Sorry I'm resurrecting an old topic, but I followed this thread a while back with intend to sometime in the future try all these rust preventative products.
I've been a Krown consumer for 11 years now. I've been pretty happy with the results. I sprayed a 2006 GMC Yukon XL with Krown since knew, and it's almost rust free since day one. It’s not perfect but its amazing how different the same model vehicles looked when you compare ones that have been rust proofed to ones that have not. It really takes away the appeal of a vehicle very quickly.
To those who believe that Rust Proofing is not worth the cost or not effective, I can agree and disagree with their statement. The only reason I can agree would be because they are leasing or only keeping the vehicle short term. Otherwise, if your keeping it long term, I personally believe that Rust Proofing helps prevent rust as long as three simple rules are followed (importance in exact order):
1) the quality workmanship of the application
2) its maintenance is kept up (meaning annual applications)
3) the quality of the product itself
I’m glad many people here see the importance of the quality of the applicators here and endorse them. The only way to improve quality is to promote and reward those (with our business) that preform the best work. I’m also happy to see many people annually apply it. The quality of the product is also important but it’s a grey area in my eyes. It’s hard to tell how well a product really works because it relies heavily on the quality of the application and the annual keep up.
I also hear a lot of talk about how some like the thin oil because it creeps, others like the thicker oil because it actually stays on, others don’t because it accumulates a lot of dirty and dust. It’s easy for many of us to judge a product because we can’t see it, therefore its not there and not doing its job.
The Products:
I decided to purchase all available store shelf rust proofing products and see for myself the viscosity and consistency. Since I’m not a chemist, I can not say much more than what I can see, touch, and smell. I wish we had someone who could test the ingredients and determine which product has more or the best rust inhibitor agents. Much like Used Oil Analysis you see done over at bobistheoilguy.com. It would be great to know which manufacture is using better protective agents and what goes into each manufactures products.
WD-40:
Even though it isn’t a rust proofing product, I decided to add it in. Its basically just a water displacement which is one aspect of rust prevention. So obviously, in terms of effectiveness we all know the WD-40 is the weakest product of all of these listed. It is also the thinnest, almost like water. It may leave a film, but its so thin that it wouldn’t hold up under our vehicles.
Rust Check (Red):
Rust Check’s original rust formula. It’s viscosity is very similar to the WD-40, maybe a tad thicker but I believe is too thin for automotive use. I almost feel like this is a great product for the household like the WD-40. It leaves a very thin film.
Rust Check (Coat & Protect):
Of the two Rust Check products, this is more of an automotive rust prevention product compared to the red can. I still dislike the consistency. It’s definitely thicker and should hold up much better than the Rust Check red can above but I feel like it’s light and the product gobs together. It has a greasy feel and leaves behind a thin film.
Krown’s T40:
I feel like they changed the viscosity of the formula a tad since they released their new product design. The product is a tad thicker and sprays foamier and whiter than what I use to remember a few years ago. I just don’t remember, so I won’t say with a definite. It’s a tad thinner than Rust Check’s Coat & Protect and without the gobbiness it produces. It spreads out more evenly, has a greasy feel and leaves a thin film behind.
Fluid Film:
This is the Fluid Film AS packaged for aerosol cans, not to be confused with the NAS product which is thicker. Since I have the thinner product of Fluid Film, I would put the thickness similar to Corrosion Free, almost like a pudding, no transparency, with a distinctive smell to it. It’s stickier than all the rest, has a greasy feel and leaves a thin film behind as well. I would like to get my hands on the NAS to see how much thicker it would be.
Corrosion Free’s Rust Cure Formula 3000 with CSC850:
Its a clear/greenish gel with bubbles that fizz a bit. To the touch, its a lot thicker, probably the thickest of all the products here and feels like a gel. It’s sticky, but not as sticky as Fluid Film and leaves a film as well. I also purchased the DIY 4L jug of this product and it’s viscosity is thicker.
Conclusion: I put this together to show people who are new to rust proofing or are curious about the other products, what the viscosity of each product looks like. if you have any input into this, feel free to chime in.
I can’t say one product flows or creeps more than another. Remember, temperature changes viscosity. So in the summer, all oils will be thinner and thicker in the winter. I tested this in an indoor environment at room temperature. If you prefer a thicker product, go with Corrosion Free or Fluid Film. If you want an in-between you can use Krown or Rust Check’s Coat & Protect. If you prefer thin then Rust Check Red. If you definitely want it to rust, use WD-40.
In terms of them collecting dirty and debris, they are all petroleum based. They will all collect some amount of dirt and debris. The thinner product will collect a smaller amount and dry up faster than a thicker product. That also translates to less clean up and prep before your annual application. A thicker oil will cake on more dirt, which means you really should clean up the under body every year or few years at best. Best practice is to clean up the underbody every year and a good applicator will do so.
With my experience using Krown T40, my rubber door seals have sagged and are damaged. With my experience on my other vehicle and from what I heard around the forums, I would recommend people to spray their rubber sealants with a protectant before applying any rust proofing and clean up after a rust proofing application. As good as the applicator may be, he can not always control overspray, especially with thinner products where there is a mist in the air. Some applicators will do this for you. That’s the only downside I see with Rust Proofing.
One final note, I think its great we have this many products to choose from. Competition is great for the consumer. Lower costs and better quality. And any of these applications listed above (except WD-40) will always be better than applying nothing. You just need to find out what works best for you in terms of cost, location and quality of the application.
Coming Up:Not sure if you guys are interested, but I’m just doing a little test for myself with each product to see how well bare metal coated with each product holds up to the rusting process.
I am testing how well double headed spikes (no galvanized) hold up to a coating of each product. They will be simulating a weathered environment exposed to the main elements that cause them to rust: water, salt, air. I am going to accelerate the result process by spraying each coated spike with hydrogen peroxide and sprinkled with salt. I’ll store them in a container out in the open.
I’ll take pictures of the process and can keep you guys up to date with what I see and how well each product protects the metal. I'm just curious how well all these products preform in creating a barrier with metal and the environment around them.
