Underway: 2013 Spirit S-210


 
Jay D in Jersey said:
Propane is cheap in SE PA too. Maximum $10 to refill a tank but I've paid as little as $7....from the Amish run place a few miles from where I used to work.
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Wow, that is cheap. The cheapest I've paid is $12 in the Boston suburbs. Average price is $16. Fortunately, I switched to NG. No more filling up the tanks.

I'm a former NJ boy. Fond memories of going to Long Beach Island for vacation in the summer. Also have spent some vacations in the Poconos.
 
BillSmith said:
Wow, that is cheap. The cheapest I've paid is $12 in the Boston suburbs. Average price is $16. Fortunately, I switched to NG. No more filling up the tanks.

I'm a former NJ boy. Fond memories of going to Long Beach Island for vacation in the summer. Also have spent some vacations in the Poconos.
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Have NG at the beach house. Definitely like it better.
 
Some progress as the weather really improved and I grabbed my power washer from our beach house and cleaned and power washed all surfaces after disassembling.
Quite a few areas of rust on the sheet metal and support brackets. All surface rust so a bit tedious to grind off but everything is structurally sound.
I found a product called Fluid Film that I'm going to buy and use on the areas that can't be seen after the sanding and painting is completed. All of the screws and washers came off the base but two. I'll drill those out and replace. I'll try and grab some photos of the components before and after.
 
Hey, Jay! Hang in there. Sounds like a lot of work, but that is part of what gives you pride in your workmanship when it is all done.

I know the feeling:eek:

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Jon Tofte said:
Hey, Jay! Hang in there. Sounds like a lot of work, but that is part of what gives you pride in your workmanship when it is all done.

I know the feeling:eek:

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Thanks Jon. Although the Spirit enclosure sides are curved, the rust appears in almost exactly the same locations. Your pics are hauntingly familiar! Is the black coating Rust Reformer?. .. looks like truck bed liner.
Any advantage to putting a coat or three of clear lacquer over the final gray color coat?
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
Thanks Jon. Although the Spirit enclosure sides are curved, the rust appears in almost exactly the same locations. Your pics are hauntingly familiar! Is the black coating Rust Reformer?. .. looks like truck bed liner.
Any advantage to putting a coat or three of clear lacquer over the final gray color coat?
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The stuff I used in that picture is POR-15. It is a thick paint like substance that does the rust conversion but also dries to a really hard finish. It is probably one of the best products for salvaging rust damaged metal and helping it to last longer. It isn't cheap, and it is very messy to work with. I have gotten good results with it, however, especially on thinner pieces of metal where it seems the hardening aspect really does strengthen the metal. Don't expect it to fill in metal that is gone, but it does work well.

https://www.por15.com/

Once you have the rust at bay, I would say that the more protection you can give, the better. Clear coating would most likely be of benefit. Even waxing to help moisture run off is better than doing nothing.
 
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This https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-black-rust-encapsulator-paint-over-rust.html is very similar but has a couple advantages over POR15. One it is cheaper 2, it can be had in a spray can with a long flexible 360 degree nozzle for doing inside things. I used the stuff extensively on my old Infiniti QX4 (notorious for rusting) and it stopped it dead in it's tracks. I used the frame coating type on the frame of the truck and that too turned into a hard ceramic like result and even after over a year of salt and moisture exposure nothing got worse and the hard ceramic like substance stayed intact. Both products Eastwood and POR15 are very impressive stuff
 
I think I'll stick with the Rustolem Rust Restorer as it's already sitting in my garage and I have read dozens of reviews of rust rest products with a wide range of perceived results on all of them. Here's where I am thus far. Still need to drill out two stubborn side panel to base support screws. Any recommendations for similar hardware? I figured I'd just take one down to my great local Ace and get the closest match I could in stainless and a few nylon fender washers of the closest size.

http://imgur.com/gallery/kHr49hc
kHr49hc



Still learning Imgur ��
 
I've used the Rustoleum product and it cannot even come remotely close to the high end products we've mentioned here. Rust after treatment with it comes on hard and fast with it. While using POR15 or Eastwood stops it dead in it's tracks. So you have to ask yourself. Just because it's in the garage and it's cheap is it really worth it? At best it's a placebo. I have tried both side by side. Same conditions same vehicle. Believe me Rustoleum is simply relying on it's namesake not on actual performance. If you're serious about repairing and preventing further damage by rust trust experience over "what's on the shelf".
 
LMichaels said:
I've used the Rustoleum product and it cannot even come remotely close to the high end products we've mentioned here. Rust after treatment with it comes on hard and fast with it. While using POR15 or Eastwood stops it dead in it's tracks. So you have to ask yourself. Just because it's in the garage and it's cheap is it really worth it? At best it's a placebo. I have tried both side by side. Same conditions same vehicle. Believe me Rustoleum is simply relying on it's namesake not on actual performance. If you're serious about repairing and preventing further damage by rust trust experience over "what's on the shelf".
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Understood. However, the biggest rust exposure is the areas that are mostly hidden within the enclosure and the base. I have a plan for that using Fluid Film. Also, I plan to get down to to bare metal for almost all of the areas exhibiting rust. They will be primed and receive 2-3 coats of paint plus a coat of clear lacquer. I read this: https://www.ncptt.nps.gov/blog/comparative-study-of-commercially-available-rust-converters/
So I'm thinking that what I already laid out money for is good enough. So, after it's said and done, it will last me at least another five years before I'll likely have to do it again or buy another grill. I'm plenty OK with that.
 
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The products I use are totally different. For one thing they're not acid based. Given how much of them I got on my skin if they were my fingers would be bare bones now. This test does not even look at the POR15 or Eastwood products. IT's your time and money but I'm giving you good practical knowledge and actual use experience on a side by side test. The acid based stuff just plain does not cut it
 
I took my new Ryobi cordless angle grinder with a cup brush and got through one side panel, the back panel and part of the base top. I'll need to break out the Dremel and/or Multi-tool for parts and then the cordless sander.
What is better to use mineral spirits or denatured alcohol to wipe the surfaces before priming?
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
Understood. However, the biggest rust exposure is the areas that are mostly hidden within the enclosure and the base. I have a plan for that using Fluid Film. Also, I plan to get down to to bare metal for almost all of the areas exhibiting rust. They will be primed and receive 2-3 coats of paint plus a coat of clear lacquer. I read this: https://www.ncptt.nps.gov/blog/comparative-study-of-commercially-available-rust-converters/
So I'm thinking that what I already laid out money for is good enough. So, after it's said and done, it will last me at least another five years before I'll likely have to do it again or buy another grill. I'm plenty OK with that.
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From what I understand, Fluid Film is similar in use to Por15. They are both widely used to treat under vehicle frames for rust prevention. I think that using Fluid Film would be right in the same ball park as Eastwood or Por15.
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
I took my new Ryobi cordless angle grinder with a cup brush and got through one side panel, the back panel and part of the base top. I'll need to break out the Dremel and/or Multi-tool for parts and then the cordless sander.
What is better to use mineral spirits or denatured alcohol to wipe the surfaces before priming?
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Do not use mineral spirits. It is much like kerosene (actually many people use it in place of K1), so it will leave an oily film. Use a commercial product that is typicaly used for car prep prior to painting or plain old lacquer thinner/enamel reducer. That will dry perfectly clean and if needed follow up with a tack rag.
Bruce I was under the impression that Fluid Film is that grease I have recommended which goes in like a thin fluid and hardens to thick oil/grease type coat (hence the name fluid film)
 
Larry, that could be. I have never used or seen the stuff, but I know a lot of guys on my Chevy Truck forum use that as well as POR15 to ward off rust in the salt belt. I just assumed they were very similar in consistency and formulation.
 
I thought the stuff that hardened into a kind of waxy protectant is CRC Rust Inhibitor. I didn’t think it was very promising for parts like clips, etc, because it seems like it would come off too easily. I do think it might be a good thing to put in new frame joints where it would fill in and keep out water without being exposed to much abrasions.
 
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My understanding of Fluid Film is that it is lanolin based and alth heavy and almost sticky,provides excellent rust protection. It does not adhere like a lacquer and can be removed with solvents, high temperature pressure washing with detergents.
 
Jon Tofte said:
I thought the stuff that hardened into a kind of waxy protectant is CRC Rust Inhibitor. I didn’t think it was very promising for parts like clips, etc, because it seems like it would come off too easily. I do think it might be a good thing to put in new frame joints where it would fill in and keep out water without being exposed to much abrasions.
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I intend to drill a few weep/breather holes in the door frame and spray it in there. Also as an undercoating on the bottom of the base and where the base and side panels connect.
I'm going to to find some sort of rack for storage in the enclosure. The most rust was on the top of the base where spare grease pans, smoker box, wood chips, etc... we're stored. They just held moisture in place. The more air circulation over surfaces, the better.
 
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