Steel Fastener Rust

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Saber

Saber

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This shelter in place thing is getting old. It has brought me to detailing fasteners and clamps on the Norton. Im interested in any recipes or products that would be recommended for slowing down the rust after they are cleaned up. I searched this forum and the web without success. If its been covered in a previous thread just point me in that direction. Id prefer to keep the original steel vs going to stainless.
 
Saber said:
This shelter in place thing is getting old. It has brought me to detailing fasteners and clamps on the Norton. Im interested in any recipes or products that would be recommended for slowing down the rust after they are cleaned up. I searched this forum and the web without success. If its been covered in a previous thread just point me in that direction. Id prefer to keep the original steel vs going to stainless.
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Replating? Otherwise replacing with stainless fasteners.
 
Depends what you mean by ‘cleaned up’...

If you’ve brightened up the original plating, and it’s still intact, then protecting with wax, or oil, or ACF50 will be fine.

But the stock plating was thin, and soft, and you may have scrubbed off what little was left by now. If so, you’ve got bare steel which is gonna rust. Re-plating is probably a none starter in this lockdown, so getting busy with some thin silver paint and a small brush may help you burn some shelter in place hours...!
 
If you are referring to fasteners for your avatar picture then it would appear that a '72 or a '73, 750; my eyes don't do me many favors. Anyway, the majority of the fasteners are UNC/UNF, commonly referred to as US or SAE thread pitches. Stainless steel fasteners are readily available from places like McMaster Carr, Grainger, ACE and so on. These are made (mostly) from 18-8, 304 and 316 alloys. I recommend fasteners, typically 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2 and 5/8, made from 316, A4 70 for low strength areas, A4 80 for areas requiring high strength. The 1/4 fasteners are not common in 316, but mostly in 18-8. Engines and transmissions are where British thread pitches live, but one you get addicted you'll find that these, too, are readily available.

You will need to use an anti-seize compound when fastening stainless to stainless. Beware that use of stainless fasteners can be addictive and beware of the old farts on this forum that will tell you that stainless fasteners are NFG; these are the same members that rebuild light bulbs and Reynolds chain...

Best.
 
Stainless. If you are really sick you can also buff it first!
 
Rust-Oleum rust dissolver leaves an inhibitor on the bare metal that supposedly protects for a year.

Was getting rid of the chrome fasteners on my Harley yesterday and replacing with bare metal bits... wire wheeled the nuts and dipped in rust dissolver. Usually hold up pretty good.

Fortunately my Norton covers itself in English rust inhibitor.
 
Here's what I use!

Steel Fastener Rust
 
i have a power take off from an old dremmel scroll saw with a 3-4" (very fine) wire wheel. I keep it around for just cleaning hardware. if the hardware is not too rusty or corroded, a soak in WD-40 and this will clean thing up hardware without much effort. after cleaning, I apply a coat of wenol metal polish (red tube). not so much to polish, but it leaves a protective coating on the parts - seems to last about a year or so. the good thing is you can periodically clean and stay on top of corrosion.

Steel Fastener Rust


Steel Fastener Rust


Steel Fastener Rust


the last pic shows original front wheel hardware. it had some minor corrosion and rust, but cleaned up with the wire wheel and wenol. I was able to salvage about +95% of my original hardware. hope this helps....
 
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Saber said:
This shelter in place thing is getting old. It has brought me to detailing fasteners and clamps on the Norton. Im interested in any recipes or products that would be recommended for slowing down the rust after they are cleaned up. I searched this forum and the web without success. If its been covered in a previous thread just point me in that direction. Id prefer to keep the original steel vs going to stainless.
Click to expand...
If dirty and maybe with slight surface rust, a brass brush and WD40 is all I used. If rusty but not terrible, I blast with glass abrasive and then plate with Eastwood's tin/zinc system. Once prepared, it only take 3-4 minutes to plate. I usually get a bunch of things ready and put them in a bowl of vinegar while waiting their turn and I plate one at a time. For most things, I just set a timer for 3 minutes.

The color is not exactly right but then neither are new steel nuts and bolts or stainless nuts and bolts.
 
I replaced all my non critical nuts and bolts with SS. Most of them I got from the boltdepot, 1/4-28 etc.. I tried some of the 'copy chrome' from Caswell's and wasn't real pleased, but then it's all in the prep. It takes forever. It's a nickel plate that tarnishes anyhow but does polish up not bad. SS is better. Madass and Clubman have a lot of SS stuff for the bike too that are not commonly available. It can get expensive fast, but what isn't on these bikes?
 
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Joe, after cleaning up like that they’re gonna rust again straight away!

Ya gotta do sumthin ‘
 
not "sumthin" but "stainless" .
Polish for that CNW effect
or
bead blast it for that "cad" look.
Rust problem gone permanently.
 
Fast Eddie said:
Joe, after cleaning up like that they’re gonna rust again straight away!

Ya gotta do sumthin ‘
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true-true-true. wasn't trying to imply my method was permanent. my point - it's easy to stay on top of things. the wenol adds a protective coating, that definitely slows down the rust issue. I would say my hardware shown in the pic was done about 6 months ago, and I live near the ocean, where the salt water air takes it toll on plain unprotected steel hardware. don't get me wrong, I have replaced some nuts and bolts with stainless - usually on a "need to" basis, so i'm definitely not opposed to it, but after 30 years restoring old corvettes, maintaining original hardware, is one of those "rivet counting" bad habits I can't seem to break. some of this stuff I do just for the challenge vs the purest in me. i'm more inclined to salvage bolts, because of the head markings - nuts and plain washers are secondary. I most always replace lock washers and lock nuts - don't like to reuse them, especially internal/external tooth washers - again, another bad habit. ;)
 
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Im in the same personality disorder category as Joe. I particularly like the Centroflex british hose clamps over the new ones offered by our favorite parts suppliers. BTW, my avitar is the (74 Commando) as purchased condition. I spent the last year coating my lungs with rust dust. Hopefully its a good protection against covid 19. Thank you for all your input, very helpful.
 
On my 850 I replaced most of my fasteners with either chrome or stainless. Lots of nice button head bolts. Plenty of suppliers from hardware stores to specialty places like CNW and the like. You stated that you wanted to stay original. I went that route on my 750. I looked at the cost, hassle, and time frame of having them replatted and just decided to buy them new. Old Britts, Fair Spares, and others that I can't remember. Not really that much more expensive than having them replatted with the benefit of no down time. As for just slowing down the rust I used a CRC rust inhibitor with some success. I didn't feel that the results were worth the effort.
 
for me the thing is "owatrol oil". do not overdo cleaning. it creaps into open surface and conservates. shows nice patina. nothing for ss freaks. if rust comes again a weap with the oil works again.
 
I use Caswell Copycad kit. Bit of an initial cost but have done several bikes worth. Or you could clean and send to place that still cad plates.
 
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