Vinegar rust removal.

I did clean my carbs in cold vinegar the other day and after about 8 hours the bodies started to turn colour (darker) and the surface started to leach into the liquid. After flushing in soapy then clean water and drying, I noticed some white powdery deposits in places. Easily cleaned off with a brass brush.

I had intended in leaving them overnight but I'm glad I didn't as I suspect it would have caused some serious "etching" issues. If I do it again I think I'd limit the bath to 3 or 4 hours or maybe even try the 15 minute boiling bath.

Hopefully this has worked and my passages are clean.

[tkent02]

Thanks to this thread, I just threw a handful of bolts in a dish of vinegar yesterday, they came out pretty clean in a few hours. Easy stuff.

Vinegar left in tank long enough will also remove Red-Kote lining.

[four_shot]

Not sure why this would be surprising to anyone who had an 8th grade science class.

Didn't everyone do the experiment where you put bits of zinc or aluminum in a bottle, add vinegar, then collect the hydrogen gas in a balloon?

Maybe I was the only one paying attention.

We must have been hit w/budget cut backs. They just sat us down and said "this is what's supposed to happen, trust us." course my science teacher drove a Porsche, so Hmmm, what happened there....lol

[rustybronco]

Lye and aluminum foil was my personal preference.

[themess]

Not sure why this would be surprising to anyone who had an 8th grade science class.

Didn't everyone do the experiment where you put bits of zinc or aluminum in a bottle, add vinegar, then collect the hydrogen gas in a balloon?

Maybe I was the only one paying attention.

Darn near. Nerds, all of us.

[bwringer]

Not sure why this would be surprising to anyone who had an 8th grade science class.

Didn't everyone do the experiment where you put bits of zinc or aluminum in a bottle, add vinegar, then collect the hydrogen gas in a balloon?

Maybe I was the only one paying attention.

[gsgeezer]

Better to find out for the price of vinegar, than to coat the inside and find that the coating isn't enough.

That is a great observation!

[themess]

...............................hi guys years ago i used 4 litres in clear vinegar in my old gs tank ,,,then went and made a coffee ,,came out to the garage and saw little sprays of vinegar coming out of all the pin holes along the left hand side ,,it just made my day ,,,i don,t think ,,put it down to experience regards oldgrumpy

Better to find out for the price of vinegar, than to coat the inside and find that the coating isn't enough.

Rust works its way underneath the chrome plating. Once that dissolved, nothing held the plating to the bolts.

For a trick, see if you can mike the thickness of the plating!

...............................hi guys years ago i used 4 litres in clear vinegar in my old gs tank ,,,then went and made a coffee ,,came out to the garage and saw little sprays of vinegar coming out of all the pin holes along the left hand side ,,it just made my day ,,,i don,t think ,,put it down to experience regards oldgrumpy

[themess]

I keep a relish jar filled with vinegar on my workbench and throw in small bits for a couple of days. I recently used it on chrome plated handlebar mount bolts. The bolts had surface rust and one was pitted. After a few days I popped them out and the pitted bolt had the entire chrome plating lifted off.

Rust works its way underneath the chrome plating. Once that dissolved, nothing held the plating to the bolts.

For a trick, see if you can mike the thickness of the plating!

I keep a relish jar filled with vinegar on my workbench and throw in small bits for a couple of days. I recently used it on chrome plated handlebar mount bolts. The bolts had surface rust and one was pitted. After a few days I popped them out and the pitted bolt had the entire chrome plating lifted off.

+1 on the aluminum damage. I left a gas cap on a tank full of vinegar and it ate the two aluminum pegs/cogs that lock the cap on right off!
It also affected the lock innards and the cap barely cam off with a key....it took a ton of jiggling and turning for the key to JUST work.
Wont do that again.

I used vinegar for some parts. Did remove rust but had other undesirable effects. Eat some stuff, stinks and left a odd film on a few parts. I used the rust remover and much prefer that. I will never use vinegar again.

Try feed grade molassis 50-50 with filtered water..Let it sit lightly covered for a few weeks before putting parts in it.. Then soak the parts a week and the rust just washes off with no damage to any metal I have tried it with. Smells kinda funky, so you will want it outside under cover. It may take time, but it's worth it.

If you fill a tank with it be sure to leave the cap off and cover with a clean rag.

The molassis and water create an acid that loves to eat rust, but not clean metal.

Do a web search on Molassis rust removal. There are a ton of vids out there.