Rust removable?

[Hoosier]

Do you think this amount of rust on the regulator can be removable without affecting any functional damage? Only way I used to do is to use the diluted vinegar or ultrasonic cleaning though.....

Any thoughs?

Thanks in advance,

 

[hdtran]

Looks like you've got surface corrosion of the copper (brass, actually) across the nickel plating; e.g. nickel plate had holes & allowed the copper to corrode.

Also looks superficial.

Disclaimers: Although I am an engineer, the opinion that I am providing is strictly that of an amateur, & not my professional opinion, yada yada...

I would not soak in a chemical. I probably would use a toothbrush or a scouring pad.

Since the corrosion looks superficial, I'd probably not be greatly concerned--as long as the regulator passed functional testing.

p.s. (edit added): Brass (copper, bronze, etc.) corrosion is generally regarded as protective, e.g. forms a layer which is impervious. This is strictly speaking not true (not like, say, aluminum oxide film over aluminum, or chrome oxide, etc.) But the copper oxides are more impervious than iron oxides. Once the electrically conductive medium is removed (e.g. salt water), the corrosion generally stops--not like iron, where once rusts forms, it will continue to rust away in air...

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Hit it with ultrasound or a mild acid bath. You will lose the corroded chrome and will have brass or copper showing underneath but there is no real way around that. If you remove it mechanically with a scouring pad, etc, you will remove unaffected chrome as well and that would be worse.

The external corrosion is not an issue, but you could have problems if the ambient chamber is corroded in the area where the piston o-rings seal against the swivel cap. A little pitting there will require replacement of the swivel cap.