John Schramm

I recently purchased my first 911, a beautiful 89 coupe. The only real blemish on the car is some battery acid leakage and resulting rust in the area around the battery, including a couple of small spots on the fuel tank. What is the best way to go about neutralizing this acid, besides sprinkling baking soda all over the place. The pan holding the battery needs coated with some sort of paint to prevent future rust as well, but I'm not sure what to use since the cars paint and coatings in this area are original. Thanks.

HarryD

Hi,

I haven't had to do that yet to mine but I am planning on:

Baking Soda to neutralize.

Rust Mort to kill any visble or hidden rust

POR-15 to seal

An a standard sray on coating to protect.

John Schramm

Thanks Harry
J

Mrdi

Flush the area thoroughly with a baking soda solution, enough so it washes out through the draining holes and onto the frame members. Wash the under carriage as well with solution in that area. If the acid is allowed to remain where it has draind (inside frame members) it will eat the members from the inside out. Be thorough. Then a rust inhibitor and a hi pigment paint like Rustoleum brushed on. Eastwood has some good products for this application.

Chris Martin

As an MGB owner I am all too familiar with rust. The British guys have turned me onto Por 15 and it seems like the real deal so far. Check out their website if interested:
http://www.por15.com

Good luck!

Chris

DJB

I had a similar problem with an 86. I fitted a clear platic breather tube to the vent on the battery and fed this out the same hole in the front as the brake overflow tube.

I did this just in time as a few weeks later my alternator blew and boiled the battery, but the steaming acid was vented outside rather than into my trunk.

Naturally this will depend on if you have a sealed battery or not.