Noisy Dirt Stuck in Frame/Fork
 

Hey guys quick framebuilding question - how do you get rid of nasty dirt that gets into the frame/fork and rattles around, it drives me nuts? Any ideas?

how did the dirt get in?

Generally you can work dirt down to the bottom bracket, where it tends to go anyway. Then you want to get it out via the seat tube. The trick to that is to rotate the frame through the horizontal axis, turning it flat, then upside down so the dirt drops into the seat tube instead of back up the down tube.

Generally, what you hear isn't dirt from the outside but bits of flux or braze that were left over from the build. Once the loose stuff is gone, it's over for the life of the frame.

Dirt usually doesn't produce a rattle. Flux that has dislodged from the joints does. I would first consider a bath. Completely strip the frame and expose every vent hole possible. Soak wit the hottest water you can. Follow up with solvent as best you can. Dry out with heat of some low level. End with Frame Saver. Then consider sew up glue... Andy.

So I have this same situation, but it is mostly rust. It was suggested that it was flux, but today I filled the fork with 160 degree water straight from the water heater that is set to kill for washing and let it set for about 6 hrs. anyway a lot of rust came out and there is still rattling but a lot less. Only one vent hole on each side, but I was able to use a big needle to get the water in and then to get most of the water out with compressed air then dried the rest with the furnace in the garage. The seat stays are the same, only one hole and a lot of rattle so I will go after them too the main tubes are not too bad from what I can see with the borescope. It seems to me that rust converter would be the way to go and then maybe framesaver or such. Thoughts?

it's not going to hurt anything. Framesaver will stick it to the tubes to keep it from rattling, that's what I would do.

This is a grail frame so I would like to do the best thing possible even though there is no good way to know how bad it is and it seems like converter should also be used.

the C&V guys say that oxalic acid works well for this application. I have never done it myself. The damage is done, unless there is a cosmetic issue, I don't think anything you do inside the frame is going to have much on the remaining useful life of the frame. Framesaver will keep future damage from occurring, rust or no rust.