Vinegar is the stuff....

Ketchup works--Because there's Vinegar in it!

Cleaned some rear subframe to body brackets in Vinegar, left 'em in a bucket of vinegar for a few days, rust turned black, but scrubbed off with a stiff brush and hot water.

Steel was nice and clean grey, having an etched/pitted surface appearance all ready ready for etch-paint priming....

IF you have the time (couple of days) and can soak the part, Vinegar is the stuff.....

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http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...0TDnoplate.jpg

Alastair AKA H.C.II South Wales, U.K. based member

W123, 1985 300TD Wagon, 256K,
-Most recent M.B. purchase, Cost-a-plenty, Gulps BioDiesel extravagantly, and I love it like an old dog.

W114, 1975 280E Custard Yellow,
-Great above decks needs chassis welding--Really will do it this year....

Trim clips in vinegar. Didn't want to spend a lot of money on chemicals since the spring clips aren't that expensive. Couldn't use any of the rust "encapsulaters" because since they are springs any coating would either limit their flex or simply crack and fall off. Went with about a penny's of white vinegar. Red apple vinegar does a better job but white is what I had.

Didn't take a picture of the clips and other parts but these rust marks on the brush rails should give you an idea of their condition.



Bit of vinegar in a jar and the parts.



After one day.



Second day.



Third day.



I'd give the jar a shake whenever I'd think of it to get even exposure of the acid. I removed the parts after the third day because I no longer saw any bubbling reaction.

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

Parts pre-rinse.



Parts after rinse.



The rubber washer was in there because I wanted to see if the vinegar had any effect on its structure. The answer is, "no".

I put the parts in a jar of engine oil to soak for a day to prevent the "flash rusting" which can occur.

Molasses is supposed to work even better but it turns into some nasty smelling goop after about a day's exposure to air and heat.

I imagine if I had replaced the vinegar with fresh and let it soak longer the parts would have been even cleaner.

__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now