So, I just got done stripping the paint off of my freshly-removed brake booster and wire-wheeling any surface rust off of it (leaky master cylinder caused fluid to leak down the front of the booster, I believe), and I was wondering if there's a way to clean the bolts so that any nut I put on them won't have any issues, and will *hopefully* help this car last another 20 years.

Also, I'm going to re-paint it (obviously), and I was wondering if I should use the same kind of primer you would use on the engine bay to help keep rust from forming.

edit: also, tal-strip fumes will get you feelin pretty buzzed real quick, so be careful! i'm not sure if it's that or the beer that's affecting me more atm, heh

 

use stainless steel nuts or bolts when assembling

 

Ok, figured someone would say that, maybe this pic will help...what I mean is, for the bolts that are IN things, ie: the brake booster...

edit: actually, while i've got this pic up, is it okay to just scrub that inside area and re-grease the area in the middle? (i assume that's grease, based off of feel)

 

I don't know if it pertains directly to your situation. When you remove a bolt, clean it with a toothbrush then get a dab of anti-seize on the brush and apply to all the threads of the bolt.

This works for me with little to no rust, but I reckon a stiffer brush would help. I don't know about using a wire brush though as it will invite rust, but if you already got rust then it really couldn't be any worse.

 

put a little grease or oil on the bolts

also i would get the rest of that rust off of the booster if it were mine

 

oh sorry you were asking how to clean the bolts

I would use a wire wheel then run a thread chaser on it

 

Naval Jelly. Available at your auto parts store or hardware store.

 

Wire wheel, Naval Jelly, die, etc.

Nothing will keep them from rusting again though as they are steel. The best you can do is use stainless nuts and then paint the exposed threads after the master cylinder is installed.

 

Stainless hardware can only be used on cosmetic, non-stress components. Most stainless bolts are grade 2. ARP makes some 316SS fasteners that have the tensile strength of grade 5, but are much more brittle.

A 7/16-20 stainless bolt has a maximum torque spec of 28 ft/lbs; while a grade 8 bolt will take 95 ft/lbs.

Get some zinc coated bolts, have yours plated, or powder coat the heads.

 

yea, i thought about the wire wheel to them, as long as i don't go too tough on them.

ITSWILL: yea, i'm going to run a wire wheel over it again later, but it got too dark for me to see much outside in very poor lighting

 

Muriatic acid will dissolve rust but generally leave iron untouched. Commonly available at hardware stores for etching driveways.

I keep 40 L of it in a large plastic bin for soaking parts. Respirator/gloves MUST be used while handling, and it will eat through clothes.

For cleaning threads, I run a die through them.