Hello,

I have a 95 Dakota 5.2L and I put in a K&N air filter some time ago. After spending 11 years in Quebec there's lots of rust on the chrome air cleaner cover.

It's proving super stubborn to get off. I tried aluminum foil with water and various chrome polishes and it's gradually coming off, but very slowly. The process is very painful.

Anyone have any miracle methods to do this faster?

Attached is my handiwork so far. A long way to go.

Thanks!

 

If it is on top of the chrome, clamp it down and use a buffing polish and a buffing wheel with some grit in it.
It looks possible the chrome plating may be thin and that rust has come up from under it. If that is the case and you want to re-plate it a good stainless steel wire wheel that has not been used on carbon steel should do the trick, but the plating place should remove all rust before plating. Using the stainless brush on carbon steel will pick up bits of it and deposit it on the next thing you brush with it, making any stainless you brush afterwards contaminated and prone to rusting in that spot.

 

Hi thanks for those suggestions. It's hard to tell if it's on top of the chrome or whether it has come up from above. I'm a little worried about using anything aggressive increase I rip off the chrome. How can I replate it? Is this something I would send out to a shop?

 

You have to send it to a shop. They have to dip it in chemicals that are very dangerous. If you do that they will deal with the rust for you. I have never done it so IDK the pricing but a new one looks like it's gonna be $190. Maybe K&N has a guarantee?
https://www.knfilters.com/cold-air-intakes/dodge/dakota