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Which corrosion inhibitor?

M5fly

Well Known Member
Trying to figure out which corrosion inhibitor is best to have on hand, and for which things. Is there any reason CorrosionX can't replace LPS 2 or mouse milk? I ask because I have cheap access to CorrosionX vs the others...
 
Corrosion X and acf50 are corrosion inhibitors. Eventually they dry out and leave behind a protective film. LPS2 and mouse milk are lubricants.
Now Corrosion X will have some lubricating properties, and lps2 some corrosion inhibition, but that’s not their primary function. Always best to use something for its primary intended purpose.
 
Depends

When corrosion inhibitors were becoming a common thing decades back, I worked at Kennedy Space Center. Some of the lab guys were young pilots as well so some we got to do some of our own tests. Sticking with the corrosion products, not the lubes and snake oils. Here's a summary from memory of a long time ago. Formulations could have changed obviously:

BoeShield - Was wax based. Only did OK at best for corrosion protection compared to others. Did not appreciably penetrate/wick into faying surfaces. Not as easy to apply as the others, didn't atomize well. Maybe special equipment was needed. Really a thumbs down when compared to the other options. This was a surprise because of it's "association" with Boeing. Love their Boelube cutting oils/pastes.

ACF50 - Anyone remember that? Very good corrosion resistance. Good (almost too good) for wicking/penetrating. It would creep around fully bucked rivets onto exterior painted surfaces. Super easy to apply. Fogged adequately with a cheap solvent/siphon gun engine washer. Appears to have lost market share to CorrosionX. Low dielectric and reactivity claims appeared real. A good product except for "bilge" type areas that might see a lot of bulk water. A good product. They were a staple at airshows for a while. Are they still around?

CorrosionX (tested later) - See above. Not nearly as thin or quite as easy to apply as ACF. Took more/different equipment to atomize than ACF-50 for fogging purposes. The heaviest and messiest of the oil based products. It does seem to like to collect dirt. A good product.

WD40 - No, it is not a lubricant. Appeared to contain a lot of solvent. Didn't test as well as the other options. Not really in contention.

LPSx - See above. Other products tested better.

Dinitrol (AV-8?) Had never heard of it at the time but was the biggest surprise of the bunch. This one actually becomes a dry film after application. Didn't penetrate/wick as well as the oils. This was expected as it does dry. Good corrosion protection and fogged OK enough with a siphon gun. Real atomizing equipment would be needed if you wanted to fog a wing with limited access points. Good product especially when you don't want it wicking through your paint job. It's a amber color so you know by visual if an area has been treated. Being dry, it doesn't collect dirt like the oil based apps. Some surface "washability" without removing the product.

That's a memory snapshot of some year ~1990. So, what's the answer? Just like a lot of things, it depends.

What's your access like?
Budget (need expensive equipment)?
Have you painted yet?
etc

The worst tested product is better than nothing. Just sayin’

In my hangar:
I have some portion of a gallon of CorrosionX left. I have their cheap fogger and wands. It goes along way. I kept some in a dish soap wand/sponge which I used to wipe down the LE of my prop.

I have some protion of a ~4 litre can of Dinitrol. My favorite when applied before assemblies get any real exposure.

I have a gallon of unopened Boeshield.

For what any of this rambling is worth... Wish I had a finished aircraft to use it on.

Cheers boys.
 
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This would be for use on a finished aircraft to lubricate and protect cables, heim joints, etc.
 
ACF-50

I use ACF-50 in places where I didn't prime and on electrical connectors. Seems good, and ask me in 20 years if it protected properly! :D It's readily available in Europe and they are at most of the shows handing out little sample bottles, which are a really convenient size.
 
This would be for use on a finished aircraft to lubricate and protect cables, heim joints, etc.

Cole,

I use LPS 2 on the internal heim joints (rod ends) because I can spray it on with the included spray tube, and am not worried about the oily film attracting dirt since these joints are inside the airplane.

I use Tri-Flow® Superior Dry Lubricant on all the external rod ends. It goes on wet, but then sets up in a dry, ‘wax-like’ film so it will not attract or absorb grit and grime.

I don't put anything on RV cables since they don't have to turn over pulleys.
 
Cole,

I use LPS 2 on the internal heim joints (rod ends) because I can spray it on with the included spray tube, and am not worried about the oily film attracting dirt since these joints are inside the airplane.

I use Tri-Flow® Superior Dry Lubricant on all the external rod ends. It goes on wet, but then sets up in a dry, ‘wax-like’ film so it will not attract or absorb grit and grime.

I don't put anything on RV cables since they don't have to turn over pulleys.

This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you.
 
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