Anyone tried using coke (the liquid kind ). Iv heard it can clean valves without damaging the metal so could it work with rust. Im only asking as its easier to set up than electrolisis and less smelly than vinegar

I don't think coke would work, but I have heard that molases does.

I've not used it, and can agree with the vinegar thing. Last time I used vinegar, I left the parts submersed in a sealed tub for 5 days. It was all I could do not to throw up when I opened the container - lifted the rust nicely though!

Oh, and I found baking off the parts after washing thoroughly got al of the water out of the poros castings I was de-rusting (in my case, I used the gas bbq)

[Edited on 28/11/08 by StevieB]

Mollasses works very nicely. Coke works on the basis that it's a combination of mollases and phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid is the basis for quite a few "rust converters".

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And that was after 48 hours in a 10:1 solution. I think if I'd left it a bit longer it would have been even better.....

I wouldn't bother with electrolysis. Just suspend the piece in some mollases solution and come back after a few days. The chelating agents in mollases will have done the rest.....

On a similar note, does anyone know of a good way to clean aluminium castings (i.e throttle bodies etc.) back to good as new?

Thanks

David

So in theory, if I had to do a Molasses solution ( sticky stuff and water ), check the pH and acidify it slightly with Phosphoric acid, would it aid in it's effectivity?

Probably yes, though I'm not sure what the phosphoric acid would do to the raw metal exposed by the mollases chelation.

Personally I wouldn't bother. Mollasses works nicely if you leave it long enough. Even the black stuff on the nuts after 48hrs is not rust and is stable. I painted those nuts after using the mollasses (I washed them afterwards and cooked them on a low heat in my oven to dry them) and they're great, no flaking, no rusting etc.....