Ok so i got my carb problem worked out (replaced all three solenoids) and my fuel pump issue ( new fuse) and now i have another question. I know some of you are wheel and tire gurus so i figured id ask this. I just put on some new rims from a car i got in new york. I took it to a tire place to have two leaks fixed in the front 2 tires. When i went to pick it up he said that there wasnt anything they could do because of rust on the inner lip. Anyways, can this be cleaned off when i get the tires replaced, or are the rims useless? Thanks.

 

Unless the rust is very severe, you should be able to sand the rusted area and repaint it. The best way to do this, however, is to sand blast the entire wheel with fine sand and repaint the whole thing with a good enamel.

 

for the most part, the wheels are still useable as long as the rust hasn't weakend the bead(rusted through). we deal w/ rusty steel wheels everyday at my work, and all we ever do is clean any of the loose rust w/ a wire wheel and use bead sealer on both beads, and we rarely have any problems w/ leaks after that

 

Old tires and rusty wheel bead seats are a pain to seal. Quite often, a simple wire brush and bead sealer will work, for a while. Usually, this issue goes away with new tires, as long as the shop uses something other than plain water to lube the tire beads when installing them.
Cleaning and repainting the wheels along the bead area will usually eliminate the issue completely.

 

I have seen them pitted and flaking bad enough not to seal Ever. But I have also see them rusted through.

Like said before. Pull the tire and wire brush the wheel, check for very deep spots. Try a Tire sealer like Slime if nothing else works.