Would this work -- light rust on cranks?

I'm going through my stash of crankshafts to finally get them sorted and start selling some. (There's about 280 of them -- everything from stright 8 Buick to ricers, including John Deere and Cat! )

Problem is they all have a light coat of rust -- nothing serious, just the type that rubs off on your hands, etc.

I was thinking of taking an open top 55 gallon metal barrel, dumping in a bunch of sand, adding some oil or diesel, insert crank, clamp on the lid and roll back and forth across floor.

Wouldn't this rub off that rust without abrading the bearing surfaces?

And leave a light coat of oil for protection?

I've thought about the electrolosis method but there's so little rust it would hardly be worth the effort.

Option is Scotchbrite and a LOT of elbow grease.

Or does someone else have a better idea?

 

that sounds like alot of work to me, when i need to polish up a crank a little i use some 400 grit, diesel fuel and a nice wide shoe lace, maybe you should only clean up the ones that people want to buy.

 

Make up a jig that will allow you to spin the crank then hit the journals with some fine emery cloth as it spins.

 

At the shop I used to work at, our crank polisher always had several extra slightly used belts ALL over the place, I would suggest going to a local shop and asking them for a belt, New: buy it $7.00, used...?: free, then set up a set of wooden V-blocks, or steel with some sort of padding, ie.: rubber, cloth, etc. then by hand using a belt cut at one end about 2-3 feet long, place it on the crank and "stoke" back n' forth, then turn the crank 90 degrees and do it again, then onto the next journal. using lots of oil or WD-40. thats what I did when 2 of my cranks got surface rust from sitting in the garage. Was easier to do that than drag the cranks to work, use the polisher during lunch break, and then take them home?!?!?!? Then again, I'm fairly LAZY!..Ken

 

I use a ten inch wire brush on a two horse motor. Makes them look like new.

 

I'd use 4-600 grit and deisel and homemade blocks and clean 'em and sell 'em as they were ready. No rush now.

 

In a rush to sell them?

If not,apply the 55 gallon drum idea,to a soak in mol***es.
Do 4 or 5 cranks at the time,take 'em out,rinse 'em,spray 'em with oil or some sort of corrosion preventive.

Minimal manual labor,which I am all about!

The oily sand idea has merit,but one crank at a time?

You would be "cleaning your crank" forever!

(nothing wrong with that,mind you)

 

Lots of good suggestions above.
BUT ... invest in a couple of BIG cans of SPRAY WD40 and coat ALL of them (LIBERALLY!) before they rust any further!

 

got any olds 455 "N" cranks? i'd clean it myself