White powder (mold? galvanic current?) on chassis outside surfaces

[slidincharlie (Carlo P)]

I recommended WD-40 because it loosens the white powder and is water repellant (that's what it was developped for).
If applied on a cloth (not sprayed) there won't be much oily residue (just enough to keep moisture off).
Using an abrasive polish though might remove more of the protective zinc layer than necessary.
Once there are voids in the zinc layer, the steel beneath will start to rust.

I've cleaned the chassis with WD-40 applied to a small cloth. Worked fine and super fast.

[Chuck H]

Just to mention...

WD40 is great at displacing moisture. Even to the point of bonding to metal surfaces and displacing any moisture that was already there! But it's not a catalyzing product. Meaning that it never hardens into a semi permanent film. Residually it should do it's job for years inside a chassis, but outside the chassis it's vulnerable to any friction that could remove it from the surface. And because it's not a hard film it can collect dust or anything atomized in it's proximity.I even know of a case where someone regularly used WD40 to on fluorescent lamp contacts that would oxidize from the environment they were in. Crap collected on the soft oil eventually carbonized due to high-ish voltages and current and there was a fire that caused some damage.

My point is just that WD40 should be wiped off so there is only a residual remainder on the surface and then not considered a permanent solution.

That said I don't know of any equally hydrophobic product that catalyzes for more longevity.

[slidincharlie (Carlo P)]

Chuck H this makes sense. I have used a cloth that was barely wet with WD-40. There isn't practically any visible remain on the chassis surface. Yet I will wipe the tretaed surfaces with a clean cloth.