Rust in water jackets

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RGould1910
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Rust in water jackets

Post by RGould1910 » Sun Mar 17, 2019 9:26 am

I am redoing the engine on a 27 roadster that was restored but sat for 40 years. The outside block is rusty in places and there is a lot of rust in the water jackets. What's the beat way to remove the rust without damaging the babbit.


Tiger Tim
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by Tiger Tim » Sun Mar 17, 2019 9:42 am

Shouldn’t be any babbit in the water jacket. To clean those out I take a couple feet of bicycle brake cable, chuck one end in a drill and fray the last few inches of the other end to make a wire brush on a flex drive. Feed it into the various holes in the block and head then get a load of all the crap you can shake/vacuum out.


James_B_NC
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by James_B_NC » Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:36 am

At least your water jacket isn't filled with acorns like mine was when I started my restoration.
The forum's resident Millennial.


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RGould1910
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by RGould1910 » Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:45 am

Good idea. I'll try it followed by some Wood Bleach. I am thinking about sandblasting the outside. To protect the machined surfaces and interior, I plan on replacing the head and valve cover with gaskets, plugging exposed bolt and spark plug holes, covering larger openings with cardboard cut outs siliconed to the openings, eg intake/exhaust ports, main bearing saddles, water inlet and gluing down the bottom rail perimeter to cardboard or wood and silicon. My goal is to keep out the grit from the interior. I'll blast with glass bead. What do you think?

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Humblej
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by Humblej » Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:57 am

Richard, if you have a bare block, sand blast is the way to go. If it is an assembled engine you will not be able to keep the grit out. First pressure wash the engine block inside and out, sandblasting a greasy engine will make it harder to clean up the grit and may adversly affect paint adhesion. A hot dip tank at a machine shop may damage the babbit so stay away from that.


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RGould1910
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by RGould1910 » Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:18 pm

Thank you, I'd planned on degreasing today. I had the same thoughts about hot tanking the block. Glad you agree with sandblasting. I have my concerns but can't see any other way to rid the exterior of some heavily rusted spots. I'll be very careful to seal the passages and bottom of the block. I've had a grit problem before from blasting away at a block. Like Scott says, Wisdom comes from bad experience. :D

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Steve Jelf
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by Steve Jelf » Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:47 pm

I agree with Jeff. I've never been able to keep blasting grit from getting inside, no matter how well I thought I was sealing up the victim.
The inevitable often happens.
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RGould1910
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by RGould1910 » Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:55 pm

Forgot to add, its a bare block. Sorry, I know that makes a difference.


Tmodelt
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by Tmodelt » Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:10 pm

The last time that I had to be with glass beads on flat surfaces, I used duct tape to cover finished surfaces. The glass beads "bounced" off the tape as long as I wasn't directly blasting on the tape.

You might try wet soda blasting.


Burger in Spokane
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by Burger in Spokane » Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:23 pm

Duct tape over surfaces you do not want sandblaste dis how the pros do it.

Of course, packing your water galleys with acorns really helps keep the rust
scale in place too.

What was your question, again ? :lol:
More people are doing it today than ever before !


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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by Sarikatime » Sun Mar 17, 2019 6:29 pm

Someone recommended a few weeks ago oven cleaner before power washing. It may harm piston sleeves but may do a lot of good to the water jackets. It’s an idea. Frank


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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by fliverfan » Mon Mar 18, 2019 12:58 pm

Only way I know of to clean out water jacket rust 100% is to have the block shot tumbled. I fail to see the wisdom in sandblasting but to each his own. Probably get better results just soaking the whole thing in a tub of Evapo-rust for a month. Doesn't bother brass, aluminum or babbit.

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NHUSA
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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by NHUSA » Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:03 pm

I tried Evapo-Rust on my T and it think the only thing that evaporated was the money in my wallet. :lol:
NH - Where I used to live - not the carburetor ! :lol:


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Re: Rust in water jackets

Post by fliverfan » Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:28 pm

Considering the only thing holding many a T together is the rust, in the long run it probably saved you money. :D

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