The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Inner panel treatment.

I have removed the drivers side cowl to get at 67 years of internal surface rust and resolve a few other issues. I’ve started cleaning it up with wire wheel an scotchbrite pads. Next i plan to treat with phosphoric acid. The question i have is what then?

I was planning on mastercoat silver as i wont be able to get the acid out of all the nooks and crannies rendering epoxy a less than optimal choice. Now I’m considering adding some plugs to the cowl in strategic locations to facilitate treatment with woolwax or fluidfilm after I’m done with painting the truck. This would be instead of paint or sealers.

I’m not a big fan of sealing rust in with paints and sealers. What have you folks done to treat inner cowls?

If it's open, you can neutralize the acid with a little water/baking soda solution. Assuming that you're going to leave it open to paint. Just be sure to get it dried out well.

I didn't do anything to the inside of my cowls, figuring that I'll be dead before they get that rusty.

Thanks klh. The top of the cowl was pretty rotten at the fender attachment. That was the main motivator to remove and replace. The internal rust was secondary.

I applied the first coat of phosphoric. Working to keep it wet for an hour or so.

Not sure now if i want to paint or treat with a product like waxoyl after all is finished.

I used to use a product called rust mort that neutralized the rust and had a black coating were the rust was ,I think it is similar to a US product Ospo after that I would use a rust paint like rust oleum .I would also put some fluid film in there to keep everything sealed although I think it is not recommended to paint over the rust when you use fluid film or wool wax but I like the idea of treating the rust and I like the way fluid film works to keep the metal coated

I use Ospho, let it dry for a day or two, then spray with Rustoleum rusty metal primer. The Rustoleum seems to get along with Ospho residue. Epoxy primer does not.

Kevinski, how do you find the smell of the fluidfilm? The panel i am working is the cowl that circulates outside air into the truck. Any stink the treatment generates will end up coming out the interior vents when the fan is on.

Thanks Carl. I was hoping single stage paints and primer might not be finiky about residual acid if i go that route.

I used fluid film on my newer truck and it smelled for a few days then it was gone .You could spray a test on a piece of metal and see how it is in a few days .I don’t think in that area you would need to put a lot but would be good for the seams and joints to seep in and keep the rust from starting