Is there an easy way to degrease and de rust a K frame?

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Also, FWIW, there is a place here called Industrial Chrome with a big oven that gets really hot and parts like a K member will come out with all grease, grime and paint gone (inside and out); having turned to ash. They are always willing to take on a part like a K member with the understanding that it might be a few days before they have room to squeeze it into the oven with another load.
 
I painted the K frame with glossy black Rustoleum. I know that is not the highest quality paint but I am tired of paying shipping charges for every thing. The ends with the holes for the control arms are impossible to get a brush into the inside. I closed up the openings with wads of aluminum foil and poured the Rustoleum into the K frame and swished it around, then poured it out into a paint tray. The rest of the inside I was able to get with a sponge brush and a throwaway brush. I will brush on a second coat on the outside. At the factory, these parts were dipped in paint probably the same quality as Rustoleum. That is good enough as this car is retired from daily driving in winter salt.
Thank you for the complement, Harrisonm. I am also restoring a 1940 Lasalle. I know a lot more about Lasalles. I often help new owners on the Cadillac and Lasalle Club website forum and I appreciate the follow ups also.
 
Interesting comment, Rusty Rat Rod. I found in the end there is no easy way, at least not around where I live. In the beginning, my definition of easy was a hot tank or an oven like Harrisonm mentions above to avoid lots of scrubbing with a wire brush by hand.
 
Cut mine open, cleaned, added a few internal gussets, knocked some dents out, put back together.

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Lasalle said:
Interesting comment, Rusty Rat Rod. I found in the end there is no easy way, at least not around where I live. In the beginning, my definition of easy was a hot tank or an oven like Harrisonm mentions above to avoid lots of scrubbing with a wire brush by hand.
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This hobby ain't "easy" as a whole.

I guess you could let somebody else do it. But then it ain't easy on your wallet. So there's really no easy way. lol
 
Yeah, there is no ''easy'' way.
What I do is to scrape all of the gunk off and clean what I can see with solvent and/or oven cleaner.
Then I wire wheel it all with a angle grinder.
I heat up the seams with a torch and I weld all of them solid.
For the shitty factory welds on the mounts etc. I grind them down and mig them so they are stronger than ever produced.
I add reinforcements around the steering box, the lower strut rod mounting points, and weld a big washer to the ends where the torsion bars go through.
Then I paint it with Tremclad gloss black spray bombs in and out, (that **** is amazing) and call her good.
The factory never put any where near this detail when new or close to it, so anything you do will be a bonus.

Actually, in the real world, there's no use in over thinking this.....a good clean up with some rust resistant paint is good enough unless you are autocrossing or drag racing the car....
 
My apologies.
The ''easy'' way is to have the k-member hot tanked, pressure washed, and then use some rust resistant paint in and out the best you can.....
It'll last forever.
 
Lasalle said:
Interesting comment, Rusty Rat Rod. I found in the end there is no easy way, at least not around where I live. In the beginning, my definition of easy was a hot tank or an oven like Harrisonm mentions above to avoid lots of scrubbing with a wire brush by hand.
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Absolute GENIUS. I never thought to do that.
 
I guess a pressure washer would make it a little easier. Maybe run it to the pressure hose car wash with a bunch of degreaser if you don't have a pressure washer.....but don't wear good clothes. lol
 
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