maybe368

Hi guys, I recently posted in the What did you do to your first gen? thread about rust removal by electrolysis. I am currently trying this on the fuse box of my '68 Impala. I am going to let it work overnight and post up the results in the morning, but here are a few pics. The Arm & Hammer washing soda I found at Ace Hardware for 7 bucks for almost 4 lbs, but they had to order it in. It is very simple to set up. Here is the video of how to set it up:


This is the set up

This is after about an hour

maybe368

I soaked this in white vinegar for a couple of days and a good part of the rust flaked off with just that. I am hoping to see some shiny metal after a night's worth of this. I was getting .4 ohms of resistance from one side of the fuse contact to its other side. Too much I think...Mark


Better pic of rust

maybe368

How I made cathode

oliver foster

Cool!
My good friend and neighbor has been messing with etching metal in a similar manner. He showed me a etched hatchet head he had made for his girlfriend when I was last over there.

Fordzilla

Lessons Learned From Life:

1.) Never arm a woman!...
2.) Always remember lesson #1...

...Ben

maybe368

Well, this is what it looks like after about 12 hours. I am going to let it go another 12 and see how it does.


...Mark

maybe368

I was trying to figure out what kind of voltage drop it would be at .4 ohms for just the thickness of the metal in the fuse contacts So, at the 2 amps that the charger is putting out and the .4 ohms I get .8 volts. I think that is correct, please correct me if not. So, it seems that .4 ohms is high for sure...Mark

maybe368

Well, I have to say that it is not much work to do or that expensive, but it sure does work:

Compare this to the pic in the second post above


It isn't exactly brand new, but the rust is gone. I can now put this 52 year old fuse panel back in the car. It turns out that .4 ohms is what they all read from fuse holder side to spade contacts on the other side...Mark

maybe368

Here is a pic of all the removed rust collected on the anode:

edwinsmith

Is that the shadow of Harry Potter in the pic?

Edwin

maybe368

It's actually a junior jedi with an adolescent sized light saber and I didn't even know that he was back there...I'm so scared...Mark

maybe368

Well, because of location and my clear intention to not cut a pristine wiring harness, I have needed 3 different methods of getting rid of the rust. The electrolytic approach is above. The Vinegar solution for the firewall harness contact follows. It's simple and I really had no idea how effective. I was able to slide a bowl full of white vinegar under the connector and immerse it into said vinegar. About 2 days later, here are the results:

maybe368

Oh yeah, The third strategy is an old fashioned dremelling of the contacts that I can't do any of the above to..Mark

nothingbutdarts

I had read about & watched a few videos of people using molasses to remove rust so, I bought 3 gallons of farm grade & tried it on a few metal distributors and nuts & bolts, I let them soak a week or two. I was not at all impressed.

maybe368

Well at least you could use what's left on your pancakes . The vinegar and electrolysis are surprisingly easy, cheap and really work, you just have to be patient, it takes some hours. I am about to post up my solution for the harness side of the fuse panel, watch this space...Mark