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CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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OptsyEagle
User
Sep 4, 2007, 2:39 PM
Post #1 of 10
(5526 views)
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CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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Has anyone used one of those CounterAct (may be other brands as well) Rust protection systems. It looks like a metal piece that they attach to your car (and hook up to the battery as well I think) and it supposedly protects the entire car from rust.
Just wondering if anyone has some thoughts on them.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 5, 2007, 2:12 AM
Post #2 of 10
(5522 views)
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Re: CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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The idea definately works for marine use. Not sure on an ungrounded motor vehicle and I haven't seen them get real popular yet so they probably don't work. If they did that would end rust/corrosion problems and everyone would be using them,
T
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OptsyEagle
User
Sep 5, 2007, 5:59 AM
Post #3 of 10
(5521 views)
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Re: CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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That is probably the main reason that I am skeptical. It is kind of like they just found a cure for cancer but I never heard of it and no one is lining up to take the medicine. Rust is certainly cancer for the car, why aren't these things more popular?
Thanks for you thoughts. If anyone else has some experience with these I would sure love to hear about it.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 5, 2007, 7:47 AM
Post #4 of 10
(5520 views)
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Re: CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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I'm interested in this idea. I'll say with some certainty that it doesn't work in cars/motor vehicles. What does work to slow rust is real galvanization. I have a few years on me and know of the times when rust had to be avoided and the best of 90 or many more years ago was galvanizing. The coating sacrifices itself in place of the rust. It's prooven and works. The various paints attempt some of this but there's nothing like hot dipped steel in this galvanizing metal which is probably zinc and nickel or something like it.
The other thing is the grade of steel. High carbon steel is much slower but more costly. I have a 1948 tractor that has been exposed to road salt since the 1950s and does have some rust but that's a loooong time to have resisted total rust out. I've had cars from the 1970s that would rust right thru 1/4" steel frames of vehicles so thickness is not the only issue with this fatal problem.
If that electro stuff worked on cars it would afford car makers to use a much cheaper grade of steel and get away with it. Trust in greed. If that worked they'd all have done it.
I've been (formally) an avid boater. Especially in salt water corrosion is a monster issue. Lots of non steel products are used because of this. Brass, stainless steel, bronze, alloys etc., and what a boat I owned new in 1989 had was a thing called a "zinc saver" installed in the galley that connected to the major metal parts on the boat. Others at the same marina where I moored were replacing sacrificial zincs twice a season and I didn't have to for nine seasons!! The issue is that larger boats have electrical systems and the boat does ground to the ambient water. Salt water conducts electricity quite well - test it with an ohm meter and see. Out the same in distilled water and it wont conduct at all!! There is no clean water in nature so the problem exists in varying degrees.
Look at the ships, bridges and structures used for levys, seawalls, hurricane breaks and they use this zinc action with an electrical charge to slow it down. Somehow this doesn't work in cars/vehicles as they don't really ground to the ground if you will.
I live in one of the worse rust belts in the USA. Eastern Massachusetts is the worst I know of because of heavily salted roads with higher populations with expected snow and ice - the worst is that it usually gets above freezing and vehicles bounce between water and ice each day and the salt hold the moisture longer. Family in Norhtern New England and Southern New England fair better. It's stays cold north of here and so cold salt doesn't work anyway so they don't use it and south of here gets much less snow and ice - all within a couple hundred miles!
It's a major issue that has never been taken too seriously. Vehicles don't need to expire because of rust alone and rust in brake lines, gas lines and tanks are a major safety issue - then just think about all the structures like bridges, buildings etc., that will expire to rust when we could have done better.
Sorry for the book. I really do consider this a key issue,
T
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OptsyEagle
User
Sep 5, 2007, 11:07 AM
Post #5 of 10
(5519 views)
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Re: CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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Any thoughts on just the old run-of-the-mill undercoating procedures. Are they worth it?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 5, 2007, 1:22 PM
Post #6 of 10
(5518 views)
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Re: CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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Undercoating was real popular in the 50s and 60s and helped if the car was new and rust free to start. Not sure it will help existing rusted metal. I spray parts with spray grease which works well on my old cars that will be kept till the cows come home.
The undercoating must be complete and not plug any drain holes - that was a problem. It was great for sound deadening. It really should be the asphalt product for rust prevention not the "rubberized" stuff which is good if you want to paint over it.
Only saw it advertized in New Hampshire but they had a thing where they would oil the undercarriage before Winter and it helps a lot! These things make a mess and undercoating makes welding a pain if needed later.
For my "driver" cars I use grease everywhere I can out of sight and it works. I always had to have seasonal cars as the really neat ones don't go out in bad weather and that leaves at least one to be sacrificed to the rust that will come no matter what I've done. My newest car is 19 years old right now and I hope to get 10 more years out of it!
Hey! It makes them easy to find in a parking lot - it's the only one like it
T
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John Chow
Anonymous Poster
johnchow101@hotmail.com
Apr 8, 2009, 7:00 AM
Post #7 of 10
(5207 views)
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Re: CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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I am in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
I bought Counter Act Rust Control @ Canadian Tire or Dec of 2006 for $200.00. Installed it on a 1999 Toyota Avalon by a mechanic. However, it is quite simple enough to be installed by anyone.
It's been 2 1/2 yrs. Car still rusts!!
I even did the krown Rust Protection (spray) last January spending $125.00.
Regardless whatever you do, salt eats the metal once the surface is scratched.
In my opinion, Counter Act doesn't work, but gives FALSE hope to car owners.
If I had to rust proof my car in future:
(1) I would spray heavy grease or stone guard stuff under gas/brake lines & cover some power steering line. Grease underbody with what I could find in local autopart or Canadian Tire store.
(2) Would cover any scratch or chip on car right away with primer. painting is optional. However, primer is critical.
Save any money you would otherwise give it to these gimmicks or spayers. With the money you saved, you can get the car painted over in 5 or 6 yrs!!
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Apr 8, 2009, 9:22 AM
Post #8 of 10
(5203 views)
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Re: CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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John - Nice to see this thread is still alive!
I still think for cars oils and grease for the unseen areas works well. It saturates wherea anything that hardens and gets chipped starts the rust right there. Notice one drop of grease/oil on your clothes spreads to look like a ton was pu there?
Oils repel the water but eventually give up also.
The grade of steel used is important as well. There are so many different grades of steel I can't count them all. High carbon seems to fare well and there's a clear difference in the steel used for a back hoe/front end loader which plain can't hold paint of any kind yet you rarely see those flake off like a cracker in layers like even some heavy gauge metal parts used in regular cars and trucks.
It's still a good topic and there sure is a lot of garbage sold out there that DOESN'T work as we find out when it's too late
T
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WAYNE JR.
New User
Feb 8, 2012, 12:57 PM
Post #9 of 10
(3847 views)
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Re: CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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I HAVE TWO COUNTER ACT RUST UNITS INSTALLED ON MY VEHICLES. ONE IS ON A 1999 ESCLADE AND THE OTHER ON A HUMVEE. BOTH VEHICLES ARE ON THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA WHERE WE HAVE A SERIOUS RUST PROBLEM. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE UNITS. THEY HAVE PADS WITH WIRES FROM THE UNIT WHICH ATTACH TO THE FRAME AND ENGINE. IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE RADIO OR COMPUTERS . I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE PRODUCT. I HAVE USED THE UNITS FOR TWO YEARS NOW AND PLAN TO INSTALL THEM ON ALL MY VEHICLES.
WAYNE JR.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 8, 2012, 3:56 PM
Post #10 of 10
(3840 views)
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Re: CounterAct Rust Inhibitors
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This thread is 5 years old. Feel free the read it but don't reopen it now.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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