Right before I started posting again tonight I had the "wonderful" job of stripping down my girlfriend's bike and applying Frame Saver to the inside of the frame. What a nasty job that was. The best part? I still have mine left to do.

Thinking about doing just that. How messy is it anyway? Can't I do it over my nice apartment carpet or do I need to take it outside? Are there any fumes to contend with?

Thanks

Scott

It's a garage project the fumes aren't BAD (not great either) but you will undoubtedly spill some on the floor. The benefits from what I've heard and understand outweigh the BS factor signifigantly. I'm doing mine sometime tomorrow

dont you have an aluminum frame?

My commuter is steel.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...751#post545751

Frame Saver, when it comes out of the can, is quite thin and runny so you can get it in all those little nooks and crannys by turning the frame over and over as the Frame Saver dries. So if you just spray it inside the frame, it is likely to run out from some hole. When Frame Saver dries, it is the devil to remove. Get it on your carpet? Forget it, it will never come out.

No really strong fumes, but the odor is not the most pleasant one. Application is best done outside of a living area, or with lots of ventilation and newspaper on the floor.

I did mine with fish oil, and it's a total pain is the @ss.

It's too runny, difficult to manage, and tends to pool. I just ended up doing the
bottom bracket and the seat tube, and barely touched the rest.

Gee, that had to smell good ...

-mark

Fish oil eh? I bet no one drafts you!

It stinks for about 4 days (which is how long it bloody takes to totally dry),
but at least I get my essential fatty acids

I sprayed it in through the ends of the tubing exposed at the head tube and bottom bracket the other ends were blocked off by paper towels or tape - per instuctions. I discovered the wonderful thickening property when I went into the garage last night. My better half is going to be SO amused
I now understand why we never offered application at the shop.

I applied it indoors with newspapers spread out and the windows open. Fumes are not overly noxious. I chose to err on the side of a light coating rather than risk getting Framesaver all over my apartment. Didn't bother removing the BB or fork. Just sprayed into seat tube, chainstays, seatstays, fork and was able to poke the nozzle into the opening of the top tube from inside the seat tube. After spraying, I taped the vent holes on the stays and fork, and stuffed a paper towel in the top of the seat tube, so the stuff wouldn't run out as the solvent evaporated.

Next time I overhaul the bike, I'll do a more thorough application.

It's definitely an outside, or at worst, a garage project. Overspray and tube drainage are certain and the fumes are not what you want to breathe for very long. Unless you want new carpet very soon, don't do it in your apartment. It's the same as spray painting something. You don't that on your carpet or inside either.

You can also gain access by removing a bottle cage bolt and spraying through that hole. Gives you access to the downtube. No real need to remove the bb or fork.

Bob

Good thought, but no bottle cage braze-ons on the downtube.

Won't the frame saver contaminate and break down your headset/bb grease?

Most current bottom brackets used sealed cartridge bearings so it isn't a problem. The headset is a bit more problematic depending on the bearing type.

I'd disassemble everything anyway.

A few rubber stoppers from your local lab supply company does a great job of plugging up the bottom bracket and head tube (if you do remove everything) and contains the mess pretty good (I use duct tape over vent holes).

If you seal everything up that well, how does the solvent evaporate so the coating can dry and harden?

The idea is to wind up with a dry, waxy, rust-inhibiting film, not a frame full of liquid.

Seat tube opening is uncovered, and after it's mostly dry, remove the tape from the vent holes and allow to fully dry.

Does it do a reasonable job on an already-rusting frame? My 30yr-old steeler beater is not in a great shape, scares me everytime I look inside... Will it stop the rust, or is it just too late?

I've wondered the same thing. Maybe we can plug it all up, fill it with Coke or vinegar or pee first, let it sit for a day, dump out the rusty liquid, dry it well, then add the framesaver .

It certainly won't repair the rust that's already occured but a good coating will prevent more rusting. If the frame is so bad it scares you, Frame Saver is probably is too late to help.

While I can understand the desire to keep nice equipment nice, why do so many people use frame saver, when so few people keep their bikes for more than a few years? This seems like what many of us blast car dealers for... for pushing the undercoating when it does virtually no good for most people.

I have 7 steel framed bikes from 15 to 50 years old that have never seen frame saver, and the frames are all in OK condition. The few parts that are most corroded wouldn't be helped by frame saver anyway (rims, handlebars etc).

Has anyone actually had problems with frames rusting from the inside?

Don't get me wrong, I am seriously considering framesaver for a couple of the bikes, but I just want to know if anyone has ever had the opportunity to say "if only I had used frame saver"... I'm sure there must be a few, but how few?

If you store your bike inside and are diligent about removing the seatpost after riding in the rain, I don't think you'll have any internal corrosion. If water pools in the BB area regularly (ride in rain, store it outside, never remove the post), the frame will rust. Granted, this will take years, but some of us (especially those who care enough to participate in online bike forums) would like to keep the frame for many years or at least be able to sell the frame/bike in excellent condition.