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ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!

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Old 04-22-2009, 04:18 PM
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ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!

idk where to put this thread but since im doing headers here we gooooo!

getting everything ready for my 383 HSR build and i already had headman LTs on my bird before on my 350tpi... i decided that since im on such a tight budget i would reuse my headers since the only prob with them is that they are ugly...

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/ru..._derusting.htm

http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/oth...ctrolysis.html

im in mid process but this is what ive done.
25gallon plastic garbage can (1 large garbage bag)
filled with water
connected 3 large peices of steel in parrallel with wire/screw in connectors(put them in 3 diff parts of the garbage can to get all sides of the header)
COULDNT find washing SODA so i used baking soda (1tbs per gallon of water)
i used a fully charged batt outa my car, a 10amp batt charger(stays at 6amps on the meter) and 3-3amp DC converters.

10 hours in (overnite) and this is what happened... its 90% clean. headers were really really rusted esp down at the collector. pic of other header is not nearly as rusted as the driver header (the one being cleaned now)

this is clearly effective and a good choice, i will be doing this to other parts if i find parts that are rusted
Attached Thumbnails ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!-0422091443.jpg   ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!-0422091452.jpg   ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!-0422091625.jpg  
Old 04-22-2009, 08:00 PM
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Re: ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!

Works good. i used a big 55g drum and a BIG Batt. charger on 75amp mode. did an oil pan, brackets, pullies,etc.

Was cool to do. Id rather just blast em. but this methos is cheap and workds good.
Old 04-23-2009, 02:39 PM
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Re: ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!

yea i had that header in for like 10hrs and then stuck it in for like another 10hrs and it was still bubling... so i took it out anyways lol and put the other one in.

i think its cuz im only running one reg batt, a batt charger that seems to only put out 3-4amps on the meter, and 3-3amp DC converters.... i wish i had a 75amp mode charger!!!! GRRRR... also i heard of someone using a welder, so i put my 130amp old stick welder on it (set at lowest level, think its 40amps) and i didnt see anything. i so iwent back to the other setup.

also i think the hydrogen being given off gives me a slight headache lol.
Old 04-23-2009, 02:57 PM
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Re: ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!

yea, I had this setup for a while. Some chunks of rebar, in a 125L rubber made tote (2' tall tote box).
I used my 10A battery charger.
I think I found lye in the supermarket in the laundry detergent aisle. Its the box at the back, covered in dust, since nobody else buys the stuff...

To make it work faster -

- more current
- more SURFACE AREA of the sacrificial steel (ie use sheet metal rather than rebar!
- more lye (better conductivity).

If your charger is set on 25A charge, and it's only drawing 2A, getting a bigger charger won't work eh? use more sacrificial metal, or more lye/soda, etc.

I've used this method a handful of times, works pretty nice.
Old 04-23-2009, 06:27 PM
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Re: ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!

Originally Posted by Sonix

- more current
- more SURFACE AREA of the sacrificial steel (ie use sheet metal rather than rebar!
- more lye (better conductivity).

x2
Old 04-24-2009, 06:37 PM
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Re: ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!

yea i used sheets of 22gauge steel. 3 of them in diff parts of the container.

i tried hookin up a 130amp arc welder to no avail!!! doesnt matter too much... each header would be done in roughly 24hrs... and its not like i had to wait for them. i added alil more backing soda every couple of hrs. like every 5 or so

SO HERE IS HOW THEY TURNED OUT!
both headers where dried, preped with brake cleaner and then painted... 2 coats of dupicolor 1200 degree silver aluminum header paint. sprayed and allowed to dry over nite then baked on with a hand held propane torch. they are pretty pitted since they were on the car for 3 yrs or so... but they turned out pretty good. also gasket matched the round header ports/gaskets to the square ports on my patriot 195 cc aluminum heads.

compare to 3rd pic in first post.
Attached Thumbnails ELECTROLYSIS your rusted headers to be rust free!-0423091914.jpg  
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