Rust Removal Process

[Dan Partain]

I've been experimenting with a rust removal process I haven't seen anyone else use so I thought I'd post it.

I use a product called Iron Out in my water treatment filter to help take iron out of my well water. It is also supposed to remove iron stains from clothes, etc. It's in a powder form, I just add it to the salt in my water softener and it helps free the iron from the resin beads in the softener.

I decided to try soaking some rusty parts in a solution to see what it could do. So far it seems to work really well, here are some photos. I left it in the solution for 3 days this time because I was busy and couldn't get to it sooner, but 2 days may have done it on this part. It seems to turn the rust into a soft black substance that is easy to wipe off or spray off with a jet of water.

Last fall I filled a radiator with the same solution. The radiator was removed and laying flat on it's front with a radiator cap to hold the water in. After soaking it a couple of days I removed a lot of black flakes which I believe were rust particles. The flakes were still solid, but very soft. I also removed a bunch of pine nuts, but I don't think the solution had much to do with those. :-)

I would consider running this solution in my engine and radiator if I had a rust problem. I would remove the radiator and back flush it after running the solution for a while.

I could find very little about this product online, the label lists sodium metabisulfite & sodium hydrosulfite. I found a different brand online - http://www.oatey.com/doc/ironike.pdf, it lists one usage is for auto and truck radiators. 1/2 cup to one gallon of water.

It's about $19 for 5 lbs of the powder.

-DAN

[29 model-a]

Dan thanks for the info, I will have to try it. Pete

[Dennis Pereira]

Hey Dan I wonder how it will work driving around for a few days added to radiator water ?

[Dan Partain]

Dennis, it probably depends on how rusted up the cooling system is. It sure loosened up the junk in my radiator. Maybe the circulation from the water pump would break it down, it's pretty soft once it's been completely treated. I think I would remove the radiator and backflush it in case there are some other foreign particles that have been loosened up. Pine Nuts...

Here are some more photos of the radiator I cleaned. I let it soak and also every once in a while I would pick up the radiator and slosh it back and forth. I poured the contents into a 5 gal bucket so I could see what was coming out. I got about 5 buckets like this one. I emptied the radiator every time by taking off the cap and then shaking the radiator around as I emptied the water.

[wrndln]

Dan,
I to have used Iron Out in my water softner on an irregular basis. I never though of using it to derust parts. It appears to work well. I have tried several rust removal methods including sand and beadblasting, electrolysis, molassas, vinegar and Evaporust. Sandblasting is by far the fastest and give an excellent base for epoxy primer. I use this method for rust removal the most - on sheetmetal and other iron or steel parts. I haven't had very good luck with electrolysis. It is slow and doesn't remove rust all that well. Molassas is slow, but I had good luck with it where evaporust and electrolysis didn't do much for removing the upper/lower CCPU clamp that was really rust welded together. I tried vinegar in a crockpot for some small parts so I could heat it and it worked pretty well and worked in a day or two. Other than sandblasting, it is the cheapest rust removal method. I might try the Iron Out when I get a chance. Thanks for posting the Iron Out rust removal method.
Rusty Nelson

[Larry Jenkins]

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Because the particles you show are black, it might mean that your solution is similar to products that change rust from oxide to phosphate. Similar to the product called "Extend."

I wonder t if the acids in your cleaner harm stuff? Don't know.

Larry Jenkins

[redmodelt]

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