How do you all do your vinegar bath, or can only shops do them? I would like to do a few things, special vinegar? mix ratio? How about Muriatic Acid to clean rust?
ive been lookin' for info on chemicals to stip surface rust as well, so im interested to hear some info
try this, i havent set mine up yet but aparently it works wonders. if you dont wanna click my link, google Electrolysis rust removal, the first five links or so are great.
Are talking about a vinegar flush for your engine or an individual parts soaking? I ran straight vinegar in the flattie in my '48 panel. I wasn't able to put many miles on it before I had to flush it out but I got a lot of gunk out of the engine. I first flushed the engine with just water, then drained as much water as I could then fill the system with the pure vinegar. I left it in the engine for maybe 100 miles and then reflushed it, there was a lot of black crap that came out. The reason I didn't leave it in longer was winter was coming and I didn't want it to freeze.
Soaking parts. I would like to soak some doors, odds and ends. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar? 100% vinegar? I am looking at buying a 1940 coupe, would like to know the tricks before I jump head first into this MAJOR project see below: http://picasaweb.google.com/ryansultraklean/100KC633?authkey=Gv1sRgCO-xhMP5j9T9lQE&feat=email# I dont even know if i am gunna buy it, but its tempting !!
use whatever vinegar has the highest acidity. remember afterwords you have to use something to neutrualize the acid or it will rust again. i used white vinegar which worked well. just a test piece and i never cleaned it afterwords, and yes it flash rusted pretty quickly. i liked the electrolysis method better.
So just spray it off with water (garden hose), and then primier? would that work? soak in vinegar for how long? I think I may try both ways, see what one is easier... Vinegar - days? Battery- days?
Hi I have been using vinegar for several years, cheap white vinegar, full strength. 24 hours will get the easy stuff, 48 for heavier. You need to wire brush off the surface to get it clean. I tried some aluminum once, it didn't work well. I am very happy with the results. If you let the container sit, all the removed rust settles to the bottom and you can continue to use the solution. When done it doesn't need a hazmat permit to get rid of it. Jan in Ojai, CA 1952 Plymouth Savoy wagon with Jr. Thompson hemi
I am gunna try this, if i decide to move on such a project for a 1940 chevy Coupe... What about doing the body, - BIGGER container??
If i were to soak doors, panels, etc. and when It was done soaking, would I be able to repair without then rusting again? What is the time frame I should apply something so they dont rust again?
i just soaked a big bucket full of bolts in apple cider vinegar for over a week, and man they came out clean. turned the vinegar black black. not sure how youd go about doin the bigger parts...
It is just the acid content that is the active ingredient. ANY acid can do the same thing. Vinegar is apretty mild acid as-purchased. Muriatic acid (aka swimming pool acid) is just lower strength hydrochloric acid. This does need to be diluted, remember to always add acid to water, not vice versa. You can neutralize the acid by scrubbing the parts with a baking soda solution after removal. They will still flash rust real easily, but you should be able to do your repairs before any serious rust forms unless you live in real humid area.
I did the same with some choke plates and it actually pitted or ate away some of the metal. Maybe I left them in there too long. It did do a good job, though. What is good base-solution to neutralize the acidity? Baking soda?
Anything with "hydroxide" in the contents will neutralize acid. Acid is solution with excess H+ ions (hydrogen), pH less than 7.0 Base is solution with excess OH- (oxygen and hydrogen, or hydroxide), pH greater than 7.0 Neutral is water with pH 7.0 When acid combines with base, you get water. Each is neutralized by the other. The reason it is good to neutralize the surface is because the acid can leave behind salts on the surface which will cause rust easier. In theory you can scrub it enough, but the hydroxide does it chemically. When you use acid to dissolve rust (iron oxide), the acid combines with the oxide, making water, then leaves the Fe+++ in solution.
I was at first skeptical, about using vinegar, but tried putting some parts in a gallon can and put the lid on for several days. When I first pulled them out of the can, they looked like they werent ready, so I put them back in for a couple more days. So then I pulled them out again, this time I thought what a joke, so I washed them off with the pressure nozzle from a garden hose to get the vinegar off the parts and the rust blew off in sheets. Wow, it worked. If I hadnt of done that, you wouldnt be able tell, if it would even work. Anyway, after several years for using smaller containers for my vinegar, I graduated up to a covered plastic locker. This is a size that you can buy a many stores, I bought this one at Target. It is about 2x3x30 tall that I have filled with vinegar. I buy vinegar at Costco for about $1.30 gallon (at least the last time I bought some). Ive had this locker filled with vinegar for about 15 years and just add some once in a while to fill the tank back up. (I think that it holds about 30 gallons). After soaking the parts and washing them off with the hose, Ill usually wash them with soap and water, this will neutralize the acid and stop them from fast rusting. Then if you want, you can treat them with something like Rust Mort.
Ordinary vinegar is about 5% strength the rest of which is water and isn't very strong. The active ingredient is acetic acid. Commercial grades are available through industrial chemical supply houses. It has a very pungent odor and safety equipment and respiratory equipment is a must.
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