I bought a set of discs that have had very little use, but have a lot of surface rust from just lying around.
What's the best way to clean them up?
'Use them' (!) springs to mind, but I'm an age away from finishing the car, so not an option.
I've removed the bells and a quick blast of paint will see them alright.
But the rotors?
A gentle skim would sort the contact surfaces no bother, but they are vented curved-vane and I'd like to at least clear some of the cack out of
the vent openings.
Is blasting an option? If so, what material would be the least abrasive?
Jusy a rub over with fairly coarse abrasive paper (say 80 grade "green" production paper) is all that is required, either by hand (using a
block) or on an orbital sander.
Foam paint stripping disc available for about £1 each from local tool stores are also pretty good.
You don't want a perfect highly polished mirror finish, the surface should be slightly rough textured to aid the pads to bed in.
[Edited on 12/8/08 by britishtrident]
Whatever floats your boat but why bother???
If you clean off the surface rust they'll just rust again!! I'd leave them until you're using them and then they'll shine up
nicely...
I would worry that leaving them as is will do no harm whereas "cleaning" them incorrectly could well and truly shag them up...
Electrolysis
Track day 
leave them... if you fit the calipers with pads, even just pushing the car about will clean them over time.
or leave the calipers off the car, and when you're ready to start driving it, they'll clean themselves up nicely pretty quick 
my front uprights came from a scrapper and had been sitting outside, with faily new unworn discs with no calipers. i fitted calipers and new pads, and
not even driven the car yet, but they're lovely and clean just from the odd push to the driveway and back
One trick is when storing a car just give the discs the lightest possible mist coat of zinc primer -- so thin it is almost completely transparent. It is much easier to clean off than rust.
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
Electrolysis
surely a liberal coating of a light oil after cleaning them would surfice. Just make sure they are fully clean before coming in contact with the pads
when u do get round to fitting them, thats how they come when you buy them new.
[Edited on 12/8/08 by loggyboy]
Cheers!