I just picked up a used steel frame and I noticed some light surface rust forming when i look up in to the seat tube from the BB shell. Is it too late to use Framesaver? Would it still help?


Also...I'm seeking recomendations on drilling a drain hole in the bottom of the BB shell.

No.Yes.Drill a drain hole.

If it is just surface rust I wouldn't worry about it. You may able to brush it off with a brass brush from shot gun cleaning kit. Then apply some rust prohibitive. The bottom bracket will need to be disassembled before brushing to avoid contaminating the bearings.

Not if it's a cartridge type.

Snydley:

Well brush some rust particles into your BB and see what happens. . .

Please use common sense. . .

Please consider that all of your anwers to people are vague and or designed to cause confusion or equipment damage.

Umm...maybe I should have mentioned that the BB shell is currently empty.

How big of a drain hole is recommended?

Thanks guys.

You might already have a screw hole in the BB for the gear cable retainer

Hi,
after you scrape the rust, go to an automotive supply store. I forget the name, but there is a paint that will eat the trace amounts of rust left behind, and form a flexible protective layer of black plastic. Good stuff.

The BB hole in my 1981 Peugeot is about the diameter of a pencil maybe a bit smaller.

How do i apply this framesaver type stuff? Do i spray down the seat tube? Would I then need to block off the hole that leads in to the BB shell, or at least the threads?

I've been reading some on the subject of steel frame rust and it seems that the FrameSaver and other preparations are not used by the frame manufactures and are considered unnecessary. They suggest only that the Seat Post be greased to prevent water from getting between the seat post and frame then corroding.

So I should just brush it out, grease the post and drill a BB drain hole and call it good it sounds like.

Framesaver or boiled linseed oil is cheap.

That was "Jobst Jandbt"( :D ), or whatever his name is

I don't know if it's the same viscosity, but I used spray-on fish oil on mine, and it was so runny that it quickly became a pain in the @ss, so I just concentrated on the BB area. It wouldn't hurt just to do around the BB -- I found it easy to avoid the threads.

The BB hole I drilled was 3mm, right in the center at the lowest point of the shell.

Rustoleum Rust Reformer. Good stuff. I used it on a cable stop the was too difficult to sand or brush.

Yes. . . Jobst Brandt

http://www.cyclingforums.com/archive/index.php/t-15173

His commentary is straight to the point, based on fact and experience.