De-rusting with muriatic acid

Discussion in '1947-1954' started by coilover, May 16, 2010.

  1. coilover

    coilover Member

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    I had never tried this but we got a 40 Pontiac coupe in that had the worst rust in a transmission that I've ever seen. It was not something that could be saved but being some what rare I wanted to clean it up enough that I could email pictures of it to some old car salvage yards so they could compare it to what they might have. I used 1 qt of acid to 5 gallons of water and let set over night and then repeated after rinsing away the debris from the first soaking.
     

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  2. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Nonono !!

    You could have used Phosphoric Acid as I recommend and not ruined it beyond use...

    Muriatic Acid is nasty , BAD stuff that'll blind you if it gets a chance and will also destroy any sheet metal it touches as it eats the good metal not only the rust .

    This is why Phosphoric Acid is the one to use ~ it cannot damage ferrous metals .
     
  3. coilover

    coilover Member

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    In this case it was already ruined beyond use as some of the teeth on the gears were corroded completely away and the bearings and shafts pitted bad. The case and the brass thrust washers are the only savalgable parts. I will try the phosphoric acid on something mildly rusted. Paint over "rust converters" use a phosphoric based solution for the conversion.
     
  4. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Understood

    But now the bronze bits will be etched beyond use . ditto the steel bits like shift forks and so on .

    Try using the dilute Phosphoric Acid next time and you'll see it works just as well but allows parts scavenging .

    It's cheaply available in the flooring dept. of hardware Stores .

    Also in Wally-mart in the Housewares section " Sno-Bol " toilet cleaner & rust remover .
     
  5. Wolf

    Wolf Member

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    wow that is really bad. Its amazing that it could rust like that being coated in greese/oil for so long. it must have been bone dry of oil, and full of water. yikes that is bad
     
  6. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Rusted Trannies

    Well no ;

    See , the way it works is : you keep the tranny properly filled with gear oil then through several methods , it slowly fills with water and the oil floats on top as the water attacks the now bare metal gears , shafts & so on...

    Streamliners trucks are egregious here as the windshields not only leak profusely but the beautiful dash curves just right for the water to drip on the shift lever and tower where it runs into and fills up , the tranny .

    It's one of those ' can't win for loosing ' deals you have to be aware of else it'll bite your butt .
     
  7. Blueflame236

    Blueflame236 Member

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    Muratic acid ?

    I could google to find out what the acid is but i wanted to ask you guys.What is Muriatic acid ?
     
  8. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    It's the nasty stuff used in swimming pools for cleaning...

    It is bad because it eats good metal along with the rust .

    Phosphoric Acid doesn't .
     
  9. coilover

    coilover Member

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    Muriatic acid is a commercial name for hydrochloric acid. It has many uses since it can be diluted to different strengths for different uses. It is inside our bodies as "stomach acid" and ranges from there to strong enough to clean stains off of concrete. People that try to stay skinny by purging will end up with destroyed teeth since the hydrochloric acid reacts with tooth enamel to form calcium chloride witch is soluble in water---they're teeth dissolve in their own saliva. I was pretty much cavity free until as a college "smarter than everyone else" lab rat I'd suck so called safe solutions up into a pipette with my mouth instead of using a squeeze ball. The smart a$$ didn't stop to consider the tube was full of vapors from the last transfer and stuff like HCL and concentrated citric acid WILL work on tooth enamel. As Will Rogers said, "When I was 16 my dad was the most ignorant man on the face of the earth but by the time I was 26 I was amazed at how much he had learned in such a short time." Older does make wiser (I hope).
     
  10. Blueflame236

    Blueflame236 Member

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    Great explenation

    Yes i know hydrochloric acid. Can you use it for internal engine cleaning?
    Will it resolve the smudge and calcium inside?

    Thanks Martinius.
     
  11. Scubanero

    Scubanero Member

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    Don't use it to clean concrete unless you also want to coat the concrete with something later. It dissolves concrete readily and is used to etch the surface, not clean it.
     
  12. ccharr

    ccharr Member

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    Do NOT !



    Wenn Sie möchten Ihr Fahrzeug nicht verwenden, die im Motor.

    if you like your vehicle do not use that in engine.
     
  13. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    ! God no !

    nonononononononononononono :eek:
     
  14. aggiejon

    aggiejon Member

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    dump that thing in an electrolysis tank. will easily and safely remove rust from any steel item. Avoid its use with aluminum and other alloys.

    How to build an electrolysis tank:

    Use a plastic or non-metal container large enough to fit your part(s). I have a plastic coffee can, a 5 gallon bucket, a 20 gallon rubbermaid storage bin from wallyworld, and a broken 250 gallon cattle plastic water trough. Step 1: fill the tank with water. Step 2: add lye, which can most easily and inexpensively found as sewer main line cleaner at Home Depot in the plumbing department for about 10 bucks. Use about a cup per 5 gallons. Step 3: find some scrap metal to use as electrodes. I use an old valve in my coffee can, and some pieces of 2" square tube for the larger ones. Step 4: roll your 12v battery charger and pull out a set of old jumper cables to submerge and attach to the parts. Step 5: affix the negative clamp to the part that you want de-rusted. Step 6: attach the positive clamp to the electrodes. Step 7: hook up the appropriate clamps to the jumper cables, neg to neg, pos to pos and turn on the battery charger. Turn it on and let it be. Very soon you will start to see bubbles forming and a foam at the top, that means its working.

    Basically, the lye acts as an electrolyte and adds to electrify the water. when you negatively charge the part and you charge the electrodes as a positive, it will draw the rust away from the part and will affix to the electrode. It is an amazing process. In the case above, where it is gears in a case, point the opening toward the electrodes. do not let the two touch.

    My first positive experience was with a John Deere B tractor. Each tractor came from the factory with a set of "shutters" which mounted in front of the radiator which could be opened and closed to heat and cool the engine. This was because these tractors were designed to be started on gasoline and then when the engine was to operating temerature, switched to distillate fuel such as kerosene (when kerosene was available and cheap). They are a series of about 20 shutters rivited to a frame and made to flap like venitian blinds.

    Mine were seized up. 3 cans of PB Blaster and large plyers did nothing to free them up. After an hour in the tank, pulled them out and operated them easily by hand!

    It is a great, inexpensive process to derust parts. It leaves them with a black oxide that can be cleaned and painted or oiled.

    You can use baking soda as well, but they lye seems to react a lot better and will also dissolve and remove paint.
     
  15. brit 50

    brit 50 Member

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    Rust

    Rust is a natural progression, learn to embrace it rather than fight it;)
     
  16. roy 1955 chevy

    roy 1955 chevy Member

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    hi aggiejon i just came up on your message about how to build a electrol tank to kill rust . thats some good info. there ill try it on a gas tank off off my mini bike and pressure washer . i was going to get a electric sonic cleainer . ive seen videos on utube about useing one to cleain parts .
     
  17. roy 1955 chevy

    roy 1955 chevy Member

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    yes i heard that brit 50 rust is bad . i have 1955 chevy 3100 . that im makeing in to a rat rod . the gas tank was rusted and it had pin hole so i just trash it . and im going with a tank from a 94 chevy in the back bed . because i dont want a bomb in side my cab .
     
  18. roy 1955 chevy

    roy 1955 chevy Member

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  19. roy 1955 chevy

    roy 1955 chevy Member

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    hi can you explane to me what the hell is that type of acid your talking about . i have use muriatic acid on thinks but it chokes me up . and have been burn bye it . so i prefer not to use it .
     
  20. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Glad you're open to learning ! .

    Phosphoric Acid is good stuff, you prolly know it as the liquid used to clean concrete floors before gluing down overlays .

    I buy it by the gallon in any big box hardware store, look in the flooring department .

    Dilute it one gallon Phosphoric Acid to three gallons of distilled water, jug and SAVE IT as you can re use it over and over after straining the dirty mix through a clean piece of felt lain in a BIG funnel .

    More if you're interested, I don't have regular internet access so pardon my slow / late replies .
     

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