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
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.
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!"
Got a question? Ask it here
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?
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.
You can read our 'How to' on applying ACF50 to your bike yourself, just click here
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