Technical Cleaning Exhaust Manifolds to Sell

Citric acid and wood bleach (which is oxalic acid) work by the same principle. The acid removes the iron oxide. Same with vinegar (acetic acid), or muriatic (hydrochloric acid). Any of the acid formulations will work by the same principle. Some are more aggressive and more safety precautions required. But they all work by the same chemistry.

My luck selling manifolds at swap meets is unless they are desirable, then $5-10 is max you can get.

 

Agree with above--kinda hard to sell unless unique--I gave away a bunch a while back. The angled outlet ramshorns have a value though.

 

I think that might be part of your issue. While you are pricing well manufactured against foreign manufactured, you have to factor labour and effort into your price as well. If someone can buy a repop for $100, bolt it on and go, why would they spend $100 to buy dirty/grimy/pitted manifolds for $100 that they'll then have to clean, chase threads, prep and paint?
While I'll agree that original manifolds are certainly better, not everyone sees it that way. A lot of people will just pick up the catalogue instead.

 

AND !!! When its all said and done.You'd be money and time ahead to take them to the scrap yard .sell by the pound

 

Why, did iron prices go back up?

 

Not now, not here..

 

No matter what the scrap price is...better than nothing

 

Last time I took my scrap metal in, ferous was a penny a pound! The brass, aluminum, and lead was also down. Basically, I think I burned up more in the price of gas than I got for scrap. It's W-A-Y down! I use either Muriatic acid or molasses to clean rusty parts; the molasses won't etch the "parent" metal like the Muriatic acid will. Plus, parts from the muriatic acid have to be neutralized with baking soda. Both will still flash rust, so get them dry and protected quickly. I don't notice any real smell from the molasses, and neither do the 4 dogs, but the Muriatic acid is another story, and the fumes can damage other items, such as Cyclone fencing that's been galvanized. You can dump your used up molasses in your wife's garden; the plants like it! Not so with Muriatic acid.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Reading this thread is exhausting.

 

I'm telling you guys - battery charger, some soda wash & bucket of water & piece of scrap steel - slick as shit.

No smell either.
No sandblaster or wire wheel beating down the natural finish, gets in all the corners.
Finish up with a soak in phosphate if you want to blacken them up & slow the re-rust.