Vinegar flush

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by coupe1942

In case one does not know it, vinegar can be bought in different strengths or the adidity strength can be increased by mixing it with a lower strength vinegar added into a higher strength vinegar. Regular white distilled vinegar is usually 5% acid, Heinz Cleaning vinegar is 6% acid, apple cider vinegar is maybe 8% acid and pickling vinegar is 10% acid. There are methods as mentioned to increase the acidity both on YouTube and on the net.

I have seen posts on Ahooga over the years in which the person claims that using apple cider vinegar on a carb restoration allowed them to sit the part up on a shelf for years with no residual rust. I can't swear that such works like that as I have not tried it myself.

I can give my experience on this: had about a 2 gallon bucket filld with apple cider vinegar. I threw some cast iron AA rear spring to axle clamshells in along with some regular steel grass clippers.

after a week i pulled them out and both were clean metal no rust, about the time i rinsed the vinegar off the clippers i could watch it lightly rust. The clamshells though I pulled them all out, ashed them all off and picked the best two. Let them dry in the sun - no rust. Painted the best two and put the rest on the shelf in the garage - they are just now starting to rust again in spots and its been at least 1-2 years.

I think it all depends on the metal and cast must do something that steel doesnt....

[coupe1942]

It is likely so, as different metals do react differently in many cases, for sure.

My most notable experience of such was in dipping an air maze cleaner body for a Model A Ford into a vat of muriatic acid once. I had forgotten that acid and aluminum do not mix well and the part I dipped was so very coated with grime that I didn't think about it being aluminum at the time. Needless to say, that large body was "gone in 60 seconds" to coin a phrase. The pot was boiling like a witch's pot foaming over in no time, too. :-(

[Michael M]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

good preventive maintenance is to drain down the cooling system and refill with new 50/50 or mix full strength.
Vinegar is an acid that can do damage as well as loosen stuck crud from the inners of the engine block. Your radiator can act like a big filter catching all this stuff and block it up.
If it isn't broke don't look for trouble, just drain and fill...

I use evaporust only when absolutely necessary to cure a problem using certain flushing techniques...

Mitch knows whereof he speaks! I wish I had his advice before I decided to be 'proactive' and do the vinegar treatment on my well-functioning radiator. Had so many overheating problems afterwards that I had to pull the radiator and have it boiled out. And I'm still catching debris in the stocking filter I put in the upper hose.

This ounce of prevention caused me a pound of ills!