Molasses bath made me a believer !!

i just treated a flathead block, it turned out excellent. the thing that i did differently was to heat the solution with a small immersion heater. the solution reached about 150 degrees F. and in two days the block came out CLEAN! i will post an image later. the first two images show what the block looked like after two days in the tank, i wish i had taken a photo before it went in the tank,. but i was in a hurry and i didn`t.the third image shows the plastic barrel that i used and the fourth image shows the block as it is today after a complete scrubbing.

 

WOW- 2 days?!

That sounds great- just wondering if there's any hidden danger in heating the solution... any Chemistry majors out there???

 

I'm really glad this thread is still going , iv'e searched all over the internet and most information is vague.... so i figured i do it my self and help out our fellow HAMBers.....

as for heating the Solution i think it just speeds up the Fermentation which is what is actually help remove the rust if you could deal with the odor. Also the solution would last a couple of months at least....... enjoy HAMbers and keep wrenching

 

I used evaporust on some crusty suspension components, and had similar results to what was posted here.. I believe it is some kind of molasses concoction. That would explain why my hands were tacky when I got some on me

 

i have a 348 thats rusty inside the vally ganna have to try this

 

As for the smell.....

I've gotten a couple metal 45 gal drums that I use. They have big metal lids that I put on, but don't tighten down. It helps keep the smell down since it only "Burps" when there is enough pressure built up from the fermentation process.

 

one of our local racers has a trucking company and his main business is hauling industrial molasses from the local sugar beet plants to various feed plants around the area.The molasses is a by-product of the sugar manufacturing.They haul in semi tractor-trailer tanker just like oil or gasoline.I'm guessing this is the type of molasses that would work?I think I'll have him donate some to try out!

 

Does anyone have any experience using this on magnesium. I have steel axle tubes in my magnesium side bells that aren't coming apart with heat.

 

You need to read more. You have been here 3 years and I bet this topic has come up close to a dozen times?

 

Actually found DOZENS of threads just in the last two years( yes I looked). I didnt count all of them, just the ones with rust removal or molasses in the title.

Some of us only point out the search to try and HELP other HAMBers. Many time I will even link a thread or two to help.

 

From experience with VW's which use a lot of magnesium in the engine cases etc i would say don't do it as the magnesium is softer and corrodes quicker than aluminium in normal use. at least try it on something else first before ruining your parts.

 

-----------------------------------
NOOO!!! Don't ever use Molasses
on parts containing aluminum or
magnesium....unless the aluminum
or magnesium section is what you're
trying to make disappear!

Mart3406

 

There's confirmation

 

I saw it stated a few times in this thread to not use the molasses on aluminum (and magnesium). Out of curiousity, are there any simple, inexpensive processes/materials which work on oxidized aluminum and/or magnesium like the vinegar, molasses approach works for iron?

 

That's a cool story! Nice job.

 

will molasses bath setup freeze if sealed properly and left outside in a NE winter. Fermentation/sugar/ alcohol by-products of chem action, all sounds like stuff that shouldnt freeze but w/ my luck? Anyone out there w/any input before i ruin a baby hemi ?

 

Back in the old days, a favorite kids treat was to pour molasses into the freshly fallen snow and wait for it to harden for a nice chewy treat ...

You wouldn't ruin the engine, but you'd have a bear of a time getting it out of the nooks and crannies- I'd wait 'till spingtime OR do the bath in a heated area if you need t get it done now!

 

I have been using a heater for a fish tank,gets it to 92 degrees they come in different sizes for bigger tanks.Mine is for 55 gallons works a lot faster this way. Pete.

 

Saweet!! Cost efective and easy to do. Its the simple things that always seem to work best.

 

Why not just dig a hole, and use a pond liner? Put a board wrapped in a tarp from the Dollar store over the top for a lid.

 

sweet mollases on warm home made bread is a treat

 

We just did this to a 454 that had sat outside for years, assembled. Nothing budged beforehand, but afterwards it all came apart and was nice and clean. Now I have an FE block to do.

 

I did that for a '40 dash, worked great. I just used plastic sheet.

 

"I've been trying to figure out a way to build a tub big enough for BIG stuff... like a cowl or fender or a door.... "

Plus

"works at a local grocery store and the freezer took a shit one day"

Equals

Why not use a big old freezer? Use silicone to seal up any holes, or line it with fiberglass. It has a sealed lid that makes it easy to check progress and it will burp on its own.

 

just bought myself 5 gallons time to dip the 348....jones

 

I'm a believer too! had a 5gal bucket put in a 35-7 door window regulator rusted/frozen up, a couple of weeks later pulled a clean working regulator out of bucket. washed it off, surface rust 15 minutes later. So rinse with water then slosh around in the phosphoric acid tub. Savogram Crete-nu high phosphoric acid content low price. dilute with water. Oh and the deer know there is a barrel (now) of molasses in the shop, they have eaten just about everything around the shop. I can't shoot Bambi!

 

Just read the entire thread- great stuff- can't wait to try it!

 

OOOOh, I like the freezer idea! Used to have an old chest freezer that had a drain in it for defrosting. That would have been perfect!

I've used and still use the phosphoric acid. I find it handy for de-rusting inside installed panels, car bellys, frames with cars on them, whatever. I just put a tub under the area and keep brushing it on. Clean it when it turns black and then paint.

Saw a dude do a 59 chevy hood. He just built a border big enough for it out of 4 x 4's and then put a rubber liner over the boards. placed the hood in it upright, leaned the hood against the wall, and started putting the acid to it. When it started pooling he used a hand pump to slurp it up out of the liner and run it across again.

I did some diff parts in a small tub after reading Rocky's post years ago. That differential has been in Tracy's car for years now... worked great!






By the way, when some of us who have been around a while say "use the search function", it doesn't need to be taken as "Hey, jack ass. Yeah, you. Why don't you use the search function and quit screwing up our naps?"

As mentioned in this thread somewhere, when a topic is brought up again, new info comes out. That is GREAT. On the flip-side, if I were to say, "Do a search on this topic, it has been covered many times before." I would be saying, " Hey, do a search on this because it has been covered before AND THERE MAY BE INFO IN THOSE OLD POSTS THAT DOES NOT COME UP IN THIS ONE."

See, in the old days, you had to go to the library to do research. Sometimes you had to read through MANY books to get all you needed. It would be unusual for you to find all the info you needed in the newest book, or the oldest for that matter.

So, don't get all ruffled when someone says, "use the search", we're just trying to help.

 

"l-i-b-r-a-r-y"???
I've heard of those. They were used in the dark ages.. Right?

I have been SO glad to read any post on rust removal that I search for new posts and subscribe to the them all in case something new pops up.

Here in Rust-World we need all the help we can get.

I hear people complaining that molasses doesn't work for them.
I don't know what they did wrong but I'm sold on it.
After molasses I use phosphoric acid, then follow up with a rust converter. Then seal it up with epoxy. If it rusts after that I'll either fix it or sell it to a ratter.

I have to make some containers for the quarter panels of my t-bucket. I think I'll find an immersion heater to keep it warmer. People say it helps so I'll find out.

 

Good point...there are a lot of different ways to cook a cat.