40 replies to this topic

[rexy]

This a spot for people to put their before and after efforts.

 

I scored a B&M ratchet shifter in a job lot of parts. It looked like it had been submerged for some time.

 

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I made a very weak solution in a bucket with $5 wort of supermarket molasses.

 

After 3 weeks:

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Nice high tide mark.

 

After a couple more weeks with lightly helping some of the scale off with a toothbrush a couple of times and voila!

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Now oiled up after a wash down and works perfectly. Even the small springs have recovered.

[RallyRed]

That's incredible!

[yel327]

What ratio of Molasses to Water?

[Uncle Chop Chop]

Search molasses on the forums, it's been mentioned a couple of times.

[claysummers]

Used 10:1 but prefer citric acid because I’m impatient.


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[Ice]

What ratio of Molasses to Water?

Bad rust 5 water to 1 Molasses light rust 10 to 1 should do it 

works for me 

[rexy]

I used a mix of about 40:1

 

Talk is cheap. -  lets see your before and after pics ladies and gentlemen!

[LXCHEV]

I’m about to re-rust the internal walls of the main fuel lines on a Commodore (they’re pretty filthy - brown and rusty after being neglected by previous owner).

Would this molasses mixture be thin enough to be pumped through a small aqua pump or electric fuel pump?

I’ve previously used white vinegar, but being acidic, have then had to follow up with bi-carb soda to neutralise.

Edited by LXCHEV, 04 June 2023 - 10:04 PM.

[claysummers]

Citric acid is perfect for this application. Either way you just need to flush with high pressure water.


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[4dabush]

Just watch certain steel, springs, spring washers, alloy bits and small and very fine threads can all disappear in molasses. I had some springs and  washers there one week, gone the next while the nuts and bolts were fine and about 90% rust free in the same solution. Some stuff like bumper brackets came up brilliantly though. 

[yel327]

I’m thinking of cleaning up a SBC block and heads that are surface rusty. If 40:1 works then I can do it in a big drum.

[4dabush]

I’m thinking of cleaning up a SBC block and heads that are surface rusty. If 40:1 works then I can do it in a big drum.

Just read up on it first, I think cast was one that molasses likes a LOT… if it’s only surface rusty, deoxidine and steel wool might be safer for the cast…not, you, but the steel! 

[rexy]

I’m about to re-rust the internal walls of the main fuel lines on a Commodore (they’re pretty filthy - brown and rusty after being neglected by previous owner).

Would this molasses mixture be thin enough to be pumped through a small aqua pump or electric fuel pump?

I’ve previously used white vinegar, but being acidic, have then had to follow up with bi-carb soda to neutralise.

 

The mixture I used is water consistency.

Nothing fancy required for clean up, just water.

[bat 53]

it works good on cast 

did my headers in 20- 1 for about a week 

washed down with hose ready for paint then barbecued at 150c

[claysummers]

The ceramic coater didn't like it when I did my headers, albeit in citric. He said it made them porous and had a lot of trouble getting paint to stick. He told me just let him blast them next time.

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[IanC]

I don't have a before picture. But this spring was really badly rusted. Molasses and water works awesome with delicate stuff.https://photos.app.g...qkv2WSP3k2c8xA8

[LXCHEV]

I'm going to have a play with molasses shortly - but firstly, just thought I'd add some old photos to this thread of my previous success with white vinegar.

 

Some of you may recall my "sender unit from satin's toilet"....

 

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I cleaned this one up within a matter of hours using white vinegar. I was pleasantly surprised at being able to bring this one back to life....

 

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After a couple of years sitting around, still out of the car - it hasn't shown any signs of further rusting, so I'm confident this should serve me well once back in service...

 

Once comment I will make here - whilst the chosen solution (in this case, white vinegar) is key to lifting the rust - I certainly found working and stimulating the rusty item (eg. brushing) is what really made the transformation happen quickly). rexy made a similar comment earlier. Since my next challenge is cleaning the internal walls of the main fuel rails on the car, I'm soley reliant upon the solution only doing the work, without any kind of scrubbing...

 

[LXCHEV]

This was another item I cleaned up with white vinegar. Fully submerged - from memory for around 24 hours or so...

 

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[LXCHEV]

And another bit of play time....

 

I had a couple of rusty old Y pipes....

 

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These were way too big to submerge, so only the very ends received a bath.... for the rest I just brushed them for a while.... you can see the difference that the submerging makes...

 

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Overall though, this did a magic job and I later hit them with some paint.

[claysummers]

Great results. As you say physical abrasion plays a significant role. I use scotch brite pads on things like rims, but th3 pressure washer is great for anything not to delicate.


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[claysummers]

Fish crates, pickle barrels, even old bath tubs are good.


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[LXCHEV]

So before I attack the fuel lines on the car, I thought I'd experiment with this short fuel pipe that sits above the diff... you've got me interested in molasses as it sounds quite gentle (and obviously is non-acidic). With all my white vinegar efforts previously, I've always finished by brushing on bi-carb soda and washing off with water in order to neutralise the acid and ensure it doesn't keep eating all the steel away.

 

So Molasses play time began last week...

 

Here's the test pipe:

 

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Hard to get good photos, but this one did capture it well.... as you can see, it's pretty filthy... brown, rusty, plenty of 'build-up' present... certainly can't be ignored..

 

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At first, I wanted to test the aqua-pump method as this is how I'll have to do the main lines.... my mixture was quite strong - somewhere around 7:1 water/molasses: 

 

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Had that going on and off for the first day... then killed the pump. So ended up just throwing the pipe into the bath and fully submerging it...

 

I let it sit for a bit over a week, then had a look..... externally, brilliant - a slight wipe with my finger and the outside looks new again (really just wiping off dirt)...

 

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Internally, it was slightly better, but still far from shiny clean....

 

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I blew it out with compressed air and that definitely seemed to help move some of the built up gunk...

 

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I think it's heading in the right direction, but for now, I've thrown it back in the bath for another week.

[LXCHEV]

I'm really torn as to how to approach the fuel lines - eeny meeny miney mo..... molasses, citric acid, or my trusty old white vinegar!

 

They don't appear to be terrible... 

 

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Edited by LXCHEV, 16 June 2023 - 11:43 PM.

[Bruiser]

What about tying a bit of fishing line to a round bead, blow it through to the other end and tie a small bit of rag or something to it?
Kind of like cleaning out a chimney flue
Might be tricky with a longer line, though

[FLY_LX]

how long does a molasses mixture last?

so ive got a bucket of vinegar that that i drop rusty bits in.

molasses looks alot more gentle on coatings 

if i filled up another bucket with molasses mix, how long would it last?