Van's Air Force

The definitive Van's Aircraft support community! Buying, building or flying an RV? Join our exclusive family of mentors and enthusiasts!

Corrosion X

I use ACF-50 on nuts and bolts, and on electrical connections. I rarely spray it, just dab a bit on a nut/bolt/screw/spade connector. No idea if it's helpful or not (even though they say it is) so please come back in 30 years and we can see if there's any corrosion. I've got some Tef-Gel as well, as the sailing guys say this stuff is great. I have not used it much. I think any kind of anti-corrosion product is a good idea, keeping in mind you should use it sparingly so that it does not attract dust and create grime.
 
Who uses corrosion x and where? Does anyone spray it on the back of the panel for electrical connections
CorrosionX and ACF-50 both work to prevent corrosion...BUT...there are a few things to know.

If you spray it on, it will weep for a long time, and it will find its way through the tiniest of openings. You will also smell it for a very long time. A friend sprayed the inside of his C-172 wings with ACF-50 and the seams wept for years.

Wiping it on tends to prevent the weeping but likely degrades its performance.

If you are planning to paint or adhere anything on those surfaces, DO NOT use CorrosionX or ACF-50. These products make it incredibly difficult to bond to the treated surface.
 
I had my C-152 treated with Corrosion X. It was awful with all the weeping, constant cleaning, and the horrible smell that never went away. I would not go near that stuff with a 10' pole!
 
From time to time a spam can guy will ask me if I use Corrosion X. My standard reply is “Corrosion X is not needed on properly primed aircraft”.

For electrical connections I stick to products specify designed for that application.

Carl
 
Smell and weep vs penetration ? What about Bohield ?
It is a paraffin style coating used for this purpose as well as bicycle chain lube. Pros and cons ?
 
Depends on a lot of factors e.g. a product's ability to weep/penetrate can be a double edged sword. See post 4 in link below.

LINK
 
I will never ever buy another airplane that has been treated with that stuff. On my second now, always leaking black stuff at skin joints etc even after 20 years.
 
I will never ever buy another airplane that has been treated with that stuff. On my second now, always leaking black stuff at skin joints etc even after 20 years.
Hate the player, not the game.

CorrosionX, ACF 50, similar are supposed to be atomized when applied. When properly set up, you can see the fog vent from the opposite send of a wing when applying. It atomizes that well. Also, it doesn't take much; probably just over a pint to fog a typical two seat RV. More isn't better. After some initial wipe downs, I had zero weepage after a couple of regular aircraft washings

And yes, I've had aircraft painted after applying oil preservatives though I did time it to be done at the end of my biannual fogging interval. Standard proper paint prep led to zero issues. Over application/treatment could have led to the known, related issues.

If you don't want prolonged weepage, try Dintrol. It is a very good product that dries.

Ultimately, I'll do extra cleaning rather than leave my airframe "less" protected. In Hot and Humid Flor-e-Duh, where it's not unheard of for certified aircraft to be economically totaled from corrosion, it just makes sense.
 
Hate the player, not the game.

CorrosionX, ACF 50, similar are supposed to be atomized when applied. When properly set up, you can see the fog vent from the opposite send of a wing when applying. It atomizes that well. Also, it doesn't take much; probably just over a pint to fog a typical two seat RV. More isn't better. After some initial wipe downs, I had zero weepage after a couple of regular aircraft washings

And yes, I've had aircraft painted after applying oil preservatives though I did time it to be done at the end of my biannual fogging interval. Standard proper paint prep led to zero issues. Over application/treatment could have led to the known, related issues.

If you don't want prolonged weepage, try Dintrol. It is a very good product that dries.

Ultimately, I'll do extra cleaning rather than leave my airframe "less" protected. In Hot and Humid Flor-e-Duh, where it's not unheard of for certified aircraft to be economically totaled from corrosion, it just makes sense.
I’ll see if I can round up a picture of my 172 that was painted after CorrosionX application, by a reputable paint shop. The paint came off in pieces up to 6” across. The paint was full adhered to the primer but the primer didn’t bond to the aluminum. Yes, they did their standard paint prep before painting.

After paint, CorrosionX and acf-50 work great; not interested in a $25k chance…
 
Fogged every other year for a few decades. Painted after ~10 applications. Not one paint blister. Improper application and/or poor workmanship can taint anything. I'll state again, if you afraid of oil based perservatives, Dinitrol is pretty awesome as well.

And BTW if you've got anything with 7075 as part of the construction, your need to utilize additional levels of corrosion prevention is an order of magnitude higher. Several times more than a $25K "chance" involving just paint.

new.jpg
 
Hate the player, not the game.

CorrosionX, ACF 50, similar are supposed to be atomized when applied. When properly set up, you can see the fog vent from the opposite send of a wing when applying. It atomizes that well. Also, it doesn't take much; probably just over a pint to fog a typical two seat RV. More isn't better. After some initial wipe downs, I had zero weepage after a couple of regular aircraft washings

And yes, I've had aircraft painted after applying oil preservatives though I did time it to be done at the end of my biannual fogging interval. Standard proper paint prep led to zero issues. Over application/treatment could have led to the known, related issues.

If you don't want prolonged weepage, try Dintrol. It is a very good product that dries.

Ultimately, I'll do extra cleaning rather than leave my airframe "less" protected. In Hot and Humid Flor-e-Duh, where it's not unheard of for certified aircraft to be economically totaled from corrosion, it just makes sense.
I don't live in FL and don't plan on it, except when sailing, and my boat is mostly frozen snot (aka fibreglass)
 
Fogged every other year for a few decades. Painted after ~10 applications. Not one paint blister. Improper application and/or poor workmanship can taint anything. I'll state again, if you afraid of oil based perservatives, Dinitrol is pretty awesome as well.

And BTW if you've got anything with 7075 as part of the construction, your need to utilize additional levels of corrosion prevention is an order of magnitude higher. Several times more than a $25K "chance" involving just paint.

View attachment 86410
Not afraid of CorrosionX at all...just remember removing the paint AND primer with an ordinary broom, right down to the metal.

But hey, you do you!
 
Fogged every other year for a few decades. Painted after ~10 applications. Not one paint blister. Improper application and/or poor workmanship can taint anything. I'll state again, if you afraid of oil based perservatives, Dinitrol is pretty awesome as well.

And BTW if you've got anything with 7075 as part of the construction, your need to utilize additional levels of corrosion prevention is an order of magnitude higher. Several times more than a $25K "chance" involving just paint.

View attachment 86410
My comment would be that likewise, fogging is the proper method. I use ACF-50 and they produced a DVD and youtube video that shows proper application. I bought the full application kit which includes the correct sprayer and (very) long nozzles and tubes to extent as long as the individual wings. If whats being used for application is the spray bottle the its being done wrong. Fog, not spray, and it won’t seep.
 
My comment would be that likewise, fogging is the proper method. I use ACF-50 and they produced a DVD and youtube video that shows proper application. I bought the full application kit which includes the correct sprayer and (very) long nozzles and tubes to extent as long as the individual wings. If whats being used for application is the spray bottle the its being done wrong. Fog, not spray, and it won’t seep.
I would disagree as we had our 172 fogged by a reputable company using the proper equipment and it still wept. Good news is the CorrosionX is clear instead of the red ACF-50…much harder to notice.

That said, CorrosionX works great for its intended purpose.
 
I was listening to EEA inspection seminar yesterday and Brian Carpenter/Rainbow Aviation recommended to use Corrosion X or ACF-50 during the annual as the cleaning agent in the engine area and elsewhere where dust/grime accumulates. This sounds different from the fogging application. I guess you would use a spray bottle and immediately wipe it with the rugs. Is this going to limit the seeping problem?

BTW the seminar is the short version of their two-day MOSAIC inspection class. https://www.eaa.org/videos/6388489059112
 
Doing some training recently, motorcycle chain wax was cited as a good option for spraying on (already connected) electrical connections. When mentioned by the teacher, it was corroborated by a couple of the IA also in the room. Not messy, stays in place and lasts a long time, good corrosion protection, easy cleanup and no risk to adjacent surfaces.
 
Any weeping after Corrosion X or ACF-50 treatment indicates way too much was used.
A light squirt with a small paint spray gun is enough to have a light fog throughout the structure.
I spend more time setting up and cleaning the gun than spraying.

I have painted afterwards with no problems.
 
Hate the player, not the game.

CorrosionX, ACF 50, similar are supposed to be atomized when applied. When properly set up, you can see the fog vent from the opposite send of a wing when applying. It atomizes that well. Also, it doesn't take much; probably just over a pint to fog a typical two seat RV. More isn't better. After some initial wipe downs, I had zero weepage after a couple of regular aircraft washings

And yes, I've had aircraft painted after applying oil preservatives though I did time it to be done at the end of my biannual fogging interval. Standard proper paint prep led to zero issues. Over application/treatment could have led to the known, related issues.

If you don't want prolonged weepage, try Dintrol. It is a very good product that dries.

Ultimately, I'll do extra cleaning rather than leave my airframe "less" protected. In Hot and Humid Flor-e-Duh, where it's not unheard of for certified aircraft to be economically totaled from corrosion, it just makes sense.
My beloved "bucket of bolts" was a Miami find.. had to corrosion proof with corro-x or loose all resale value in a few years. When it came time to do some touch-up painting I nearly blew my brains out in frustration. I honestly could use a complete spinner to tail repaint but sincerely believe it's not possible without a really experienced pro, fully informed of the past fogging
 
I had a soda spill in my 9. Down through the seat pan, along the aft wing spar bulkhead, then inside the lower skin throughout the rest of the aft fuselage. Even drained out the flap actuator holes onto the flaps.

I cleaned up what I could see, but what to do about in between the joints that I couldn't see?

I have nothing against ACF-50, but decided on using Corrosion X after dialogue with them. I drenched all the joints for my last 2 condition inspections in those areas (used an extended nozzle tube to fit under the seat pans and under the baggage floor. This heavy application was to assure that in between all joints that the soda could have penetrated, that they can be neutralized with Corrosion X. Yes, that heavy an application continues to leak Corrosion X all year long. It gets close stops coming out the joints about time for the next condition inspection and then it's time for the next application.

I plan on applying one more application this year.
 
Back
Top