gently and effectively clean the engine room from rust

Many car owners encounter rust on the engine. Corrosion covering its serial number can make it difficult to pass a vehicle inspection, as well as when selling a vehicle.

Traffic police officers can inspect and make claims about an unreadable number. Therefore, it is so important that it is clearly visible.

How to clean the engine number from rust and not damage the engine, read the article.

Precautions before cleaning

Before proceeding with the rust removal procedure, you need to read the important caveats, including:

1. Do not attempt to remove corrosion mechanically. Scrubbing rust with abrasives can cause the number to wear off completely.
2. Do not poison the engine with strong chemical compounds. This increases the risk that the number will merge with the metal.
3. For grouting, do not use scrapers, sandpaper, sandpaper. Together with the rust, the top layer of metal and the numbers that are embossed on it will be removed.

If even one digit becomes unreadable during processing, the car owner will have to go through a lengthy identification procedure. Therefore, care must be taken when handling the engine.

How To Clean: The Best Removal Products

To remove rust from the engine, only those compounds that do not harm the metal can be used. They refuse aggressive chemistry.

Brake fluid

Every driver has brake fluid in the car. It can be used to quickly and safely remove rust from the engine.

Features of the procedure:

1. Apply the product to the area where the number is applied.
2. Take an old toothbrush and wipe the treated surface.
3. Moisten a cloth with clean water and wipe the affected area with it.

Coca Cola

Coca-Cola is not only a popular carbonated beverage, but also an effective rust-fighting agent. Carbonated water contains orthophosphoric acid (in low concentration), which helps to clean the metal from corrosion.

Use soda as follows:

• soak a sponge or a small piece of cloth with Cola;
• apply a cloth to the part of the engine on which the number is applied;
• leave the matter for half an hour, after which it is removed;
• wipe the engine with a clean, damp cloth.

Thanks to this treatment, rust will be completely removed, and it will not be difficult to identify the number. Read more about the use of Coca-Cola in the fight against rust. here.

Orthophosphoric acid

Phosphoric acid quickly removes rust. It works within a few minutes.

Mode of application:

• apply a solution of phosphoric acid to the engine;
• leave for 10 minutes;
• remove the agent with a damp flannel cloth.

For the complete removal of acid, you can use a solution of laundry soap. Wipe the area several times to completely clean it. Read more about the use of phosphoric acid against rust. here.

Lemon acid

You can get rid of corrosion on the engine with citric acid. Use it as follows:

• prepare a cleaning agent - dissolve 5 g of powder in a liter of warm water and mix thoroughly;
• moisten the matter in the resulting composition and wipe the problem area with it;
• if the rust does not come off badly, then the cloth can be left on the surface of the engine for 15 minutes;
• after cleaning the room is wiped with a clean damp cloth.

You can use lemon juice instead of citric acid solution. More details about the method can be found in this article.

Converter

A rust converter is a compound that converts iron oxides into a protective layer. As a result, two effects are achieved at once: rust dissolves, and the metal surface in the future will be protected from its reappearance.

Procedure:

1. Remove dust and corroded top layer with a toothbrush.
2. Shake the converter bottle.
3. Apply the product to the area where the number is located.
4. Wait for the composition to dry. The exact time of its exposure to metal is indicated on the packaging with the selected product.
5. Remove the formed film with a toothbrush.
6. Flush area with copious amounts of water and dry with a dry flannel cloth.

Cillit

You can get rid of rust on the engine using household chemicals. Cillit is a limescale and rust remover in the hardware department of any store. It contains non-ionic surfactants and acids, thanks to which it is possible to achieve the desired effect.

Mode of application:

1. Apply a small amount to a damp sponge or engine surface.
2. Distribute the composition over the area in need of treatment.
3. Leave the product to work for 2-5 minutes.
4. Wash off Silit with water, wipe dry with a soft cloth.

The composition can cause irritation of the skin and mucous membranes, so use it with caution.

Prevention of corrosion

To prevent corrosion from reappearing on the engine after removal of corrosion, it is necessary to provide reliable protection of the treated area.

Litol-24 is immune to moisture, even to boiling water... Such a composition costs about 100 rubles for 400 g. After its application, the room will remain clean from 3 months to a year. The exact timing depends on the conditions in which the car is operated.

In addition to Litol, you can cover the engine number with heat-resistant varnish. It will protect it from moisture and rust. The only obstacle when inspecting the engine will be dust that has settled on its surface, which can be easily removed with a damp cloth.

Helpful information

To make the process of dealing with rust as successful as possible, the following recommendations should be taken into account:

1. In order not to damage the engine number, it is necessary to keep the composition on the metal for as long as indicated in the instructions.
2. After cleaning is complete, wipe the engine surface with a clean cloth and dry. It is impossible to leave chemistry on the metal, even if it seems safe.
3. All manipulations must be carried out with gloves. If the product gets on the skin, it can cause a burn.
4. If the composition contains acid, then apply it to the metal carefully. For this purpose, you can use a paintbrush.

A lot of useful and important information on how to remove rust on a car - in this section.

Related videos

The video will tell you how to clean the engine number from rust:

Conclusion

Getting rid of rust and getting access to the engine number is easy. To do this, you can use either improvised means or store formulas. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions for use and not keep the product on the metal surface for too long.