I searched and could not get what I needed.
I want to use acid to clean a few blocks I have lying around.
Will the acid eat through a lg rubber maid tub?
how should I dilute it is there a ratio.
I understand to put the part in baking soda and water after to nutrialize it.

Anybody use it on a block. I have a few good cores that are locked up and can be used.
Thanks in advance

Don't breathe the fumes!! Pour acid into water to dillute it. The reason this is done, is if you go the other way, it will be "rich" on the acid side until you get enough water in, which may cause some unwanted reaction.

Don't breathe the fumes!! Pour acid into water to dillute it. The reason this is done, is if you go the other way, it will be "rich" on the acid side until you get enough water in, which may cause some unwanted reaction.

Very good advice.
I worked with Muriatic acid as a pool tech years ago. DO NOT use it or even open the bottle indoors. The smallest amount of fumes will take your breath away. Larger amounts will scorch your lungs.
Also keep it away from anything with bleach in it. They do not like each other and will cause a major acid cloud. It can be used safely as long as you treat it as a very hazardous material.

I think I'd do some test soaks with SMALL parts. I don't know what reaction you'd get with aluminum and or bearing insert materials. It doesn't take much acid to get the job done.

Might give this a read and think about all the aluminum in those pistons..............
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071125121444AAzOLx2

I searched and could not get what I needed.
I want to use acid to clean a few blocks I have lying around.
Will the acid eat through a lg rubber maid tub?
how should I dilute it is there a ratio.
I understand to put the part in baking soda and water after to nutrialize it.

Anybody use it on a block. I have a few good cores that are locked up and can be used.
Thanks in advance

A rubbermaid tub will work (I've been using one for over a year with acid stored in it). Just make sure you do this OUTSIDE with plenty of ventilation! I live on an acreage so that isn't a problem.

The fumes will cause rust on ANYTHING metal that it comes in contact with! (Don't ask me how I know...) :clonk:

[QUOTE=
The fumes will cause rust on ANYTHING metal that it comes in contact with! (Don't ask me how I know...) :clonk:[/QUOTE]

I made that mistake, rusted everything in my garage in 1 night.
Believe me use it outside!

All the posts have good points. The one thing you asked about the plastic tub. Acid will not effect glass ,plastic, or rubber. You must be carefull with it, as even the fumes can cause health problems or rune metal. I'm a retired tire setter, we used it years ago to clean tiles. Even years ago the one company,I worked for stoped using it, because they were afried of problems, and the many metal parts runned by the acid. They went to milder crystal type. Also you have to make sure you get it all washed off,or it will keep on eitching.Be carefull

I searched and could not get what I needed.
I want to use acid to clean a few blocks I have lying around.
Will the acid eat through a lg rubber maid tub?
how should I dilute it is there a ratio.
I understand to put the part in baking soda and water after to nutrialize it.

Anybody use it on a block. I have a few good cores that are locked up and can be used.
Thanks in advance

GET THE BLOCK DONE PROFESSIONALLY. Messing with anything as dangerous for your lungs as that stuff is is just plain STUPID. If you burn your lungs you could be in for a lifetime of misery. FOR WHAT...to free up a silly engine block?

Get the block taken apart professionally. Don't be dumb.

Forget using acid to free up pistons/bearings. Use oils. I used PB Blaster to free up and remove the pistons from my marine 454 that had water down a couple of holes.
After soaking for a day blocks of wood were sacrificed with a big hammer to get the pistons moving again.
Spray from the top and bottom and let it work. I've also heard that a 50/50 mix of ATF and Acetone is a great penetrating lubricant.

If you are trying to get rid of rust use Phosphoric acid. Muriatic is a form of Hydrocloric Acid, not what you want. Phosphoric will clean away rust and leave a phosphate inhibitor on the metal. Metal prep, Ospho, Naval Jelly etc. are Phosphoric based.
To clean grease use TSP TriSodium Phosphate. The real stuff.
Use gloves, respirator and aprons around all this stuff.
Soda ash is a cheap acid neutralizer.

Dan

Dan

Acid will not effect glass ,plastic, or rubber.

It also won't affect grease which is why it won't make a very good block cleaner. Spray the block down with Gunk, take it to the local car wash and spray it down. Then you won't need to deal with all the hassles and hazards of muriatic acid.

Tom

I had a friend soak a Buick 455 block in pool acid, used a plastic garbage can. Came out wonderful, perfectly clean. Perfect. Except for that little thing about all the threads missing in all the threaded holes. Dang. I mean ALL the threads including the main caps and head bolts. Scrap iron.

The stuff is dangerous. Biggest problem in my mind is what to do with the leftover acid and the hellacious corrosive soup you'd create.

Muriatic will eat aluminum. We used it to clean drills that were gummed up with aluminum. Hot tanking is the way to clean a block.

I had a friend soak a Buick 455 block in pool acid, used a plastic garbage can. Came out wonderful, perfectly clean. Perfect. Except for that little thing about all the threads missing in all the threaded holes. Dang. I mean ALL the threads including the main caps and head bolts. Scrap iron.

Now thats funny Tom....
One guess what "pool acid" is.. :yes:

If you can't afford to have it professionally done, use Vinegar instead of Muriatic. It will have the rust dissolved in 24 hours and you will just have to pressure wash off. You will also need a tub of the same size filled with water and Baking soda to neutralise the vinegar so it doesn't go rusty..

One other thing. I'm not sure if it's a wives tale or not but, cleaning things with muriatic for to long can have a galvanising affect on it :( which everyone knows makes thing brittle :( not what you want if your cleaning suspension parts..

good luck
Jim

I used muriatic to clean the rust off of sheet metal...worked well...

It does eat alum, brass, pot metal...stuck an emblem in it for cleaning and I went in to get it and couldnt find it...at the bottom there was a pile of powder...:sad:

Muriatic will eat aluminum. We used it to clean drills that were gummed up with aluminum. Hot tanking is the way to clean a block.

Funny you should mention that. I had some M-Acid on a rag NEAR my Dewalt "Chop Saw" . Notice I said near. The rag was about a foot away and I left it there for several day. The rag was not soaked but it did have M-Acid on it. It scalded the aluminum table on the saw. Amazing!!! I know this is just a chamical reaction thing but WOW that stuff is powerful around things it reacts with...I include things like LUNGS in the category of things it reacts with.

Even engine degreaser and some high pressure from a hose can work wonders.

Holy moly! ha! Thats halarious.

Use a different cleaner....Muriatic and aluminum can be explosive, it creates a gas super fast. Dont believe me put about an inch of it in a plastic bottle, drop a small amount or balled up aluminum foil in,replace cap, shake and RUN!!
Will sound like a small bomb went off, if you can get away before it happens.

Ive worked with M.A. for 17 yes its nasty stuff.

I've cleaned/abused alot of pool plaster/tile with it and maybe even some early years bathtub speed was cooked up:D:noway: but I wouldn't get it within a 100 feet of my car/parts:yes:

Use a different cleaner....Muriatic and aluminum can be explosive, it creates a gas super fast. Dont believe me put about an inch of it in a plastic bottle, drop a small amount or balled up aluminum foil in,replace cap, shake and RUN!!
Will sound like a small bomb went off, if you can get away before it happens.

Ive worked with M.A. for 17 yes its nasty stuff.

We used to do that in the room where a dumpster was stored at a shop I used to work at.:D