fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

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fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

delco1946
Can anyone recommend a decent way to clean up the stock metal dash support structure? Mine is rusty (as I'm sure everyones is), whats the best way to clean it, without removing the whole thing? I realize it won't be perfect but as long as its better than current. Everything is see seems awful messy or an acid which i assume will destroy the plastic dash parts.
Christopher in Portland Or. 1981 F250 Ranger XLT 4x4 trailer special 351M, and auto C6
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

Steve83
Banned User
No, plastics are generally NOT affected by acid.  But I still wouldn't do that.  If you're not willing to take it out & apart, there's not much point to messing with it.  Anything you do with the dash assembled/installed will look worse (to anyone who looks up there) and NOT help anything.  Either do it right once & forget about it, or just forget about it.
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

delco1946
my dash, radio, and heater is out, i meant without removing the metal structure that the dash and components attach too. Just washed and cleaned everything.so far its not been too messy actually. I just put towels on the floor and sprayed things down section by section- one sprayer with clean water the other with soap. Found 3 dead mice  . I might at the very least, apply a thin filmed oil to protect the good metal and reduce oxygen and moisture exposure to the metal.

Also in this process i realized that the guy who put in the current radio ruined my bezel faceplate to make it fit. I also picked up a clock at the JY (my truck never came with one)....so if anyone has an extra rosewood XLT with radio and clock options for sale, let me know
Christopher in Portland Or. 1981 F250 Ranger XLT 4x4 trailer special 351M, and auto C6
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

Gary Lewis
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There are products like Ospho and Rust Check that you paint or spray on and they convert the rust to something that stops the rust.  You might try that.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

Ford F834
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In reply to this post by delco1946
I have a user bezel with intact radio face plate, but no clock holes. You can always cut them out if you are careful but you can’t un-cut a radio opening 😔.

On the clock, be aware that the 80/81 clocks and wiring harness were different than the 82-86 clocks and harness. I do not know if the connector to the main loom changed or not, but the connector to the clock did.
SHORT BED 4-DOOR DIESEL: 1986 F350 4x4 under construction-- 7.3 IDIT ZF5+GVOD

STRAIGHT SIX 4X4: 1981 F150 2wd to 4x4-- 300 I6 close ratio diesel T19, hydroboost brakes, Saginaw steering

BIG F: 1995 F-Superduty under construction— converting to 6.9L IDI diesel ZF5+DNE2
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

delco1946
Oh no I didn’t realize that. I don’t recall what year I pulled it out of but it’s connector didn’t match anything I had. I’ll have to look up the electrical schematics to see if I can rig something
Christopher in Portland Or. 1981 F250 Ranger XLT 4x4 trailer special 351M, and auto C6
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

Gary Lewis
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I put a later clock in an earlier truck a few years ago.  If I remember correctly I pulled the pins out of the connector and plugged each one individually into the mating connector on my truck, and then wrapped that with electrical tape to ensure it didn't unplug.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

1986F150Six
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In reply to this post by delco1946
delco1946 wrote
Also in this process i realized that the guy who put in the current radio ruined my bezel faceplate to make it fit. I also picked up a clock at the JY (my truck never came with one)....so if anyone has an extra rosewood XLT with radio and clock options for sale, let me know
Not XLT, but....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-1980-1984-Ford-F-Series-Bronco-Radio-Dash-Bezel-Woodgrain-With-Clock/223449400843?epid=1123872360&hash=item34069f460b:g:qKsAAOSwbsRa0V1I





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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

Ford F834
Administrator
1986F150Six wrote
delco1946 wrote
Also in this process i realized that the guy who put in the current radio ruined my bezel faceplate to make it fit. I also picked up a clock at the JY (my truck never came with one)....so if anyone has an extra rosewood XLT with radio and clock options for sale, let me know

Not XLT, but....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-1980-1984-Ford-F-Series-Bronco-Radio-Dash-Bezel-Woodgrain-With-Clock/223449400843?epid=1123872360&hash=item34069f460b:g:qKsAAOSwbsRa0V1I
I’m guessing 80/81 Bronco since it does not have any nameplate mounting holes? You can always add a nameplate 🙂
SHORT BED 4-DOOR DIESEL: 1986 F350 4x4 under construction-- 7.3 IDIT ZF5+GVOD

STRAIGHT SIX 4X4: 1981 F150 2wd to 4x4-- 300 I6 close ratio diesel T19, hydroboost brakes, Saginaw steering

BIG F: 1995 F-Superduty under construction— converting to 6.9L IDI diesel ZF5+DNE2
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

delco1946
I have an extra connector mounted near the bottom of my dash that has 4 wires going to it, and its in the same area as the connector that the clock was connected to in the JY truck - so I think Gary's idea is the workaround. I might try and cut out the clock holes mostly for kicks, keep my current radio for a couple weeks, and keep that bezel so that if i ever decide that installing the original radio w 8 track is a bad idea, i'll already have the part. I don't have the knobs for my original radio and i'm not super excited to use pliers to change stations/turn it on/off lol.

I went to the Portland Swap meet which was hugeeeeeee. Nary a single interior panel/dash to be found. I think i'm learning that when you find a compatible part of ebay, just buy it. And i might be changing my mind on nutmeg parts (cough *armrests*) - i may just start hoarding anything i find lol.
Christopher in Portland Or. 1981 F250 Ranger XLT 4x4 trailer special 351M, and auto C6
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

Rembrant
delco1946 wrote
I went to the Portland Swap meet which was hugeeeeeee. Nary a single interior panel/dash to be found. I think i'm learning that when you find a compatible part of ebay, just buy it. And i might be changing my mind on nutmeg parts (cough *armrests*) - i may just start hoarding anything i find lol.
Hey Delco,

There is a salvage yard (or several yards, same company) in Oregon that always has loads of Bullnose stuff for sale...interior/dash parts too. I can't think of what they're called at the moment...A&B Auto Parts or something like that. Have you tried them for Bullnose stuff?

I must go see if I can find them now...hang on...


1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

delco1946
Theres an A&B auto wrecking? But i didnt see any website specific to them - let me know if this is it or if you think of it!
Christopher in Portland Or. 1981 F250 Ranger XLT 4x4 trailer special 351M, and auto C6
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

Rembrant
In reply to this post by Rembrant
Oh...sorry, not A&B, it was B&R...lol:

Not sure if this link will work...everything is listed as 80-86 Bronco...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&nordt=true&_ssn=bandrauto&item=233122889897&orig_cvip=true&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR3.TRC0.A0.H0.X80-86+bronco.TRS0&_nkw=80-86+bronco&_sacat=0
1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

delco1946
this looks like a gold mine! Thanks!
Christopher in Portland Or. 1981 F250 Ranger XLT 4x4 trailer special 351M, and auto C6
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

delco1946
In reply to this post by 1986F150Six
Regarding the bezel on eBay, i might wait to see if one pops up for less, that seems a bit high (??). And i realize the thread is morphing a bit - but could anyone help me connect my clock? I might post a pic, the (unused) connector mounted to my lower dash, just to the right/passenger side of the radio has a black, white, blue, and green wire. The connection on the schematics on this site show a white/purple, black, yellow/green, and brown. I connected the white to white and black to black and the clock didn't seem to work - it seems like the black was ground and one of the other connections were power, it just depended on if power went through the dimmer switch, didn't, or hot in the run/accessory position. I would assume it would show some sign of life with any of the three power wires and the ground connected??? (cause it didn't  )What i can't find is what the bright blue and green wires connect to?
Christopher in Portland Or. 1981 F250 Ranger XLT 4x4 trailer special 351M, and auto C6
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Re: fast easy way to clean and remove rust from dash

PetesPonies
In reply to this post by delco1946
It is Nature's protection. That surface rust will be there for hundreds of years. unless it is getting wet and staying moist, it harms nothing. Find something else to worry about.
Pete's Ponies
Mustang RUSToration & Performance

1982 F100 Flareside
1983 Bronco