of rust and broken hearts
 

well not quite broken hearts but definite disappointment.
today i got a new-used bike. 80s fuji roubaix, si-45 quad butted sihiwata lugged steel frame. upon closer inspection (and disection) it turns out the frame has a horrendous rust problem. the outside isnt so bad but when i shook it it sounded like a babys rattle. upon bottom bracket removal a huge mound of rust poured out onto the floor. ***sigh*** is this frame even worth the trouble of trying to save?
is there anything i can do to combat internal tubing rust?
any help, suggestions or advice would be great.
additionally the seat post and stem are stuck tighter than anything. i know theres been rust solutions posted in this forum and ill dig them up later.. but any advice is welcome

thanks.

good luck.

I'm sorry friend....let it die.

80's Fuji
 

Words of wisdom to share: Don't buy bikes from New Orleans Craiglist!

Only thing you can do is drown it in oxalic acid for a few days. That will remove what rust there is inside the frame. As to how much depth the internal rust has (how close it is to popping completely thru the tubing walls, and thereby weakening the frame as a whole), well, that is the big unknown!

thanks for the info
 

thanks for the info. i might just try this. is there any decent way to go about rust protecting the interior of the tubes after i soak it?

I've seen Boeshield recommended...not used it personally, though. You would think, being in the heart of Boeing's land and all that...:)

East Hill

Rust this bad is a sure sign of serious serious failure coming in the near future. You got screwed. You should scrap the frame. The chemical changes the occur with rust this bad will surely have destroyed the frame. Corrosion eats into and around the chrystaline structure of the steel. Face it: frame tubes are LESS than a millimeter thick. If you really did have a "pile" of rust flow out, you're frame's a mess. How much wall thickness could be left? You can bet your ass, that when it does fail you will either be a long way from home with a cracked or folded frame, or worse yet, you'll crash and get hurt.
Unless you can definately measure that your tube thicknesses are still good, just eat it and buy a bike from a reputable seller.

Said best by Niel Young "rust never sleeps"

If as you descibed a huge mound of rust poured out and the post are that stuck, it doesn't sound worth the effort, at best you are on borrowed time.