Decided to give molasses a go on a couple brackets etc, used farm molasses from harbro, made a mixture of about 8:1 and fired in a couple mildly rusty bits and bobs, a week on and theres no difference! The videos and threads ibe read on old marine and hot rod forums the mixture appears foamy, as if its fermenting, but mines totally still... Have I done something wrong or forgotten something? Cheers, Aid
Electrolysis is a plan for sure, but I went with molasses at the moment because I dont have the facilities to do it, molasses can just be chucked in my powerless shed. But I think that was the problem, I think it was too cold for the reaction to work, it is working, just really sloooooowly! The surface rust has gone black, and where it was thin, has now become clean, shiny, bare metal after a wash in water and a scrub. The alternator bracket I have is the most flaky, its just starting to look clean where the rust was thinnest and the scales are just lifting. So what ive done is move the container to the golf in the carpark where its warmer, hopefully this will speed up the reaction a little.
the molasses works, not as fast as electrolysis, but is easier if like me you lack the space to electrolyse everything. i just didnt have it warm enough or have enough patience. being warm makes a huge difference, so its really only a summer job, unless you keep it indoors, but i wouldnt reccomend that, as it smells like sour fermenting treacle. as it turns out its that fermentation that does the de-rusting. i believe the process to be called chelation. more on this another day, with pics of some mollasses'ed metal
I've used both the vinegar, and electrolysis methods. I even got pulled asside in Tesco when i was buying 36 bottles of vinegar. Pros and Cons VINEGAR. well it takes a good week to do its thing on big things such as wishbones, IT STINKS, its like a vinegarie/periodie soupie smell, pain in the **** to wash off your hands too. Once you have taken the parts out, they STILL need a good rinse and a rub down. ELECTROLYSIS. Cheap an cheerful, only need a builders bucket, bicarb, old brake discs and a cheap battery charger. For big stuff I used our new wheelie bins when the recycling came into play. There brilliant, can fit all sorts in them. Parts come out like new, and will only need a very light rub down in places.
I just used a pound of salt, worked ok although the salt anti caking agent (Sodium Ferrocyanide) with the addition of an acid (vinegar maybe ?) (a hydrogen donor) can result in the production of cyanide gas (HCN) I carried out my process in a well ventilated spot. Maybe better to go with Bi-carb after all.
heres some pictures, parts after a week in the molasses, cold. no difference to the alternator bracket, brackets smoothed out after a scrub with a scotch pad still lightly rusty, which had turned black. the i discovered the problem being that the molasses was cold, so wasnt fermenting like it should. i decided to electrolyse the alternator braket for comparison. after a week of warmth, the bucket in the old golf which gets right hot in the sun under the tarp the head brackets are clean metal, rust out of the little pits, totally clean and just the remains of the original paint that survived. then decided to do my injectors after a week: they are now as clean/shiny as the brackets. the molasses works, a lot cheaper than vinegar, smells less, and is kind to rubber seals etc too. it just needs to be warm, if i could cover the bucket id do it indoors with a heat mat under it. im going to look at making the mix a bit stronger. obviously its still no match for media blasting / dipping but its simple and cheap and if youre not in a hurry, quite effective. considering making a vat up big enough to get a kr block in
Couldn't a pond or pool heater be used to speed it up a bit and keep the temperature correct? http://www.greenfingers.com/superst...T0450D&co=fr&gclid=CIzqrK7hkbACFUdItAod-naOng I'm thinking about making a tank out of half of an old upright oil tank. Big enough to fit an engine in and would have a drain tap at the bottom as well.
Yeah, a small heater would be ideal, I couldnt use one because I dont have power anywhere other than my 4th floor flat! Yeah a barrel on its side on chocks with a 2'x1' would easily fit a 4cyl block. It should do an awesome job, and even get in to clean up waterways and holes etc that electrolysis wouldnt.
