Molasses Rust Removal for Stuck Flatheads?

The title is pretty self explanatory, but what I'm wondering is if anyone out there has tried putting a locked up flathead in a molasses bath to see if it will eat away the rust for disassembly. (or any engine for that matter) I know it has been said that it eats away aluminum, so the pistons & bearings will probably be gone, but who cares if it's seized you'd be replacing them anyway. Anybody try this or have thoughts about it?

 

I haven't tried the molasses but have read it also eats the machined surfaces as well. I free'd up a merc flathead by pulling the heads off of it and filling up the cylinders with a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF after about a week.

 

I put a stuck flathead in a 50 gallon plastic barrel i cut in half and filled it up diesel fuel and let it sit for a couple of weeks. Came right apart. It was a bit expensive to fill up but I used it for flathead tram us and other stuff for about 3 years so I think it payed for itself.


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I was thinking the same thing today, but if you want to find out if the stuck motor will run how do you get the molasses out of the oil ways?

 

Thanks TJ, haven't used or heard of that method yet. JW, I've heard that diesel works well, but with fuel prices I was trying to think of cheaper & less toxic methods. Kiwi, I was planning to put it on an engine stand & rotate it while blasting with pressure washer. Once clean, blow air through it, & then soak with penetrating fluid to prevent new rust.

 

Fill each cylinder with Marvel Mystery Oil. Let sit for 7 days. Don't disturb it, don't even look at it.

9 times out of 10 it will free right up. (and I don't know why)

 

Thanks Green Rodz! I'll give that a try.

 

Another thought molasses is supposed to eat up alloy. Cam and crank bearings, timing gear will probably be lost.

 

Molasses will eat up all aluminum parts, weakening the solution to the point it won't be effective anymore. If you're willing to pay for the molasses, the tank [or barrel] and be willing to dump the mess it'll create, I say go for it. I'd check your engine every day because after the solution eats the soft metals, it'll start on the iron. I'd remove the engine from the solution as soon as it frees up and hose it all off. The aluminum causes a sticky mess when the molasses attacks it.
Personally, I prefer freeing up a stuck flathead with a 3 lb sledge and a foot-long truck punch. I spin the engine upside down on my engine stand and drive the punch through the pistons from the bottom. Takes a helluva lot less time and makes a lot smaller mess...costs less too.

 

Like Green Rods said x2 it will work, i have been told it if you cut the top off a Pepsi can lay a paper towel under the can it will creep out on to the towel. I have molasses and would NOT put a block in there

 

works great I ve used it on a very rusty flathead and sheet metal parts. Roger

 

i use molasses every sunday on my pancakes, never been stuck or cloged yet.

 

I have used molasses for removing rust off parts and such. It works pretty good. But it also takes a lot of time compared to other rust removers.

 

It's funny that I found this, but I'm in the process of soaking my 324 Oldsmobile engine in a 55 gal drum full of the molasses mixture. My engine is seized and looks like they pulled it up with the titanic..... Rusted mains, heads, cams, you name it and it's rusted bad. Also it has four cracked Pistons.
I have tried the following:
ATF mixed with acetone,
PB blaster,
Heating the cylinders with torch, two ton bottle jack rigged to push down Pistons, hammer and wood, cheater bar, loosening all mains and rod caps. Separating cam chain from crank...... Nothing worked so now I trying the molasses method to see. I have nothing to lose at this point. I will keep you updated, also someone made the comment about the molasses mixture breaking down the aluminum/pot metal and ruining the acid level. Hopefully at this point it will eat the bearing and Pistons enough to the break everything loose.

 

X3

 

X2

 

My first try would be to spray with a good penetrant, ie Gibbs. I've had incredible success where I thought it was impossible, cheap as you don't use much and it works some times in minutes, or hours, - not weeks!

 

I had a stuck Olds motor. 50/50 ATF and Acetone for a week, diesel for a week, wooden block and BFH... nothing worked. Poured some coke in the stuck cylinders, left it over night, and that did the trick.