WD40 or ACF50

You could give it a squirt of lemon tree fertilizer... that would speed the reaction up a bit! Actually no, dont... your missus might make you paint the door in disgust and that would ruin our experiment!

Just looked at you first post on this Simbo and you started the experiment on the 4th of august so that would mean that regular whipping over with either Will ceartenly help out which is kind of to be excepted but wheather the price difference is justified I don't know. In the winter regular cleaning and re protecting would be the key but the problem is thats when you dont want to do it really and I guess my first thought would be the thicker one would be better then and would be less likely to get washed off by the force of the stuff coming off the road

WD looks good to me jet wash, sponge down and then wd once a week bike should be fine that's what i'm gunna do with my bike anyway if there's snow or ice I don't ride

Glad to see the experiment is still under way Sim.

Our beloved Prime Minister promised us a referendum on EU membership. It looks like that'll be coming along sooner than Sim's door re-paint. No-one believes that Cameron will ever give us a referendum, and I'm afraid I'm beginning to get doubts about Sim's door re-paint too.

Ha Ha if Simbo keeps doing this and other experiments his time and need to buy some paint and spend some cash are in his own control  

Oiler said " and I'm afraid I'm beginning to get doubts about Sim's door re-paint too."


sounds like a line from that song "There's a guy works down our chip shop swears he's Elvis"....

Hang in there Sim. A good Experiment takes time. Wait until the Idiots in Washington DC get a brain. You will have lots of time.

Just when I thought it would be a simple choice between ACF50 and WD40 - I came across this:



Not all comments about either of WD or AC had been positive based on the loads of bikers and mechanics I have quizzed on the products over the last few weeks. I won't go into all the yes and no's but last week I met 3 mechanics who all swore by FS 365. The last one, who is always nice to me after I told his boss what a good employee he was, first insisted I took a test ride on the new Royal Enfield Continental 500cc cafe racer (looks gorgeous but was very underpowered and didn't handle all that well) and then when I mentioned WD40 or ACF50? - said 'neither' and ushered me into the workshop where he showed me how he uses FS 365 on all bikes he services in the winter and his own bike and demonstrated how to apply. Apparently it is fine to use on all rubber seals, can be used on brake discs as it dries quickly and is under £8 for a season sized bottle complete with complimentary spray head. I bought some. No idea if it will work but thought I'd give it a try. What I liked is that I can hardly see where it has been applied. The instructions are to spray from time to time in the winter after washing. I am told it is very effective as a rust inhibitor. Thought I'd give it a whirl. Mind you I now have a bike with very little chrome on it and a garage that is bone dry, with cavity walls so that might help as well. I think the main thing is that we put something on the bare metal if riding in the winter. As to what, it probably comes down to personal preference. Might be interesting to compare FS 365 with ACF 50 and WD40 but where do you draw the line ? - the next thing will be XYZ 299    What is hard hitting from Sim's experiment already is how foolish it would be to leave your Intruder unprotected as I did in the winter of 2010/11 with disatrous results!!

People will always like what they like and often give reasons that are biased but a good clean and protection with anything regularly will always beat just riding it and storing it no matter what

Hey Sim, do you still have the experiment going on the green door. How about a report in this super scientific experiment.

I certainly do Tex   I'll post another picture tomorrow 

Latest update, bottom ones rusty, left one, wd, showing signs of starting to rust but nothing serious, right one, acf, standing up good still.

Goes to show the ACF50 is very very good but is it actually worth the extra cost, now thats the question? Spose it is really cause your bike is an expensive bit of kit but then it will maybe only really come in to its own on metal that is either bear or has been chipped

I'm using ACF for the fourth winter. I think it's great.

Latest update, More than 5 Months now since I started this experiment, As you can see from the bottom ball of steel wool, Either ACF or WD is better than nothing   The ACF is still looking pretty good! The WD is just starting to rust around the edges, Whether ACF is worth it's price tag still remains though? It's not like you'd spray your bike with either and then never touch it again is it? Well Bunso Steel might?   

That'll do for me, so if WD is used for bike protection & is never protected again, the ACF would of been a better choice. If you are going to clean and protect the bike of an occasion, then it isn't worth the extra cost. Well not in my opinion anyway.

  It's not like anyone would never clean, maintain and protect their pride and joy from the elements is it.

I agree as well  

simbo wrote:

  It's not like anyone would never clean, maintain and protect their pride and joy from the elements is it.

Bunso?        

Well spotted.    

WD for me. Little and often. If I put on AC at the start of the winter and missed a few bits I'd think it was ok. With regular WD, everything gets covered sooner or later.

Door is still green. 
 

Proudtexson wrote:

Door is still green. 
 

It'll be staying that way Tex   It's fully protected now with ACF50 and WD40 so it should be good for the next Hmmmm? 20 years at least!   I'll turn it into a BBQ then  

Every time I see the picture below and the green door I think of Shakin Stevens   

I'd sort of forgot about this test    even though I've still got pieces of wire wool nailed to the coal shed door   anyway, it's not far off the 1 year mark now! so here's the latest update, wd40 on the left seems to be faring slightly better than the acf50 on the right, the untreated underneath is pretty much corroded now and slowly forming into a rust ball, one thing I have noticed is? the galvanised nails are still looking very sharp   so the best recommendation I can give to fully protect your bike from the evils of rust is? get it galvanised!    Green paint is standing up well too! and that's at least 20 years old! 

That just goes to prove what a rip off ACF50 is comparison to WD40. Good experiment Sim, well done for leaving it so long.   
Paint is holding up well to, maybe we should paint out bikes with that particular green. 

How very interesting.

Hi All
WD 40 Versus ACF 50 Having used WD 40 for more years than I care to remember I think it does what it says on the tin as for ACF 50 I know nothing about it so I will not comment. What I will say if you want a good method of freeing up rusted component use a 50/50 mixture of hydraulic oil and paraffin (Don't get it on the paint work ) In my youth that is what we used in RAF before WD40 was invented. 

G.Terence

Thanks Sim, for the long-term test. The result is an eye opener (for me anyways) and well worth noting.

PS I should have finished my post with the word 'blessings'. As the only saint on the forum, I feel it's right, proper and even expected to end all my posts this way.

Maybe your signature should say, bless you my son.

Ken1964 wrote:

Maybe your signature should say, bless you my son.  

Spot on, brother Ken (and by the way, bless you)

Hi all, 15 Months have passed now and the wire wool is still holding up well, I'd still say the WD40 on the left is holding up slightly better, I'll carry on with this test until they both fall off, that'll give me reason not to paint the shed door 

Keep up the good work that man! 

Just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons,  I use GT85, its supposed to be better that WD40 as it contains PTFE but is a lot cheaper than ACF50

There are loads of products out there Andrew, this test is only to see if ACF50 is worth the ridiculous price that it commands.

Good to see that the WD40 is actually doing a better job than ACF50 Sim, good test. keep it going buddy.

I wonder if psychologically we put on more  when it's cheaper? Might explain the continued success of WD40  over more expensive stuff. Whatever.....I plaster the WD on and it works fine for me. I prefer a regular low cost treatment to a one-off application of 'miracle' protection, any day!

Must say that I am astounded at the difference, goes to show that price should never be seen as king.

Aint that a fact Ken, Mr I (dave) buys WD40 by the gallon and swears buy it. Always handy if  I want a bit 

Yes I do buy WD40 by the gallon, it works out a hell of a lot cheaper than cans and I can use as much as I want. Love WD40 in a big way, for many reasons. I have been known to totally submerge items in the fluid from the gallon container.

simbo wrote:

This evening 4th August 2013 I've sprayed two balls of wire wool, The one on the left with Genuine WD40 and the one on the right with Genuine ACF50, I gave them equal amounts of spray,15 seconds per ball so they were totally covered, We all know how fast wire wool rusts when exposed to the elements, So let the test begin! Is ACF50 worth it's extra cost over WD40?

Here's the latest pic of how they're standing up to the elements? WD-40 is looking much better.

Ok tests are pretty conclusive but just for the sake of making me look like a total NUBE where exactly are you spraying wd40? I only ever used it to clean my bike chain, how often what to stay clear of (brakes I get) etc etc and do you just do it after cleaning or is it a daily lube, once a month you get the idea. I have never thought of lube the outside.
Thanks

Just spray it on all the metal parts that would be susceptible to corrosion over winter, you'll be surprised how well your bike comes up during the better months and stays in showroom condition.

Good as a protective polish as well.

Exhaust! or does that get too hot for wd

Pongs a bit on the exhaust but I spray on the hidden side where it rusts most. I never buy WD just the cheapo £1 shop versions which seem identical to me. Last can of real stuff I bought seized up half way through! Great stuff whatever.

hawktheslayer wrote:

Exhaust! or does that get too hot for wd

I spray the exhaust and wipe off the excess, anything you miss will just smoke a bit when the pipes get hot for a minute and will be gone.

Interesting stuff .... one of my mates has been trying a similar product from the 'Scottoiler' people and is suggesting it seems good. Also mentioned above by Bluesman. Can spray it on as a protectant, but it will wash off - so repeat applications are necessary in winter weather conditions - but sounds like another one worth trying.

Here's the info from the Scottoiler website :-

Scottoiler FS 365

Protect your bike from corrosion with Scottoiler FS 365 Corrosion Protector Spray.  Simply spray it all over your bike for year round protection What is Scottoiler FS 365? FS 365 is a water based corrosion inhibitor, the idea is that you spray it on and the water content carries it into all the hard to reach places of the bike, we're talking every tiny little gap. The water content then evaporates leaving a film of protection on all surfaces. The Science bit – how it works: Scottoiler FS 365 works in a number of ways to reduce corrosion. Pure water on it’s own will not cause corrosion, however as soon as it comes into contact with the atmosphere it absorbs acidic gases such as carbon dioxide that do.  This is where FS 365 comes in.  FS 365 is formulated using mild alkalis and chemical compounds known as pH buffers that work to balance out the acidic elements.. The process of rusting and oxidising requires water vapour, air and time (salt and heat speed up this process as catalysts to the reaction).  FS 365 acts as a corrosion inhibitor in two further ways: In general by supplying a lubricant to all metal surfaces which builds up as you re-apply, protecting them from the air. When it comes into contact with salt it reduces its catalytic effect on the corrosion process. FS 365 is a blend of mineral oil, surfactant, anti – corrosion additives and water, which forms a stable micro solution. This forms an effective protective layer against corrosion, clinging to all surfaces and building up over time with each re-application. FS 365 is also environmentally friendly as it is water soluble and inherently biodegradable, which further helps when it comes to cleaning as any dirt which sticks to the FS 365 layer is easily washed away. So, in essence, FS 365 works as a barrier protector as well as disrupting the chemical processes involved in corrosion.  With continued re-application it makes cleaning the bike easier and builds up layers of protection. What can I spray it on? It is safe to use on all materials.  Simply spray it on to plastic, metal, engine components, hoses, carbon fibre, anodised surfaces it won't affect them, only leaving a thin layer of protection which can be buffed up to a nice shine. Quote : DO NOT spray FS 365 on the brake discs, callipers or tyres, although if you do, don’t panic, it will hose off with water without damage. We recommend regular re-application of FS 365 for best results, even if your bike is in storage as temperature changes can cause condensation to occur.