So while my old parts cleaning plastic bin is large enough to hold the trailing arms, it is going to be prohibitively expensive to create a deep enough pool of solvent to soak the undercoating in to soften it up.
I poured all of my solvent that I have in other cleaning bins and then another gallon and I’m nowhere near to reaching the full surfaces that need to soak (above).
Now my neighbor with the ’64 Pontiac GTO says he has a 5 gallon can of carb cleaner that is old, but that he doesn’t want. I am wondering how active the solvent compounds in it still are and if they would make a difference. I could get a clean bin and then try that out.
I think I’ll get off what I can of the pivot bolt point and then, dry it off and then see how the propane torch affects it. I’d rather it just all fall off like the solvent has done but if I have to I can scrape it all off just far slower.
Now the spring plate dregreased and all of the undercoating came off due to the solvent soaking.
Today I went at the surface rust with my orbital sander since there’s so much flat surface area on it and it made quick work of the rust.
There was mostly surface rust and get this… it was under the undercoating and not under whatever original paint VW used on these parts.
I need to make another pass later tonight or tomorrow and it should be ready for final cleaning.
The KBS frame coating kit I got the other day should be here today. At least it says it is out for delivery.
I am not sure that ideal ambient temperature range needed for the rust seal product but I’d imagine it needs to be a little warmer than it has been outside recently.