i used to operate ROVs offshore and they were in and out of salt water daily and corrosion was a definite problem. ive used a lot of different products and wd-40 worked fairly well for some things...the "wd" stands for water displacement, so it is actually more for that than a lube. another good product i used was from LPS. its designed to address corrosion. white lithium grease will help some with corrosion, but is designed as a high temp lube that is made to stick to what its applied to. i find that products like the white lithium grease can also trap moisture and cause problems. the LPS works great, but needs good prep before applying,
i've been in south louisiana for 30 yrs and EVERYTHING corrodes quickly here...cant stop it, but can slow it down a good bit
cleaning corrosion is tricky. you can use an acid like navel jelly and dissolve the rust, but you will also dissolve the surrounding finish and open up the metal, which leaves it more prone to corrosion if not immediately primed and coated. i go with a product that
converts rust. the rust converter neutralizes the rust and converts it into a coating that can be painted over. i use rust converter all the time on all my outdoor equipment...mover decks, etc. you can prob find a small bottle on amazon or an auto store.