3 hours in HCL!?!? Dang. I've left a pile of stuff that size in the for about 5 min max and got the same results.
As for the smell, you don't want to smell much of it if you wish to continue smelling anything at all.
And only degenerates and five year olds put ketchup on hotdogs.
Results are in!
And they are not so good. Some rust is clearly removed, but the pieces still stick to each other. Maybe if I left them in for 2 or 3 more weeks? I dunno. Not going to say it doesn't work, but molasses did not work for me this time.
In an effort to speed things up, I reached for the bottle of vinegar that expired in October of last year:
I'll be checking back in over the next few days. Did not dilute the vinegar at all, it says 5% acidity on the bottle.
In reply to Robbie :
If the vinegar doesn't do the trick I know someone with an electrolysis tank that can help you out for the price of return shipping. 
If you need HCL acid, the original 'The Works' toilet bowl cleaner had the most that I could find. Of course, I never actually looked to see if you could just buy HCL acid...
I have used "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner in Gas tanks with GREAT success. Just a handful of rocks and and the cleaner.. Seal it up and give it a shake. Let it sit and shake again about every hour for the better part of the day.
It really WORKS..
You used the wrong molasses.
I've done this a lot. Using molasses fit for human consumption isn't the right stuff. Use sulfated molasses from the feed store. It works great and leaves either clean metal or a slight black oxide layer after hosing it off.
modernbeat said:You used the wrong molasses.
I've done this a lot. Using molasses fit for human consumption isn't the right stuff. Use sulfated molasses from the feed store. It works great and leaves either clean metal or a slight black oxide layer after hosing it off.
Hmmm interesting. Problem with that is I have to go to the feed store. I don't live in a place where they are common. I can get human molasses and vinegar at the corner grocery store, but if I'm making a special trip I might as well get some evaporust or something specifically made for this.
Does the molasses work better than evaporust (or similar) for you?
In reply to Robbie :
Grandma's baking molasses only leads to frustration. Feed grade molasses is where it's at. The Feed Store would probably have the stuff.
I watched a bunch of comparison videos, and yes, Evaporust, and the like, might work faster than molasses. But, by my calculations, for what I was doing, molasses was ridiculously cheaper. It took ~25 gallons to submerge the engine block I'm soaking. A 5gal bucket of Evaporust is ~$80. Do the math. 
My mix is strong, using 50lbs/~4gal molasses, and that was $17.
EDIT: I was being snarky, when I said "Grandma's baking molasses", not realizing that was the brand name you used.
Well, I can now confirm the right molasses works much better.
10/18/18:
Today: call it 3.5 weeks
For hardware like this I think I might get a virbating bowl (it's still not perfect but it is better than it was), but I think I might try molasses in a bigger tub to work on some wheels I have.
44Dwarf said:It does work well but slow and tempature dependent. most guys i see using it get a 55 gallon drum and a block of Molasses from a feed store. Evaporust will work better over night and it doesn't smell. ( I happen to like the smell of Molasses..reminds me of visiting an Aunt as a kid she always had fresh hermits in the oven)
Oh man now I'm hungry... :)
Great in oatmeal and I put some in my milk too
What about if you put ????? Down a cylinder bore with a stuck piston ?
Trying not to damage the cylinder wall but to loosen up a stuck piston that probably has rusted rings !
What's the best stuff ?
And what NOT to use ?
Thanks
In reply to californiamilleghia :
I’d think white vinegar, much better viscosity to get down to the rings
In reply to californiamilleghia :
My dad used to use Marvel Mystery Oil for such things. I haven't had the problem yet.
I soaked mine in PB Blaster and it worked like a charm.
Here’s an after and before of my GS850 tank:
Filled it with white vinegar and shook it / rotated it for I think two days. Not screws or nuts and bolts inside or anything. Just plain vinegar
You'll need to log in to post.
