Can I e-tank a block

[dodge78 90]

I am wondering if I should throw the k341 block into the electrolisis tank to clean the rust off it. The test pieces came out good but I am wondering if there might be something I am missing as to why I should not do it. The machine work has not been done to it yet. What are your thought.

[Coadster32 793]

Not too familiar with the block, but I am with the e-tank. If the block is cast iron-go for it. If it's aluminum, be very sparing. It will work on aluminum, but only do it for a short time, as it will pitt the surface. Good luck. :omg:

[whchris 5]

ive done 3 kohler engines with stuck pistons in electrolysis each one the piston slid out easily after. bored each 30 over to remove pitting and 2 became pulling engines and the third is on my cub 128

[dodge78 90]

Coadster32 : The block is cast.

I have the flywheel in there now. I am trying to get every thing figured out.

Here is the rig I am using, its a 24 volt 5 amp charger.

The arm moves so I can get close to 5 amps, I figure it would be best to stay close to that range.

[Coadster32 793]

looks like a good enough setup to me. I ususally get about 3-5amps. From what I hear, the older battery chargers work best. The new ones, go into a monitor, or float phase. Good luck, it should work great.

[jerrell 1]

:omg: Hey nice set up, would you clarify some points for me? i understand that you connect the neg wire to a plate or electrode and suspend it in the solution and connect the item to be cleaned to the positive wire and it too is suspended in the soltion.. since you are using a plastic container can the electrode or the item be touching the plastic or does it matter? thanks

[linen beige 14]

i understand that you connect the neg wire to a plate or electrode and suspend it in the solution and connect the item to be cleaned to the positive wire

YOUR WIRES ARE CROSSED!

The NEGATIVE goes on the item to be cleaned. Hooking the wires up backwards will cause the good item to be eaten away by the process.

The Cathodes (Sacrificial electrodes) can touch the sides of the container, but you should try to keep the anode (Item being cleaned, negative electrode.) from touching the container.

[Coadster32 793]

I concurr with Linen Beige. He's absolutly right.

BTW-From my understanding,when you hook the positive up to the part, and the negative up to something like say..Chrome, that's pretty much the basis for electro-plating.

[linen beige 14]

BTW-From my understanding,when you hook the positive up to the part, and the negative up to something like say..Chrome, that's pretty much the basis for electro-plating.

That's basically true. The cleaning process can be thought of more as electroplating the cathodes with the rust from the part being cleaned.

One word of caution to anyone thinking of using this process to do some "home chrome" plating. That process has a few more steps to it. It uses some pretty nasty acid in the solution and needs to be monitored closely to prevent damage to the parts being plated. It also releases some really dangerous fumes and the solution is toxic.

Don't try it without learning a lot about it.

[dodge78 90]

The big problem I am having now is that the rust in the water is settling on the part and it does not get cleaned in these spots. Anybody come up with a way to filter the rust out of the water?

[Coadster32 793]

Yes, the water gets rusty. However, I've never had it "stick" to the part being cleaned. This process temporaraly stains the part. When you take it out, simply wash it with dishwashing soap and hand scrub it. When the water sits for a day or two with no activity, all of the rust will go to the bottom of the tank and settle, as it's heavier than the water. Make sure the part is submerged. If it is sticking out of the water, like a frame, you probably have to do the other side anyway.

[dodge78 90]

It does not stick to the part but rather settles on the part. If I had the room, I would set up a triangle of tubs. One on top for a settle tank and two on the bottom . One to use and one for holding until the transfer of dirty water got up to the top tub.

[Coadster32 793]

If I had the room, I would set up a triangle of tubs. One on top for a settle tank and two on the bottom . One to use and one for holding until the transfer of dirty water got up to the top tub.

Sorry, I'm not sure I am following you correctly on this. Can you explain it another way, or draw it on paper, and photobucket it? I thought about using a water pump and K&N type filter to do sort of the same thing. With the sacraficial cathodes in the water, I think it's inevetable that the water will get filthy. Unless your idea is to take the rusty froth off the top? I've done 3/4 of a 551 tractor, and used the same water. Just went through a few cathodes though. Even the first part came out stained, and had to wash. The last parts looked identical. The rust in the water doesn't seem to effect the process. I just add more water from evaporation, (and splitting the water molecules naturally.)

[dodge78 90]

Slight design change, this way only needs one pump. Stir up the rust then pump it up to the top. Put new water in the work tank so you can still use it. After the stuff settles, dump it in the hold tank and fill the top tank again. Dump the hold tank into the work tank and continue working. It may not keep it real clean but it might keep a good majority of it out of the work tank.

[sorekiwi 761]

I'm not so convinced that you need to make this so complicated...

I seem to get the best results by pulling the pieces out of the tank every now and again, give them a quick scrub with a wire brush, hose them off and put them back in. For the Cathode I use a piece of steel plate about 8" high by 6" wide with a piece of rebar welded onto it. While I'm hosing off the parts I hose that off too, it doesnt normally need wire brushing.

This is one of the reasons I dont like using Lye in the mixture, I like to be able to handle the parts, and put my hands in the solution. Gloves make it a PITA.

I also hang my pieces in the tank, about 6" off the bottom. It seems that most of the rust eventually settles to the bottom. I've always thought that the brown rust stains on the parts were rust that hasnt been fully treated yet.

[Coadster32 793]

I'm not so convinced that you need to make this so complicated

It certainly takes the simplicity out of it. If you do this setup and it works great, I'd like to see pics of it. Let me know how it goes.

[fordsonmajortom 1]

Try using a piece of stainless steel for the cathode, it doesn' t crud up and only needs a wipe off every now and then.

Michael

[Coadster32 793]

Try using a piece of stainless steel for the cathode, it doesn' t crud up and only needs a wipe off every now and then

Great idea on the non-rusting cathode..HOWEVER DO NOT DO THIS!!

In the movie called Erin Brockvich, played by the beutiful Julia Roberts, (did I mention beautiful ) ,the story was about hexavailient chromium being released in the water and everyone it town getting messed up bad. Stainless in the e-tank gives off... Hexavailient chromium. Please DO NOT do this!!! It's for your own good. A little inconvience every couple of days to scrape off the cathode is better than the other side of it.

[linen beige 14]

I'll second Coadsters post.

Not only is using stainless very dangerous, It's illegal to just dump out the used solution. The solution becomes toxic waste. That means all those EPA regs come into play making it hard and expensive to dispose of properly.

But if you use it anyway, please don't let your kids breath the fumes.

[dodge78 90]

Here is the rust I am talking about, its really fine like silt.

This was in for 2 days. I moved the rotors to either side and changed them when ever the amperage went down 2 amps when I was around. They were changed in the morning and at lunch.

Here is one of four rotors. They seem to work okay.

I agree that stainless is just a bad idea. I hear that carbon or graphite works best but who has sheets of that laying around.

[fordsonmajortom 1]

Great idea on the non-rusting cathode..HOWEVER DO NOT DO THIS!!

In the movie called Erin Brockvich, played by the beutiful Julia Roberts, (did I mention beautiful ) ,the story was about hexavailient chromium being released in the water and everyone it town getting messed up bad. Stainless in the e-tank gives off... Hexavailient chromium. Please DO NOT do this!!! It's for your own good. A little inconvience every couple of days to scrape off the cathode is better than the other side of it.

I had no idea that using stainless could be dangerous , does this apply if you are welding stainless steel, not that i do.

Is there nothing that the members of redsquare don't know anything about,this is not the sort of knowledge you come across every day.

[Coadster32 793]

this is not the sort of knowledge you come across every day.

This is why wer're all here. A community of information. Not sure about the stainless welding.

As far as the rust on the rotor, I not sure if you're wiping it clean after the tank, but I wash mine with dishwashing soap, and never got that. Perhaps when you're taking out of the tank, the rust on the water top is getting on your part.

Normally the amps drop when the cathode gets crudded up. Spinning the part helps if you have the cathode on one side. If you surround it, there's no need. Most parts for the 551 I didn't have to spin.