Vinegar to remove rust? Old guys rule!

A few observations:

1. THOROUGHLY clean and degrease parts first
2. When the vinegar gets dark red/brown it WILL stain your hands like dying Easter eggs
3. Stripped parts must be neutralized in water with washing soda, thoroughly dried, and IMMEDIATELY coated with either oil or primer/paint. If not your part will be bright orange in 24 hours.

 

I've been wondering how to tell if the vinegar is saturated. I think I reached that point. It developed a dark gray crust on top (really strange looking -- a solid sheet of dry gray metal). I think it precipitated iron from evaporation. Now, what do I do with the vinegar / iron solution?

Untame

 

Wondering when someone's going to get the idea to fill the in-ground pool with vinegar and chuck the whole body and frame in there...

 

works great for sure, I use it all the time. Caution, do not put you part in a glass jar and screw the lid on tight.....the reaction releases a gas and if you seal the jar with a lid and shake it a few days later, KaBlam......still cleaning up the kitchen

 

Wow this really works well. I like the idea about filling the swimming pool to soak the whole body. Thanks.

 

Great thread!

 

learn something new every day on here!

 

spray it on weeds kills them dead

 

dude thsts f-ing bitchin screw the blaster im going to dushe my shit from now on

 

can i spray my wife hummmmmmmm wonder what it will do to her.. jk shes cool

 

i just danced a fucking jig after reading through this thread.. i LIVE in a world of rust.. this is going to make me smile for YEARS! no more brushing and sanding for this rust bound gearhead!!! YIPEEE!!!

 

Awesome info. To many ideas going through my head due to this thread. thanks!

 

been using vinegar for a long while. also, i had a stromberg 97 that the base throttle plates and screws were just frozen to the max. tried everything. finally got a pan, put in a couple cups of water, 1/4 cup of CLR, 1/4 cup of vinegar and boiled the damn thing for about an hour on the stove (wife gone of course) and damned if it didn't free it up real nice and made it clean. i realize that could be considered dangerous but i believe when the going gets tuff the tuff get crazy.

 

I've been using vinegar to derust iron for years. I usually mix it half and half with water cause it makes it work a little slower and makes it cheaper. If you use vinegar on cast iron, keep an eye on it cause it will etch machined surfaces. When it doesn't have any machined surfaces I've left cast parts soaking for a week or more. A stiff wire brush and a water hose will remove even more loosened rust after it's been soaked. As far as removing paint and grease, I soak steel parts in a lye solution first. Hose it clean with a water hose. Don't use lye on aluminum or pot metal though or all you'll find is foam on top of the lye where you left the parts. Most of the time I use old plastic antifreeze drums and cut off the tops and cover the top with a sheets of plastic. Sure is cheap and it sure does work.

 

After learning about this a couple months ago I've used it to remove rust on a number of things. Its amazing! Now I have a half dozen containers of different sizes for different shapes of rusted metal. This is just one more reason I dig the HAMB.

 

I heard coca~cola does the job also

 

Use the bathtub if the ole lady doesnt mind. I like the swimming pool idea for a whole car. Plastic feed troughs work well from a farm supply store.

 

vinegar will destroy the chrome. it doesn't eat it up, but it turns it black.

 

So you reckon it will take rust stains out of fiberglass????
(down boy, we're talkin' boats here...)

 

Those plastic food service/insecticide/fertilizer/etc plastic tanks on a metal pallet with the cage thing around them can be had cheaply...

Look like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/tote-tanks-330-...952?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5022c468

 

Anyone know if vinegar will attack rubber or plastic? I have a couple pieces with bushings in them.

So after the vinegar bath you have to neutralize with a baking soda/water wash, correct?

Kevin

 

What he said ^

L

 

I live in a hard water area and I am a plumber, we use it to soak clogged aerators and shower heads. hasn't hurt that chrome, mostly chrome over brass.Now I can use it in the shop. Mark

 

Figured i'd put my experience in here. Got some $75 swap meet headers last year that had slip on collectors so i chucked them in the rubbermade tote with 5 gallons of generic grocery store vinegar and the brake drums off my 67 chevy van axle.

The drums came out great- they'd grown orange fuz all over the machined shoe facing, and it came off great with no damage in about 4 days. Sorry-no pics.

The collectors were left in a total of about 8 days due to life getting in the way of my grey matter. This may account for the rough texture in some spots, but i'm not bothered by it at all. Well not much...

 

I've been using vinegar on my project F1 parts since I read about it here. I'm a big believer for sure! Made a few mistakes; soaked the window regulator for a few days and it ate up the window handle shaft so I gotta replace it from a spare, and it seems to play hell with springs. Oh well, live and learn but I'm really glad this thread got posted. Most stuff came out nice, and after flushing with water, drying, etch priming and paint the parts look good as new! Too bad I can't soak my fenders. Btw the ladies at the local store think I'm a chef because I buy so much vinegar.

 

I have been soaking a 1968 440 Dodge Head that was rusted bad in vinegar for about two weeks now and it has even removed the carbon. The carbon has floated to the top into a volcano crust.
This is great.

 

Post some of your pics, Red. The results you got are amazing.

 

I am going to post the valve covers and the head.....Soon to dip a crankshaft and a engine block.
It takes "patience" with Vinegar...if you don't rush it the part comes out better.

 

Now this WILLl piss off the wife and neighbors . Using electrolysis.

 

I always forget this trick, bah!
Do any of you know if it will react with stainless? To be specific, I had a stack of Pontiac Rally IIs and the bottom wheels center cap spring steel got a bit fugly. I saw mention that it may mess with springs how so? Thanks!