Bubbling paint round fuel filler

[h3rman]

I noticed the other day that there's some bubbling appearing around the bottom of my fuel filler neck.

Pics of the problem (taken with my phone, so not that great)...

Now I'm wanting to get this sorted to stop it getting worse, but not wanting to pay bodyshop to do it when it's hidden away 99% of the time, and TBH I only even noticed the bubbling under the filler cap when having a good look at the one around the screw head.

How should I go about doing it? I was thinking about using a brass wire brush attachment (no sparks) on an air powered drill (no electric tools near fuel!), then using some Hammerite Kurust to kill off any rust and masking it all off, then spraying with either a spray can or compressor & spray gun (got both, but which would you recommend?).

Is that how I should go about it, or is there another way I should do it? Prob won't do it till I'm off in the first week of next month, but want to get everything ready and be prepared for when I tackle it.

Also, is Kurust actually any good, or is there better stuff? I want to use something that won't harm any surrounding paint it may make contact with. Also, mum has a tiny but of bubbling on her boot lid, so again for her car I also need something that is safe on paint and won't cause any damage.

Any help appreicated.

 

[tux]

Start by wire brushing the paint and rust away and see what you are left with. If it is just pitted, but sound metal, the go forward as you suggest. You may need to bosh some filler (or lead load if you are a perfectionist!) to fill in the pitts. Kurust/Jenolite/etc have always performed well enough for me.
If the wire brushing reveals holes or weak, thin metal then its time to break out the welder and get some fresh metal in there, either a repair panel if available or a patch made from sheet steel.

Naturally the safest thing to do is to remove the filler neck and isolate the tank, removing it if necessary, not sure I would trust a wire brush (even a brass one) not to create sparks that close to a fuel filler.

Thats what I would be looking to do anyway, but others may have other ideas.

 

[h3rman]

So you think I should use the wire brush by hand then? Im positive the rusting hasn't went right through, but there might be some pitting underneath the rust.

Cheers for the info & tips, but still curious, is Kurust safe to use on areas that are painted, or should I mask off all surrounding paint?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Check out http://www.bilthamber.com/corrosionremoval.html - brilliant stuff!!!

 

[h3rman]

Check out http://www.bilthamber.com/corrosionremoval.html - brilliant stuff!!!

Cheers, but that stuff doesn't look safe to use on paint.

However, a friend had a tub of Kurust, so I tried it on an inconspicuous edge of a door on an old banger that had some rust on the edge.

Basically, I have found that Kurust won't damage the paint, but it will stain it and make it go black just like it does with the rust, however, once I painted over the edge of the door using a touch up pot and an artists brush it looked perfect again.

He has said I can use as much as I like, so think I'll stick with it, because if it just stains the paint it dries on, then I just need to make sure to wipe it off any bits I don't want to be treated. It only stains when it dries, so it's not a problem if I accidentally got a bit in places I don't want it, just needs to be wiped off.

 

[tux]

Kurust should be fine on paint, but will, as you have discovered, stain it.

Hand wire brush would be safer, though still a bit iffy IMHO. Try to isolate the tank as much as possible and work out doors or in a very well ventilated area.