Years ago I had a Lemond Zurich and was fearful of rust so I coated the inner tubes with Frame Saver, the frame has since moved to a new owner. I now have a new steel mtn bike frame and wanted to get your opinion on the need to use this stuff. Anyone ever have a frame show damage secondary to internal rust? Thanks for all your help.

It can't hurt. Money and time well spent.

Dave

Its cheap piece of mind knowing that you can ride it through almost anything and not worry about rusting it out. Just remember you need to reapply from time to time.

Yes, at least once every 2 years.

Cheap insurance....

Len

Absolutely!
I've been using it on my 20 year old Serotta Colorado 2 and it works great.

I'd say it's a good idea, especially for a mountain bike which will get exposed to water, mud, etc. a lot more than a road bike. Very cheap peace of mind but you gotta re-apply every once in awhile.

Yes!
About 12 years ago I had a new filet brazed steel bike. I brought it in the house after every ride. The seat tube heavily rusted in 6 months. No frame saver. Never rode it in the rain, but the temperature changes from inside to outside kept the tubes constantly wet.
My next steel bike was a crosser, which I coated with two layers of frame saver. After 6 years of Virginia mud and water and washing with a house, the tubes look as shiny as new.

I wonder why, however, people suggest re-coating after a few years, since I don't see how the sticky coating could ever come off.

(Use a mask and do it outside when applying. It's a mess and has a very strong odor)

It's like using chicken soup for a cold. It might not help, but it couldn't hoit.

I put the frame in the bike stand and, for example, start with the top tube. I have the bike level and put a rag in one end of the top tube (headtube end first for example). I then spray into the top tube from the seattube end.

Then, I take the rag out and put it into the seattube end of the top tube. I then spray into the top tube from the headtube end. I then put a rag in each end of the top tube, take the frame out of the stand, and "roll" the frame around as if I was trying to coat the entire inside of the top tube...which I am.

After that, I put the frame back in the stand and I stuff a rag in each end of the top tube, in the bottom bracket shell, and at the bottom of the headtube. I then spray the seat tube and head tube and down tube and let the bike sit til the spray is not running anymore.

I then tilt the bike with the rear of the bike pointing down. I spray into the chainstays and into the seat stays if I can, plus the downtube. I spray the fork steerer while I am waiting for this to dry some (rag in bottom of the fork crown).

Finally, I put a rag on one side of the bb shell and spray the bb shell inside from the other side.

JP Weigle FrameSaver is messier and smellier than Boeshield T9 and you need to make sure to put something down to catch the drips, although they have cleaned up ok for me off the garage floor. Don't need too much...a can is supposed to do 4 or 5 bikes as I remember. If it runs out on the floor you are wasting it.

I think the main source of rust is some water getting in during a ride and not being able to exit the bottom bracket if there is no drain hole. Even on bikes without it I now drill a small hole at the lowest point of the bb shell to let water drain out.

What is frame saver anyway? Is it a solvent like wd40? Or like paint?

Yes you do. Every 2 years.

What about using Frame Saver on an older bike that's never been previously Frame Saved? Any advantage to applying this goo directly to an unprepared, potentially rusty frame, or would that be a total waste?

Waste of good Framesaver to put it over rust. However, you can use a wire brush on a drill and get most of it out. Then spray in some stuff you get at the auto parts store that chemically turns rust into black stuff like this Permatex product http://www.permatex.com/products/automotive/specialized_maintenance_repair/body_interior_trim/auto_Permatex_Rust_Treatment.htm

Then hit it with Framesaver.