More Electrolytic Rust Removal and Hudson Terraplane Content

Just in case I need to build a car for next year's Race of Gentlemen, I bought a cylinder head for a Hudson Terraplane. I don't own a Hudson Terraplane, of course, and in the event that I can even find the rest of an engine (along with the appropriate transmission), it wouldn't be going into a Terraplane anyway, because that would just be silly.

But it was rusty, having been found in an old barn. Or perhaps, near an old barn. Anyway, I decided to give it a dip in the electrolytic rust removal bucket.

I thought it turned out pretty well for something that required just time and almost no effort.

Even if it just becomes garage art, I think it's a pretty cool looking piece.

Can I put my entire '67 Pontiac in that?

You'll need a bigger bucket.

I am messing with an old motorcycle that I might try this for a good many parts.

Wonder if it would work at all on a tank... I have my doubts that it would really work on the inside... but maybe... would be awesome if it did!

Use the tank as the bucket. Put the sacrificial part in through the filler and isolate it from the tank.

That's pretty cool. On some of the bike forums, there's guys who have done the inside of tanks by filling them with the solution, then sticking the negative electrode in through the fill neck and firing it up. You just have to be real sure the negative electrode doesn't touch the inside of the tank.

EDIT: Ross beat me to it.

RossD wrote: Use the tank as the bucket. Put the scarificial part in through the filler and isolate it from the tank.

What kind of metal is the sacrificial electrode made of? How much baking soda do you use per gallon of water?

Apexcarver wrote: I am messing with an old motorcycle that I might try this for a good many parts. Wonder if it would work at all on a tank... I have my doubts that it would really work on the inside... but maybe... would be awesome if it did!

You would need to get a sacrificial anode that would fit inside the tank without coming in contact with any other metal. Not impossible, just a little tricky.

I just use bare steel as an anode. Lots of people use rebar.

I use about two cups of Washing Soda per five gallons.

I had to turn the battery charger up higher than usual for this one, probably since the cylinder head was so heavy. I usually use 12V 2amp but went up to 12V 6amp.

The sacrificial metal needs a direct line of sight to the piece that you are trying to de-rust.

awesome

You could use a bit of wood for the plug with a hole drilled in the middle for the piece of rebar.

I use a 30 gallon storage tub from the $ store. and what ever is in the scrap pile for the anodes. Cracked Ford flex plates work great.

http://antique-engines.com/electrol.asp

How would this work on a rusty/painted part like a Miata lower control arm?

It will work on the rusty part, but not the painted part.

What do you do with the nasty stuff after?

As my grandpa always said when pouring stuff out on his gravel drive..

The rocks know what to do with it...

Is it even nasty stuff? Seems like it would be iron oxide, baking soda, and water... what nasty stuff would end up in the water?

Pour it on any part of the lawn that has moss you wish to kill, then plant grass seed the next month. As for painted parts it will creep under to a point but will not strip the part.

For big stuff, score a cheap kiddies wimming pool (Craig's List, etc).
Lay down steel wire mesh, etc, attach the wire.
Lay down a couple of 1x2 etc to insulate, then the part, attach the other wire.
Cover with water/soda solution, hook up current source, and cook 'til done.

For a whole car:
1) Get a cheap above-ground pool
2) Lay down floor part of pool
3) Drive (or carry, with 4x4's and lot's of friends) car to center of floor.
4) Attach heavy wire to car
5) Arrange sacrifical steel pieces around car, connect with heavy wire.
6) Assemble pool walls around car.
7) Add water to cover
8) Add soda, use outborad motor to stir and dissolve.
9) Attach wires to welder, or other high current DC source.
10) Cook 'til done

;)

BTW, if someone does this, pictures, or it didn't happen.

erohslc wrote: ;) BTW, if someone does this, pictures, or it didn't happen.

http://antique-engines.com/trailer-electrolysis.htm

pictures of a large trailer.

Good job, Woody. Now all you need is a few more pieces to build one of these.

Niiiice ...