The history behind the product
In the late '70's the US Navy put out a commission for companies to develop and supply some form of treatment to tackle the millions of dollars worth of corrosion damage being caused to their carrier borne jet fighters.
The only other product available at that time, WD40, was designed for static situations and would not last on fast jets, more critically it's high solvent content and low flash point made it a potential fire
risk.
Lear Chemicals of Canada was one of the companies to tender. Their product ACF50 was just one of several tested by the Navy over the following year.
product using high pressure compressed air. Now, by using adapted spray guns and rods they could apply the ACF50 deep into the airframe avoiding the need to strip the aircraft down.
At the end of testing the Navy concluded that ACF50 reduced corrosion and corrosion related failures by over
60%
Lear also pioneered the development of a delivery system to atomise the
Proven to work in the harshest environments, Lear continued to develop and improve their product. Today most of the worlds major airline operators as well as the military use ACF50 as part of the regular maintenance on their aircraft.
ACF50
Anti-Corrosion Fluid
Used by
Military & Civilian aircraft
Military & Civilian aircraft
Google ACF50
and most sites list the technical blurb supplied by Lear Chemical. It's a little lazy, just a copy and paste job, we admit to having done it ourselves. If you want that you can view it here.
From the questions we get asked, what people really want to know is - what is it? how does it work? and how do you apply it?
Lets start with what it is.
ACF50s primary job is to displace and repel moisture. To see why this is desirable we'd suggest you take a look at our section on Corrosion. It's classed as an Ultra Thin Fluid Film (UTFF) 'active' coating.
Ultra thin means it works at ridiculously thin coatings of just a few microns.
Fluid film means it remains fluid during it's active live which also means it's 'self healing', scratch a section off and the surrounding fluid fills the void.
The 'active' part refers to the chemical make up that actively polar bonds to metal surfaces and the ingredients that enable it to neutralise salts. This neutralising action is often misunderstood or described. What it means is it will neutralise the acidic mix formed when moisture dissolves and absorbs salts, it does not mean it neutralises solid salt particles! It's important to understand this distinction as you'll see later.
How it works.
When
applied it spreads out,'creeps', to cover the metal surface and work down into every crevice, actively seeking and driving out any moisture present. Effectively it shuts down any corrosion present and stops it spreading.
What you now have is a long lasting, effective barrier, between the metal and any moisture falling on it. How long that barrier last for depends on the conditions you expose it too, on unexposed areas of your bike it should be good for at least 12 months, on exposed sections you may need to top it up every few months.
(click to view)
This little graphic describes the process pretty well.
Remember, ACF50 remains fluid, any surplus applied simply congeals. Road dirt and salts thrown onto the bike during riding becomes embedded in this. After a few weeks your bike will look like a farm tractor and take some effort to clean. You will also have trapped any solid particle dirt and salt onto the bike, with the potential risk that, in time, these will eat through the coating, exposing that area.
The goal is to put a thin coating on that will protect while allowing dirt to slide off during rinsing. The techniques shown below should allow you to cover pretty much everything you can reach, easily, quickly and without a great deal of mess,
but for deep penetration the only effective method is to atomise the fluid
. You can see it being done on our YouTube video here.
Start by getting the bike clean and dried. Any road dirt, wax, polymer or old protective coatings reduces the ACF50 bonding capability
Spray ACF50 onto a cloth, a Microfibre cloth works best. Aim to get it nice and damp but not dripping. Then simply wipe over any metal parts you can reach. Don't overfuss with nooks and crannies, left on for an hour or so and the 'creep' action will work round most things.
Save your knuckles reaching into awkward areas. A long handled Radiator Brush makes for an easier job. Spray the ACF50 into the can lid until you have a little fluid in there, dip the brush and wipe off excess then brush onto the area your treating.
If you intend to spray from the can, standing it for a few minutes in warm water will increase the pressure. Whether spraying from a can or pump spray be sure to wipe off any surplus liquid from the treated areas.
General Tips.
A few little tips to help you get the best from using ACF50
Avoid getting any on the tyres/brake pads/disks, it's a highly effective lubricant. Using the technique above it shouldn't be a problem. If you do accidentally get a smear on, it will abrade/burn off after a few miles, but go steady before you go for a knee down or emergency stop!
It's perfectly safe to use on plastics and rubber (it used to dissolve latex, but the formulas been improved since then and you don't tend to find much latex on a bike anyway). You can use it to revive trim that has suffered from UV exposure and help keep it supple. Apply it as above, leave a few minutes to be absorbed then buff off with a clean dry Microfibre cloth. Note though, if your trim is discoloured and you intend to re-stain it, do that first and ensure it's fully dry, ACF50 will prevent any dye being absorbed if you put it on first.
ACF50 is designed to protect metal, so applying it to painted fairings and tanks is fairly pointless (unless the paint coating is showing signs of deterioration). These areas benefit more from a good quality wax or polymer coating. Ensure any ACF50 that gets on these surfaces is removed by wiping with a dampened cloth with a little bike cleaner on before waxing, otherwise the ACF50 will prevent the wax from bonding to the paintwork properly.
ACF50 is an incredibly effective product, but keep in mind it's not a magic bullet to totally eliminate corrosion, a little self maintenance will go a long way to keeping your bike in great condition. Once ACF50 coated, hose it down as regularly as you can to prevent dirt building up, if you don't have access to a garden hose a watering can will work or use the local jet wash on rinse only. Water on its own will do little to remove the coating. Shampooing should remove the more stubborn dirt, use a mild car or bike shampoo to avoid degrading the ACF50 coating too quickly. Wipe on a new ACF50 coating on exposed areas every few months and where you've used degreaser, such as around the chain area.
After Care.
Finally, a little really does goes a long way. The aerosol cans contain enough product to fully treat a bike and keep it topped up for a year. ACF50 has a shelf life of two years , after which the 'active' ingredients degrade to the point where they are ineffective, so only buy in bulk if you know you can use it all.
ACF50 has sometimes been compared to a fellow water displacement and repellent product, WD40. However, one is 1950s technology, the other 21st century. It's like comparing a modern CD to a Vinyl record,they both play music but after that the similarities end.
MCN says:
"ACF50 should probably be supplied with every new bike sold!"
"ACF50 should probably be supplied with every new bike sold!"
It's totally safe to use on all electrics and electronics, but avoid getting it on touch screen Sat Navs. If your bike suffers from damp issues ACF50 will often cure the problem.
We avoid putting it on handle grips. It won't do them any harm but if it gets on your gloves it can make wiping your visor leave smears.
Expect some smoking when you start your bike up and the engine gets hot, but relax, it's none flammable and non toxic. After all it was developed to go on jet engines. It will impress your neighbours and fellow road users!
How to apply it
. The bit you've been waiting for. But before we start, take a minute to look over your bike. There are a lot of areas you can't reach into, but moisture easily can. Even with a major strip down of seat, tank, fairings etc., there will be areas of the engine and frame, electrics and electronics that remain inaccessible. The retail cans and pump sprays simply don't have enough propellent and power to reach, you just end up with a lot of mess and several hundred times more fluid coating than needed.
12 months protection
from Corrosion caused by
Rain/Snow
Road Spray
Road Salt
Environment
Condensation
*
*
Continued R&D means the manufacturers have since improved the product and as of August 2009 the shelf life has now been increased to 3 years