I finally got the PH meter I ordered. I purchased the meter on line for about $13 including freight. The mix I used was about 1/2 cup of citric acid to one quart of water. It test at a PH level of 2.4. I also tested some white vinegar and it was 2.6 so the citric that I used was a little more acidic than the vinegar. Now I wish I could test the molasses I used in the past. Norm
I haven't read the whole thread, but want to say if a bakery near by will sell you a bag of citric acid?? pdq67
Phosphoric acid is available at Home Depot in the paint dept for acid washing garage floors for prep in painting them.
Citric acid can most easily found at a wine making supply store. I spent a fair amount of time shopping the internet and trying to beat the price. I just got tired of the hunt. I cost me $105 for a 50 pound bag and $5 in gas to get it. In the portland area you can find it at: Davidson Winery Supply in McMinnville, Or. Small amounts can be found in other places, but if you're cleaning body panels in bigger tanks that becomes too costly.
Hi Hambers, Here's an engine pipe I washed off, heated to dry and phosphor treated today. It was cut off the exhaust system on Saturday, so that's about 3 days in the tub. The tub has around 25 litres of water, with 4 x of those 75 gram supermarket canisters. I pulled & rinsed on sunday arvo, chucked it back in. And here's an extractor done the same, this has been sitting there for about 4 months so far. Cheers Mudgy
So after following this for a while now I decided I'd give it a try. So I bought a 5 lb bag off ebay for about 18 bucks and I'm using a 25-30 drum that I cut the top off of and I filled it 3/4 and used a little more than half of my 5 pound bag. Here's the results Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Here's what my rear door panel backings looked like before I started. There heavily pitted in some places. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The first two pics are after 3 hours of soaking and a quick wire brushing and the last two are after 5 or 6 hours and another wire brushing not bad for there first day! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I remember in High School Science we were taught, ( Do what you auta add acid to water ) Yes it was in Brooklyn NY.
Man those look great! I think I am going to try this on my 32 firewall. Sounds like a 5 pound bag would be enough??
A 5 or 10 lb bag would probably work great for that. You could probably buy a cheap kiddy pool and stick that thing in to! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Here's an up close pic of the pitting that's bare metal now! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
It worked so well on a couple little brackets that I ordered a 10# bag and got a 55 gal plastic drum from work. Got to clean up a dash rail that's pretty crusty rusty. Sent from my LG-P769 using H.A.M.B. mobile app
Day 3 only a few stubborn spots remain! If I were in a hurry I'd use my mini da to get the last remaining spots. I threw an old Carter carb in there today I forgot to take s pic of it but I'm eager to see how it turns out In pic 4 you can see that it doesn't remove paint like others have said only rust. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
be very careful with alloy parts, they are very sensitive to an acid dip. All in all, the steel parts come up real nice don't they?
I tried citric acid on a truck bed that had heavy scale rust and it worked really well. This is after 24 hrs And this is after 50hrs I still had to wire wheel some of the heavier bits but it lifted alot easier after the acid. I just ran a bead of silicone along the back the same height as the sides and filled it in with water and acid.
The sun was shining, the birds were singing and I decided it was time kill some rust. Wasn't sure how the citrus would dissolve, but I needn't have worried. I put about two quart size scoops of the powder into a five gallon bucket and sprayed it with the hose (with nozzle). I think dissolving it in small batches works better than trying to dissolve it in the tank. My tank is 300 gallons and I'm using 50 pounds of citrus. I tested the ph level with the tank Half full and it was 2.2 after the tank was full it was 2.6. I'm thinking that should be great. Loaded the thank with with two '33 Willys doors and three '29 model a roadster quarter panels. I'll check progress in four days. Low temps have been running mid thirties. Norm
Here's more junk I've been dipping since my first batch still the same mix I haven't added any more citric. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Someone asked why would you still use molasses The acids discussed will continue to eat the base metal if the part is left in too long. The result is pitting from the acid on the part, similar to rust pitting . The problem is also that one area on the part cleans up faster than another, areas with heavier rust tends to take a lot longer to derustcthan those with light rust, this creates the opportunity for pitting. Just take a look at the part everyday and when you have it out scrub with a wire brush and you will be ok. Molasses does not have the same issue, but it is sloooooowwwww Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
223 I've used molasses a lot and I like the job it does. The main problem for me was the complaints from the neighbors about the smell (I didn't think it was that bad unless it got very old). I could live with the mess and the time (ten days to two weeks) were not problems. The citrus looks like it will take four to five days. At that point I'll pull the parts, wash them down and treat them with Prep-n-Etch. I'm thinking this will neutralize the acid. Am I right or do I need to do something else? By the way, I've been following your build. It's given me a lot of inspiration. Norm
Day five. After five days in the Citrus mix I pulled two parts and washed them off with water with excellent results. The parts still looked rusty when I first pulled them out. When I washed them off with the hose the brown stuff washed off like mud. It was starting to get dark so I put the parts back and will try to pull the whole batch tomorrow. I need to get a new weed sprayer for treating the cavities with Prep-n-Etch. I'll follow in several days with with a report on all the parts.
Has anyone tried this to remove rust from the inside of a gas tank? I have a couple tanks that could use some serious rust removal. ( so tired of changing filters)
223 I used a cheap electric pressure washer I bought on Craig's List ($45) to wash down the parts. Then I brush on Prep-n-Etch then use a weed sprayer to get into the cavities. I've been thinking that Prep-n-Etch would neutralize the acid, but I've noticed some light rust forming in a few areas and I'm wondering if I should be using a baking soda wash prior to the Prep-n-Etch. What are your thoughts. The weatherman is saying it's going to get into the teens this week. I have a tank heater and I think I'm going to need it. During the time these parts were in the tank the nights were in the low to mid thirties and the days 45 to 50 degrees. Cold does not seem to effect how it works. Norm
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