pickling a crank
Took apart my 408 for a piston repair and we got some damp weather (wettest January for So. Cal on record!) that attacked my crankshaft in the damp garage. Developed some scary looking rust on it so I decided to soak it in Vinegar instead of the more expensive ($27/gallon) rust removers. $8 for 2 gallons of white vinegar and a home made box lined with a trash bag turned into the soak tub. I added some wood chips under the bag to try and reduce the dead space so the crank would be fully covered (didnt work). Next time I will just buy 3 gallons....So there are before pics of the shiny journals with rust, and then the after pics. Good news was that all the rust was removed with no pitting, smooth as a baby's butt. Bad news is the once shiny crank is now a dull gray with some obvious stains from a prior attempt to rid the rust with evaporust and paper towels. There are still a few spots that I didnt catch (inside the holes) but it was getting late and I had to pack it in. After I pulled it out of the bath (3 days) I gave it a scrubbing with a green pad that took all the rust off with easy, more like wiping it off, and then a sponge bath with a baking soda solution to neutralize the weak acid of the vinegar. It did bubble up a little in places showing the neutralization process. Acid dipped parts flash rust very fast so you have to neutralize and then coat in oil or rustoleum primer or other rust proofing. I sprayed mine down with penetrating oil and put it in a draw tight kitchen trash bag, just the right height. hopefully it will survive a few more weeks until I get the time to reassemble. I wont store it naked like that again. The gray staining may have been a result of it being in the drink too long. Ill monitor it closer next time. Next up is a pile of connecting rods.
Took apart my 408 for a piston repair and we got some damp weather (wettest January for So. Cal on record!) that attacked my crankshaft in the damp garage. Developed some scary looking rust on it so I decided to soak it in Vinegar instead of the more expensive ($27/gallon) rust removers. $8 for 2 gallons of white vinegar and a home made box lined with a trash bag turned into the soak tub. I added some wood chips under the bag to try and reduce the dead space so the crank would be fully covered (didnt work). Next time I will just buy 3 gallons....So there are before pics of the shiny journals with rust, and then the after pics. Good news was that all the rust was removed with no pitting, smooth as a baby's butt. Bad news is the once shiny crank is now a dull gray with some obvious stains from a prior attempt to rid the rust with evaporust and paper towels. There are still a few spots that I didnt catch (inside the holes) but it was getting late and I had to pack it in. After I pulled it out of the bath (3 days) I gave it a scrubbing with a green pad that took all the rust off with easy, more like wiping it off, and then a sponge bath with a baking soda solution to neutralize the weak acid of the vinegar. It did bubble up a little in places showing the neutralization process. Acid dipped parts flash rust very fast so you have to neutralize and then coat in oil or rustoleum primer or other rust proofing. I sprayed mine down with penetrating oil and put it in a draw tight kitchen trash bag, just the right height. hopefully it will survive a few more weeks until I get the time to reassemble. I wont store it naked like that again. The gray staining may have been a result of it being in the drink too long. Ill monitor it closer next time. Next up is a pile of connecting rods.
