Diesel as rust preventative

[swift1894]

A few years back I met a Dutch guy who had an old barge that he was selling as a conversion project. The roof and decks were completely unpainted but not rusty, although it was rust coloured. I asked him how he stopped the corrosion. Answer..... "Once a year I paint it with diesel."

I wonder how effective diesel would be in treating bilges, maybe mixed with engine oil.

[DaveC]

A few years back I met a Dutch guy who had an old barge that he was selling as a conversion project. The roof and decks were completely unpainted but not rusty, although it was rust coloured. I asked him how he stopped the corrosion. Answer..... "Once a year I paint it with diesel."

I wonder how effective diesel would be in treating bilges, maybe mixed with engine oil.

A bit smelly I would think!!

 

Dave

[Dalslandia]

line seed oil is good, maybe use it with diesel, better used by non smooker

[BGA]

A bit smelly I would think!!

 

Dave

Also a bit slippery

[X Alan W]

A few years back I met a Dutch guy who had an old barge that he was selling as a conversion project. The roof and decks were completely unpainted but not rusty, although it was rust coloured. I asked him how he stopped the corrosion. Answer..... "Once a year I paint it with diesel."

I wonder how effective diesel would be in treating bilges, maybe mixed with engine oil.

I saw this method used during the building of a steel around the world non stop project, sailing boat, The diesel was mixed with chainsaw bar/chain oil although I have no idea of the mix ratio's used, but the 18 or so months it took to build (outside all the time it didn't rust, just as said took on a T&M Harecastle area canal water hue)

[koukouvagia]

When we first bought Owl the engine bilges had been regularly dowsed in diesel - probably through accidental spillage - and as a consequence the rivets along the chine angle were and still are in pristine condition. Further forward where the rivets had just been exposed to rainwater in the open hold, they were in a poor condition.

So, yes. diesel is a very effective anti rust treatment for bilges, though frankly, it's unnecessary if you keep them dry and painted.

[Barge Maria]

The Dutch use a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and Owatrol. The inside of my hull is done with it and its very effective.

[Sea Dog]

Paint works pretty well and can also look nice if it's done well. Do whatever you like, of course, but I'm not sure why you'd want to buck that trend really.

[swift1894]

Paint works pretty well and can also look nice if it's done well. Do whatever you like, of course, but I'm not sure why you'd want to buck that trend really.

You can slop diesel/ oil mixture around bilges areas without having to take up all the flooring and it would penetrate existing rust, whereas paint would only sit on top of any existing rust that may be impossible to reach, due to bulkheads preventing flooring being lifted etc. Whether it looks nice doesn't enter the equation seeing as the bilge is under the flooring

[Guest]

I suspect diesel would do a good job of keeping rust at bay. It is the likely smell that would bother me.

[pete.i]

We used to paint the underneath of our trucks in a mixture of diesel and engine oil when I was in the army. We called it derv and it was a horrible messy job that we did every six months or so. My truck was an Austin K9 and it was older than me although I wasn't very old way back then. But as far as I was aware there was no rust underneath my vehicle. Once a year they had to go to the REME for inspection and if rust was found it went on the inspection report. I don't remember ever getting a bad report.

 

It was a horrible job though and we used to stink of diesel for days after.

[swift1894]

We used to paint the underneath of our trucks in a mixture of diesel and engine oil when I was in the army. We called it derv and it was a horrible messy job that we did every six months or so. My truck was an Austin K9 and it was older than me although I wasn't very old way back then. But as far as I was aware there was no rust underneath my vehicle. Once a year they had to go to the REME for inspection and if rust was found it went on the inspection report. I don't remember ever getting a bad report.

 

It was a horrible job though and we used to stink of diesel for days after.

Yeah but you were painting "uphill"

[Naughty Cal]

We used to paint the underneath of our trucks in a mixture of diesel and engine oil when I was in the army. We called it derv and it was a horrible messy job that we did every six months or so. My truck was an Austin K9 and it was older than me although I wasn't very old way back then. But as far as I was aware there was no rust underneath my vehicle. Once a year they had to go to the REME for inspection and if rust was found it went on the inspection report. I don't remember ever getting a bad report.

 

It was a horrible job though and we used to stink of diesel for days after.

Our Sierra coats its own underneath in oil

 

It does seem to work though.

[MtB]

I'd expect pure diesel to evaporate away in a few weeks.

[Guest]

Our Sierra coats its own underneath in oil

 

It does seem to work though.

That's why the front subframes rarely rusted on old minis, yet the back one rotted away quite quickly! I had a really old Lada once that had been oil sprayed underneath, as well as its own engine contents!) and this was sound when other Lada's had rusted in peace.

[BD3Bill]

Diesel vapour in confined spaces is pretty atomic in nature, so don't do it!

There is lots of stuff that stops steel rusting, use one instead.

Rather agree with MtB, bit like the utterly useless WD40 IMHO.

Cheers

Bill

[Bee]

Don't use old engine oil, too acidic.

[swift1894]

I'd expect pure diesel to evaporate away in a few weeks.

Maybe but if you mix with engine oil I would imagine it would penetrate onto the pores of any rust and remain there for a long time. Any way I'm going to try it. I was once told that old keel men on the Humber applied fish oil to the decks and it worked a treat.

[bizzard]

line seed oil is good, maybe use it with diesel, better used by non smooker

Smooking can cause aging of the skin.

[WarringtonWhite]

Its actually quite difficult to light diesel, that's why we compress it with extra air to make it go BANG.

 

Once had a Health and Safety bod complaining that I was smoking at the side of a bucket of diesel that I was using to clean a purifier bowl (those were the days when you couldn't get dermi or cancer from washing your hands in diesel !!).

 

To demonstrate that it wasn't a problem I throw the cig into the bucket.

 

It demonstrated a few things

1. Cigarettes go fisssss and go out when put into a bucket of diesel

2. Health and Safety bods should carry spare underwear just in case they come across a smart Alec like me

3. You shouldn't laugh until you cry when the Captain is giving you a bollocking for the complaint he received from the Health and Safety bods

4. When you finally get your written warning, take it gracelessly

5. Some of the funniest faces people pull are when they are about to defecate due to fright

 

Saying all that, being a damn sight older and not much wiser..... i would probably do it at arms length now....... using someone else's arm, preferably attached to some young dick heads body, whilst I am in another area.