The Power of Apple Cider Vinegar for Rust Removal

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I'm trying the apple cider vineger on a engine block right now.

Pulled it out of the tank after 48 hours an pressure washed it.
before pressure wash.
20181016_173125.jpg

after pressure wash
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It went back in the tank for another 24 hours.
 
Just an fyi, that vinegar is causing a light rust at the surface, kind of like flash rust, that allows the aged rust to fall off, which is why it takes a little scrubbing. Those parts need to be rinsed thoroughly to get the rest of the acid out of the crevices or you could have big problems later.

I've never used vinegar, but I've used electrolysis and nitric acid (on aluminum). I'm going to try this next!
 
75slant6 said:
Are your pictures backwards?
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No. That is a sludge on the block from the salt, vinegar and rust.

The second picture is after pressure wash. It flash rusted before I could blow dry it.

There was still some rust in the cam tunnel and my pressure washer is a hot water unit that plugged up the gun while I was washing it. So back in the tank for the moment.

I mixed 4 gallons of cider vineger with a 1/2 container of table salt and 40 gallons of water.
 
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Holy crap that turned out good I scrubbed mine with brake cleaner and a wire wheel and they didnt turn out that nicely. Before and after.

20180826_095858.jpg
 
Jadaharabi said:
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No. That is a slug on the block from the salt, vinegar and rust.

The second picture is after pressure wash. It flash rusted before I could blow dry it.

There was still some rust in the cam tunnel and my pressure washer is a hot water unit that plugged up the gun while I was washing it. So back in the tank for the moment.

I mixed 4 gallons of cider vineger with a 1/2 container of table salt and 40 gallons of water.
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Gotcha. I thought the first pic looked cleaner but it makes sense now that you say it flash rusted.
 
jos51700 said:
Just an fyi, that vinegar is causing a light rust at the surface, kind of like flash rust, that allows the aged rust to fall off, which is why it takes a little scrubbing. Those parts need to be rinsed thoroughly to get the rest of the acid out of the crevices or you could have big problems later.

I've never used vinegar, but I've used electrolysis and nitric acid (on aluminum). I'm going to try this next!
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After the next pressure wash I will put it in a tank of baking soda and water to neutralize the acid.
 
dartfreak75 said:
How much did vinegar did it take to submerge it completely? What kind of container are you using?
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I poured in 4 gallons of vinegar and a half a container of table salt. This was with the block sitting in the barrel. Then I filled it with water to where it was approximately 4 inch above the top of the block which works out to about 40 gallons maybe 45.

My tank is a plastic 55-gallon drum that I cut the top out of.

20181016_172237.jpg


This is the tank with the block sitting inside it. The apple vinegar bubbles like swamp gas coming up in a swamp. It forms a foamy crust on the top.
 
Does the vinegar do a good job of removing grease and oil sludge too? I may try this my block is awful sludgy
 
dartfreak75 said:
Does the vinegar do a good job of removing grease and oil sludge too? I may try this my block is awful sludgy
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I don't know if it will work on Grease or not. My block had been cleaned years ago. But it had gotten rusty from just moisture in the garage of the guy I picked it up from.
I would pressuse wash off as much grease and crud as I could before dunking it.

The sludge I referred to in that first picture is rust and vinegar mixed together where it was coming off of the the iron. There was no grease on my block when I dunked it.
 
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ragtopfury said:
Then what? The whole car disovles away? If it's anything like some of our projects, it just might vanish.... LOL
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I read an article about an AFB soaking in "Vanish" toilet cleaner and the guy said it was too strong and the carb started to vanish.....Wife loves Apple Cider vinegar, thinks it can remove warts and skin tags too.
 
you could line a crate with a garbage bag and use that as a dip container, just keep the block winched up. you can do hoods too, just get a kiddie pool and a fountain pump. Pump the juice through a sprayer and let it run over the hood.
 
When I did my control arms I used straight apple cider vinegar, no salt or water.
But I wasn’t trying to submerge an engine block. That would take a lot of vinegar.
 
pishta said:
you could line a crate with a garbage bag and use that as a dip container, just keep the block winched up. you can do hoods too, just get a kiddie pool and a fountain pump. Pump the juice through a sprayer and let it run over the hood.
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I was thinking about using a kiddie pool. But your idea of the fountain pump is great.
 
MileHighDart said:
When I did my control arms I used straight apple cider vinegar, no salt or water.
But I wasn’t trying to submerge an engine block. That would take a lot of vinegar.
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I'm using 4 gallons of apple vinegar, 1 pound of table salt and 40-45 gallons of water.
You can use white vinegar but it is half the strength of the apple vinegar. So you just use twice as much.
 
pishta said:
you could line a crate with a garbage bag and use that as a dip container, just keep the block winched up. you can do hoods too, just get a kiddie pool and a fountain pump. Pump the juice through a sprayer and let it run over the hood.
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I just put your idea in to motion. I put a fountain pump on the top of the block submerged and ran a hose down through the cam tunnel halfway through the block. So the water is now circulating through the block.
Hopefully this will be more efficient than just sitting there soaking.
 
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Jadaharabi said:
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No. That is a sludge on the block from the salt, vinegar and rust.

The second picture is after pressure wash. It flash rusted before I could blow dry it.

There was still some rust in the cam tunnel and my pressure washer is a hot water unit that plugged up the gun while I was washing it. So back in the tank for the moment.

I mixed 4 gallons of cider vineger with a 1/2 container of table salt and 40 gallons of water.
Click to expand...

What you want to use is washing soda (sodium carbonate) not baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) that is what I use and what is recommended by the specialist that do the restorations.

edit you need to use a battery charger, small current 10 amps and a piece of metal for catalyst, I use a old rotor.
 
I had great results soaking exhaust manifolds in three gallons of white vinegar in a tub. Took about two weeks while the engine was at the machine shop. Dusted them afterwards with Eastwood high temp paint, still look great!
 
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