More worthless discoveries

[Dan]

Since my '39 block is completely bare now, I decided last night to remove the welsch plugs and get as much rust and sediment out of the water jacket as possible - you simply would not believe all that came out. I'll bet I could have filled up a two liter bottle with all of the sediment and rust flakes. It is doubtfull any water circulation/cooling was done at all with the back half. I used my compressor and a cone tipped blower attachement to shoot compressed air in through every hole in the block - stuff was flying everywhere in my garage and took quite some time to sweep/clean up. Anyway, I discovered the water jacket holes close to the valves were completely clogged (you know, the shallow ones on the far right edge of the block). I tried a pick, no go. I tried a small flathead screwdriver, no go. I tried a Dremel with a metal shaping spiral bit and that did work to get the hard mineral deposits out. However; I could only get as much as I could angle the Dremel, which wasn't enough to clear the passageways for many of the connecting holes. Trying to figure out what else I could use, I decided to turn to chemical assistance. I got out the C-L-R (Calcium, Lime, Rust dissolver) and poured it down into the clogged holes after checking to make sure it did not say NOT to use it on cast iron. WOW, is about all I can say - that stuff boiled up like one of those elementary school science fair volcanos! Let the stuff sit overnight and all but three of the holes were cleared up this morning. I saw no damage to the cast iron, so I guess it worked out well.

Just thought I would pass this on for public knowledge.

Dan

 

[DennyF]

Muriatic acid works even better than the diluted calcium "solvents" stuff sold over the counter, but be sure to flush it thouroughly once it's done it's job. A flex shaft might work well on the Dremel, for getting around corners and into recesses?

I've cleaned out clogged radiators with that acid. It can be purchased in varying strengths at most builders supply houses (used for washing down masonry and paint prep).

There's also a product made for cleaning urinals and clogged hot water coils in furnaces, (Calci-Solv), that might do well on heavier calcium/mineral build up. It's basically concentrated muriatic acid. Nasty stuff, but it does a number on calcium.

 

[Dan]

Thanks for the info. One quetion though - you say to flush well after its done its job. Why? If it doesn't hurt the cast iron, why would you want to flush it? Not doubting you, just want to understand why.

Also, I will get this block pressure washed and dipped by my machine shop - do you think it is ok to leave it until then?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Colin King]

Dan,

You"ve certainly had quite a ride with this one. Thanks for your detailed posts. I"m certainly learning a lot by reading them.

Colin

 

[Mike OH]

Dan - enjoyed your post, however, I'm comfused. You say you removed the welsch plugs to clean out the block. I thought the '39's didn't have freeze plug and they were't used until '40. Are the welsch plugs something different than the freeze plugs many refer to then as???????

 

[DennyF]

Typically, any acid needs to be completely flushed away after it's done the job it was intended to do. Not even a bad idea to neutralize any remaining acid residue with an alkaline flush.

It may not hurt the metal you are cleaning while the cleaning operation is going on, but left to itself, would likely begin to cause corrosion if not flushed/neutralized.

 

[Peter, Covington, LA]

It would be a good idea to flush with a garden hose or some such as soon as you are finished clearing out what the acid loosens. Leftover acid sitting in a crevice might keep eating at the iron until something unintended happens. It would also be uncomfortable to run into a pocket of leftover acid as you handle the block (like, spilling it down your front)!!

I'm thinking that your experience is a wake-up call for all of us.

The instructions with most older engines and batteries always said to use DISTILLED water. We tend to ignore that these days, thinking our water is pure enough to drink, so why not use it in the radiator? It sounds like there were two kinds of junk in your block - metal "slag" and calcium buildup. The calcium had to have come from the water in the radiator.

I am about to drain, clean & refill my radiator, adding antifreeze, and maybe I'll invest a couple of bucks in a bottle or two of distilled water! It's certainly easy to find, in the grocery store right next to the drinking water, and cheap.

 

[BillM (OH)]

HCl (muriatic acid) will slowly corrode iron and steel if left in contact with it, so needs to be flushed out well when done. Neutralizing it doesn't hurt either and adds a bit of safety, just to make sure.

 

[Bob]

Did you find and wires or "casting stars" in there?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Check those passageways when you get it home from the hot dip tank. I took a couple of heads in for some valve work and they hot dipped them. When I got them back the passageways were loaded with all the trash that had accumulated in the hot dip tank. They were relatively clean when I brought them in.

 

[Dan]

Not in this one. I did find those wires in my '48 engine block (the first one). I guess they did not use them in '39(?)

Dan

 

[Dan]

Yes - this is indeed what some call freeze plugs. More mis-information being passed around by so-called "experts" writing books I took a pic specifically for this purpose. You can see more on my photo log linked below.

How did those experts think they got the casting sand out of the blocks???

Dan

1939 9N Web Album

 

[Dan]

Thanks - I will flush with a baking soda solution.

Dan

 

[Dan]

Peter - being the tight wad I am, there is even a better solution to this than distilled water. My Father-in-Law showed me that rain water is as good as it gets - and free. Collect it in a large tub so any dirt settles to the bottom and floaters overflow out. Collect what is rest (except for the very bottom) and store when needed.

Dan

 

[Tim, MI]

A few years back I was deliming stainless steel parts that had clogged with lime scale build up. I was able to remove the parts from a dishwasher and let them soak in a 50/50 solution of Limeaway (similar to CLR) and water. After about a week I was surprised to find a few of the parts black and partially dissolved! I have also seen Muratic acid eat through stainless and cause it to "rust". I flushed my water jacket out in August. I used a 18" peice of 3/8" copper attached to an angle stop which was attached to the garden hose. The copper was able to be bent and manuevered into the bolt holes to flush around the cylinders and all through the block. Worked great, had to keep flushing at the drain plug to clear debris. Took about 1/2 hour to get everything flushed to where no muck was flushing from any of the nooks and crannies.

 

[Joe)NYC)]

How about this possibility. Many of us use dehumidifiers in our basements to lower the moisture and the musty smell. I think(but not sure) that the moisture in the air is somewhat free of impurities as compared to moisture found in the ground(as well water). I may be confusing my science facts being out of school too long but condensation in dehumidifier is somewhat like distillation of water. Any takers? And the distilled(condesnsed) water is completely free. I have several gallons of it and use it in car radiators and batteries.

 

[Carl (NH)]

If you have a dehumidifier in your basement, you can use the water that it collects. All that water came out of the air, so it should be free of any "hard" minerals like calcium and manganese & iron that are commonly found in drilled well water. I use the dehudifier water whenever I have top off my battery, which calls for distilled water.
Carl

 

[Carl (NH)]

Dan,
I don't know about your part of the country, but here in the Northeast the rain water is quite acidic. I believe distilled water is not only free of minerals etc but is also pH neutral, which I am sure rainwater isn't.
I suggested another cheap solution in a related post in this thread: using water from a dehumidifier, which is water squeezed out of the air, so very likely it is free from any minerals and should be fine for radiators, battieries etc. I don't know about the pH of it though... Just a suggestion. What we need here is a chemical engineer's advice or maybe a chemist!
Carl

 

[Ken(Ark)]

"I was able to remove the parts from a dishwasher"



Guys - Do Not try to stick your block in the dishwasher , your wife will not aprove . It does sound like a good way to clean parts , he he .