Everyone hates rusty fasteners and brackets. Lets make them go away, whats the best way to preserve the head of a bolt?


I have had great luck removing the rust from rusty Honda hardware using distilled white vinegar soaks. Usually 24-48 hours will eat off the bulk.
Follow that up with a soak in "Metal Rescue" which really eats off anything left. Could go straight to the MR but vinegar is much cheaper.
The problem now is the flash rust.
I would like to get a parts tumbler for a 3rd step and im relatively sure they would be rust free and solve the flash rusting issue from the rinse.


Now i have rust free bolts with 0 protection. What do you fine people prefer as a solution, what will last. do I

• Soak them in a protective oil ( Ballistol/gun oil? )
• Zinc electroplate ( Very soft )
• Dip the heads in POR15 or a similar encapsulator ( Hard could be brittle? )
• Heat quench the hardware with a high carbon motor oil
• Paint them (Cheap and works but chips)
• Black oxide coating

 

Zinc plating is what Honda use.