Cleaning Wheels with Acid

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pishta

I know I'm right....
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pishta submitted a new Article:

Rims On Acid.....

So you bought some old crusty steelies and want a quick way to remove all that nasty rust? Get yourself 2 gallons of good 'ol cheap pool acid from the local big box store. I think it was 7 bucks at my Homeless Depot. Pour both into a plastic garbage can or other receptacle that is big enough to...

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Good how to.

I use muratic acid/water 50:50 mix often on smaller parts. Don't put any Pot Metal in it though. Don't ask how I know...
Molasses/water 1:10 mix works without harming metal. Molasses from the local Co-Op mixed with water in a 55 gal drum. Takes a lot longer but I put lots of parts through it and leave them in for weeks sometimes.
There are some YouTube videos of guys putting whole car fenders in molasses/water, even whole old steel car bodies in it. YouTube is where I found it.
 
I wonder if this would take some of the shine off my brand new rear wheels?
 
plain old vinegar will remove rust, it's slow
but cheap. the parts need to be submerged
 
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That's amazing. When I saw the thread title I thought maybe it was another "DONK" thread LOL

"Submit article: How to ruin a Classic Mopar in 4 easy steps"

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plain old vinegar will remove rust, it's slow
but cheap. the parts need to be submerged

Vinegar will also remove metal as quickly as it does the rust.I tried it once and it turned a bunch of rusty bolts into a bunch of scrap metal after it ate all the treads off.Now I only use molasses and no issues even if I leave the parts submerged for weeks.
Another handy tip for using molasses...if the mix is cold (like mine now is as I keep it outside due to the smell) it works very slowly but warming it up to around 70F with a cheap fish tank heater will make it work much faster.
 
i must stress that you need to neutralize the newly dipped items to a baking soda/water bath or some other Ph basic neutralizer, let dry and coat with something. Evaporust, Primer, Rutoleum, paint, etc. The bare metal will just be a flash rust time bomb. Evaporust can be left on for storage.
 
Good tips for the rims because sand blasting blows and I was also going to point out the white vinegar works well and you don't have to run full strength it is acidic and it will eat metal but I use it all the time to bring back old metal files. If using on nuts and bolts I have to chase with a tap or die because it leaves the threads very course. I use Evaporust a lot but like anything it needs to be covered and after words parts need to be thoroughly rinsed, dried and treated to prevent re rusting. Only problem is they say it can be used over aand over again, which is true but each time it seems to behalf as effective until you reach a point of diminished returns. Meaning you could leave the parts in an old used solution for as long as you want and it is not going to get any cleaner. It is good on softer metals and have noticed it is not harmful on certain types of plastics as the seller claims.
 
Good how to.

I use muratic acid/water 50:50 mix often on smaller parts. Don't put any Pot Metal in it though. Don't ask how I know...
Molasses/water 1:10 mix works without harming metal. Molasses from the local Co-Op mixed with water in a 55 gal drum. Takes a lot longer but I put lots of parts through it and leave them in for weeks sometimes.
There are some YouTube videos of guys putting whole car fenders in molasses/water, even whole old steel car bodies in it. YouTube is where I found it.
I have never heard of the trick using molasses. I have the rims that could use a good wash and rinse and repeat if need be, So I will try it, thanks for the tip.
 
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