Dispatch:
Is this removal of rust from bolt & screw heads on a motorcycle for cosmetic appearance reasons OR to get to the bare metal to aid in their removal so as to prevent stripping the screw or bolt head for maintenance or restoration purposes.
Both, it`s got stuck bolts and is an eye sore to the bikes appearance.
I say that because:
1) What type of motorcycle? Vintage Japanese or some vintage USA manufacturer you want to retain the Original Equipment of Manufacturer (OEM) bolt or screw for authenticity or documented OEM of the motorbike to preserve its value?
It`s an 08 Harley Davidson Road King that has sat exposed to the elements for the last 6 months.
Either country of origin of the manufacturer, chances are you just cannot go down to the local hardware store and pick up a "replacement" bolt or screw, especially Japanese-spec (JIS) metric.
If it is a Japanese motorcycle, make sure you use a JIS-specific screw driver for X-cross-drive screws and NOT a Phillips type. The X-cross-drive V-recess angle is different in a JIS screw than a Phillips Drive X-cross screw, even if it is an "identical" metric thread size. It is very easy to strip out a JIS screw cross-drive using Phillips screw driver! I say "identical" because the Japanese use "different" or non-standard metric thread diameters and pitches than ISO (International Standards organization) or German (DIN) metric threads for screws and bolts.
2) If it is more of a later model motorcycle, can you find replacement bolts and screws and do exactly that: remove/take out the old and replace them with a new one if it is more for cosmetic appearance reasons?
I can but it would mean removing vital parts of the bike that would require readjustment and torquing in a major way.
If the screw and bolt heads are rusty, I assume the threads are too, making removal and disassembly difficult or nearly impossible. I`ve used Kano Laboratories Kroil for this purpose as a penetrating oil rust buster. MUCH better than Liquid Wrench but also (MUCH) more expensive and only available from the manufacturer via mail-order. It is available in an aerosol spray can.
Once these screws or bolts are removed, can you use a wire brush on them or maybe felt geometric-shaped polishing bobs mounted in the chuck of a Dremel tool or cordless drill with some metal compound and/or polishes to sand and polish them to a respectable appearance? I put them in its exact mating thread-sized hex nut, tighten it down, and put it in a vise to hold them, with the nut acting as a protective holder to prevent damaging the screw or bolt threads being held by and clamped in the vise. Just an idea....
salty:
I must commend you for your chemistry safety tip of adding acid to water and NOT water to acid.
I found this out the hard way in high school MANY years ago in my Junior-year chemistry class. I put hydro-sulfuric acid to a larger test tube and then added water and it almost boiled out immediately. What I failed to remember is that water and acid when combined, create an exothermic reaction, meaning they generate heat. The small amount of water initially introduced into a test-tube of acid created an instant amount of heat and the test tube acted as a canon, and thus the acid shot out and onto me. Fortunately I only had mild burns to where the acid landed on my exposed shirt that was not covered by my black acid-resistant chemistry apron. I did not have goggles or a face shield on, as in those days my sight-impaired corrective glasses took its place. I was lucky none got onto my face and baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate)and water neutralized the places where the acid landed, but the accident did ruin my new T-shirt with the high-school track team nomenclature on it I was wearing that day.
(Jeesh, Captain Obvious, I think this about the 10th time or so you`ve told this SAME story in this forum! We know you are getting old when you tell the same stories over-and-over. Just sayin`.....!!!)
