Engine block electrolysis
- Thread starter Bill1958
- Start date
Bill1958
Well-known member
The way it works....instead of the tube squirting gas down the venturi...the tube is redirected upward and the gas hits the underside of the concave "umbrella" disk. The underside of the disk can have channels going from the center of the disk to the outer edge of the disk.
I think the gas would atomize better if the edge of the disk were very thin or razor like.
One type of disk is formed from a mold using Buna-N rubber. Another type of disk is made out of stainless (which I think is a better idea...being able to sharpen the outer edge to razor-like...what the heck do I know lol)
You can download the full patent here if you like:
My thoughts.....this really was used by a few people in the 70's....and after almost all cars were equipped with F.I. and ECMs by 1990....the powers that be decided to release the patent figuring no one would be interested in it.
Heck....I could be wrong...maybe.
I know gas vapor in the carb body is a bad thing (vapor lock)...but gas vapor in the manifold...can't see how that would be bad.
Except for a backfire......where the heck did that manifold and carb go?
I thought about posting this info under the "Carburetor" thread...but didn't want to get laughed off the forum.....yet.
No, it's better being posted on your thread, or start a new one.
The only thing I can say to it is: in my experience with flowing fluids (extensive- water and air), I would propose that a sharp edge will tear the gas apart less than an edge with a rough lip. As the transition of fuel past the edge of the disk into the airstream occurs, the less "organized" the fuel is at the moment it strikes the air, the better. Coming off the disk in a smooth undisturbed stream vs coming off the disk having to have just tumbled over a lip. The lip seems better for breaking it up. Smooth is for those fancy water fountains. If water fall off the face of a smooth curved surface it stays in a sheet much longer than if it is tumbling when it falls.
The area directly under the traditional booster which feeds fuel acts to pull the fuel outward, increasing mixing and atomization. The disk design- just looking at it- seems less efficient at atomization. . . just surmising. .
Bill1958
Well-known member
Thanks for the heads up on posting. Not really good on the edict when it comes to forums and not into social media much at all.
As far as the disk edge...one way to find out for sure.
I get what you're saying about smooth for the water fountains....but the downdraft and vacuum might have a different effect.
I'd like to play around with it but won't be getting around to it for some time. I might have to end up selling the house next year.
Not sure where I'd go to but out of ill-inois for sure. Property tax and water/sewer are way too high...just can't afford it here any more.
Bill1958
Well-known member
No luck with the compression test...thought I could spin the crank with an impact wrench - no go. With all the plugs out it turns by hand like it should. Never tried a C.T. without a flywheel and a starter before. I'll go with my first plan and open her up...48 years old it could probably use a little freshening up.
philford
Famous Member
ive been using similar process mainly smaller parts.
- make sure your parts don't touch, i melted down a battery that way, normally I use a charger now but it can blow the charger, you might add a fuse.
bolting the electrode can work or sometimes Ill solder a wire to the item, otherwise if its just contact by wrapping the contact gets lost, bubbling stops.
I use baking soda for a scrub down, after or in between, its cheap and cleans nicely.
generally I leave it a few sessions checking back on progress. the parts clean better if they are near to the electrode so moving then about helps.
I lay a plastic basket full of holes, from a berry farm inside a tote bin that isolates my parts from electrodes int he bottom.
be really carful about stainless, you mentioned noxious gasses and Ive read people using stainless for the electrode, thats dangerous, the fumes produced by stainless can be a factor so I wouldn't put anything stainless in the tub. galvanized, not sure.
ive done it using muriatic acid, talk about bad fumes, it works but the stuff is dangerous and very noxious gases come off.. they will rust anything surrounding too. parts also start rusting immediately after they are out of the bath. muriatic acid also eats aluminum
I did do a lot of small parts that way though, it'll remove rust and paint and it leaves the metal etched. id neutralize it with baking soda, warm it with a torch to drive out moisture then use epoxy the epoxy latches onto the deeply etched metal and grabs so it doesn't rust again.
electrolysis seems a lot less dangerous so far as the chemistry involved but it could give off some nasty poisonous vapors
I bought some pickling paste, it is used to remove rust and only commercially available. Its a very strong acid. I do not recommend it. - too hazardous. I put some coated shiny new washers in there and it gave off bad fumes and started getting hot and smoking. probably also giving off nasty chemical vapors.
another method I want to try you can get a cheap setup it connects to a pressure washer and puts sand into the water stream, so it's wet sandblasting the item. you have to contain the debris somehow.
I'm not pulling my engine but thought I might brush on some of that rust inhibitor, maybe paint later but without engine removal. ive been using it with a little brush on places where rust is appearing but I don't have time to do actual bodywork. it seems to still work and the rust seems to not start back up even with no other coating. you are supposed to wash it off after, then paint,, but I've been leaving it, I can just do a few applications, in summer, then I can clean and paint stuff, too cold now. over winter I can still brush a little of it on in rusty places.. it seems ok to do that.. my truck is white so Id get rust stains running down below any rust.. it seems to help to simply brush on some rust converter like on a scratch or rusty bolt head,, and walk away, Ive been using rust check brand. in some spots Il take a knife and get under the paint as the rust is creeping, then just apply the converter.. when its warm and rust is more under control I'll do some spot paint repairs.
my floor developed a hole, I went at it with an angle grinder and sanding disk , roughly removed loose rust, used rust converter, then washed it down and dried, then I used fiberglass but instead of polyester resin, epoxy resin. for my hole I made a stainless plate and bolted that then used fibreglass on top leveled it out, worked fine no more big hole.
I have rusty rims and just had new tires mounted, can I put the whole tire and rim into a electrolysis bath? dismounting and re-balancing is a couple hundred.. I just want to paint the rims, doesn't need to be perfect.
- make sure your parts don't touch, i melted down a battery that way, normally I use a charger now but it can blow the charger, you might add a fuse.
bolting the electrode can work or sometimes Ill solder a wire to the item, otherwise if its just contact by wrapping the contact gets lost, bubbling stops.
I use baking soda for a scrub down, after or in between, its cheap and cleans nicely.
generally I leave it a few sessions checking back on progress. the parts clean better if they are near to the electrode so moving then about helps.
I lay a plastic basket full of holes, from a berry farm inside a tote bin that isolates my parts from electrodes int he bottom.
be really carful about stainless, you mentioned noxious gasses and Ive read people using stainless for the electrode, thats dangerous, the fumes produced by stainless can be a factor so I wouldn't put anything stainless in the tub. galvanized, not sure.
ive done it using muriatic acid, talk about bad fumes, it works but the stuff is dangerous and very noxious gases come off.. they will rust anything surrounding too. parts also start rusting immediately after they are out of the bath. muriatic acid also eats aluminum
I did do a lot of small parts that way though, it'll remove rust and paint and it leaves the metal etched. id neutralize it with baking soda, warm it with a torch to drive out moisture then use epoxy the epoxy latches onto the deeply etched metal and grabs so it doesn't rust again.
electrolysis seems a lot less dangerous so far as the chemistry involved but it could give off some nasty poisonous vapors
I bought some pickling paste, it is used to remove rust and only commercially available. Its a very strong acid. I do not recommend it. - too hazardous. I put some coated shiny new washers in there and it gave off bad fumes and started getting hot and smoking. probably also giving off nasty chemical vapors.
another method I want to try you can get a cheap setup it connects to a pressure washer and puts sand into the water stream, so it's wet sandblasting the item. you have to contain the debris somehow.
I'm not pulling my engine but thought I might brush on some of that rust inhibitor, maybe paint later but without engine removal. ive been using it with a little brush on places where rust is appearing but I don't have time to do actual bodywork. it seems to still work and the rust seems to not start back up even with no other coating. you are supposed to wash it off after, then paint,, but I've been leaving it, I can just do a few applications, in summer, then I can clean and paint stuff, too cold now. over winter I can still brush a little of it on in rusty places.. it seems ok to do that.. my truck is white so Id get rust stains running down below any rust.. it seems to help to simply brush on some rust converter like on a scratch or rusty bolt head,, and walk away, Ive been using rust check brand. in some spots Il take a knife and get under the paint as the rust is creeping, then just apply the converter.. when its warm and rust is more under control I'll do some spot paint repairs.
my floor developed a hole, I went at it with an angle grinder and sanding disk , roughly removed loose rust, used rust converter, then washed it down and dried, then I used fiberglass but instead of polyester resin, epoxy resin. for my hole I made a stainless plate and bolted that then used fibreglass on top leveled it out, worked fine no more big hole.
I have rusty rims and just had new tires mounted, can I put the whole tire and rim into a electrolysis bath? dismounting and re-balancing is a couple hundred.. I just want to paint the rims, doesn't need to be perfect.
Last edited:
philford
Famous Member
I got throught he last few years of dyno testing by mounting studded snow tires, then they just did the idle test, they don't like studded snow tires on the dyno emissions testing then ended . I could usually pass the idle test by making it run lean and at a fairly high idle, an unnoticeable hole in the exhaust made some of my cars pass with really low numbers. I remember trying every gimmick just in an attempt to pass my own car, to insure it to get to work.
I'm sure many jury rig their dashboard warning lamps. maybe just make it come on during key on and go off when running. just so an idiot light doesn't cause you to fail your test.
I'm sure many jury rig their dashboard warning lamps. maybe just make it come on during key on and go off when running. just so an idiot light doesn't cause you to fail your test.
Bill1958
Well-known member
Thanks for the info with your experiences! I just saw your post today...02/24...sorry for the late reply.
I haven't been on here for a few months...hard times but things are getin better.
Wet Blasting...I did the harbor freight blasting cabinet conversion from watching utube videos. I finally got my setup working good...but had to make several changes from what the utubers were telling everyone to do.
Here's the best source of info I found...after A LOT of searching. A guy in New Zealand has been building cabinets and doing this for years...has plans for building your own...A LOT cheaper than buying one pre-built.
https://www.armouryenterprises.com/
The H.F. blasting cabinet will work for a conversion...but it's not the best choice for wet blasting...the paint get blasted off and it will rust.
Best choice...build a frame out of angle iron and use ABS sheets to build the cabinet. If you want to build one...read all the info on the site above.
He has plans if you want to build one....and...it will work.
I'm gonna keep my H.F. cabinet for just dry blasting and build a bigger one out of ABS this spring/summer.
I highly suggest reading the info on the site before you get into wet blasting....it will save you time and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
As far as blasting with the tire on the rim....not sure how that would turn out. For rusty rims I think you would wet blast with aluminum oxide. I don't think it would hurt the tire...but would probably dull / scuff up the sidewalls. Just my opinion.
philford
Famous Member
I noted that there was a similar thread on electrolysis rust removal but it had become locked somehow. the poster seemed to be using zinc in the process and I know it is a less noble metal but I wasn;t sure of the intent of using the zinc. since the thread was old and locked there wasnt; an opportunity there to ask.
I wentintoi fixing a washing machine, they fail due to the spider rotting out by electrolysis its like a giant mercedes sign that ties the stainless drum to the shaft, well it turns out samsung knows this and does it intentionally, so if you own any brand of front load washer with a stainless drum never close the door, that makes it worse. I was suprised that the thing was quite heavy but had turned basically to sand.. boats use blocks of zinc as expendable electrodes to protect other parts from electrolysis due to the seawater which is a great electrolyte. I wasnt; sure why zinc was used in the process of rust removal though..
Ive heard not to use stainless as the vapors are deadly but some writeuos said use stainless. I like using scrap iron sheets then I can use a zipdisk or sanding pad to clean them up.. sheet metal has lots of surface area.
Id put a little warning , be careful you dont short out your parts and electrodes or youll kill your big battery charger by shorting it. this is easy to do accidentally.
Im thinking of building apool made of 2x 4 and plywood lined with plastic so its big enoguh for things like fenders and doors..
I thought I may use 24 V it might go faster.
the work done seems to relate to how close the expendable electrodes are fro the item being cleaned.
I found that wrapping and tying parts caused bad connections , then the proicess stops. I got onto the idea that you can use these common brakets , they are made for hanging wires to hold suspended ceilings, they have a nice little clamp bolt. meant to hold it to the heavy angle iron above the ceiling.. they seemed good to use as connectors.
I also tried soldering my wire to my expendable electrode and that helped to keep it connected.
I've tried it in the past a few times with smaller items and was using baking soda but washing soda may work better.
when I pull my parts and they are blackened i use a rag with baking soda for that, its a good cleaner and it wont hurt the solution since it can be baking soda anyway.
maybe a 20 amp fuse or so can be used in case parts touch so you dont blow a battery charger.
why 12 volts? I thik I have a great big 24 V supply so maybe that will go faster. maybe there is a safe limit but it stands to reason the voltage may relate to the speed.
that engine block looks fantastic !
I came to the realization that many do a great job stripping and then use paint from a rattle bomb or heat paint but its quite thin and the OEM paint was quite thick. I was thinking its actually important if you want the nice paint to last to maybe build it thicker or maybe find pain that is less thinned out than what comes in the rattle cans. It alway looks nice at first. but after all the work it may rust after 5 years if its just a rattle can.
the electrolysis may present some dangers but Ive used muriatic acid and that stuff is completely horrible. other acids work too but the electrolysis wont eat the parent metal .. acid will , and a warning here, acid eats alunimum for breakfast.
body shops do use acid as part of a pint prep ritual so you can get such products.
im also a big fan of using rust amalgamator and have had good results when its something where I want it done fast and over.
From my experience anything that I stripped well and coated with epoxy paint never again rusted,,
l just use whatever color 2 part epoxy I have , and then the rattle can for the color I like.. the engine block might exceed the heat rating of epoxy, so it would be good to check. I think JB weld is good to 600 degrees or so so its ok on engines. maybe different types of epoxy have different properties relating to withstanding higher temps.
a paint I tried and liked a lot was this stainless steel paint, it is a coating you brush it on then cook it. it is heat cured. you need to etch or sandblast blast first.. the stuff had so many warnings. it maybe another discontinued product. I really liked that for rocker covers and ashtrays as it has a nice OEM sort of look, it is not shiny but dull grey and to me looks very OEM. its good for manifolds and exhaust pipe parts. with those they stink when you fire up but the then it can harden from the heat of the part itself.
I dont know if the product is still available.
i guess we will see what happens wiht the EPA and restrictions like those mentioned above and access to offshore parts as there are big changes happening now. I think we are all waiting to see whats in store next. or whats not in the store.. I think right now everyone is reeling back a knotch with expendatures ,, for me anyway and some others, its good time for some of those jobs that take more time than expensive parts. Let the chips fall where they may I guess.. I'm pretty resourceful and I have the benefit of having that 1930's save everything, you might need it, 1930's philosophy drummed into me.. I feel like its very similar now.
If new cars go up as drastically as expected maybe we are all in a similar position being able to fix up older stuff.. I see it as somewhat of a benefit to those who have that type of skillset.
I wentintoi fixing a washing machine, they fail due to the spider rotting out by electrolysis its like a giant mercedes sign that ties the stainless drum to the shaft, well it turns out samsung knows this and does it intentionally, so if you own any brand of front load washer with a stainless drum never close the door, that makes it worse. I was suprised that the thing was quite heavy but had turned basically to sand.. boats use blocks of zinc as expendable electrodes to protect other parts from electrolysis due to the seawater which is a great electrolyte. I wasnt; sure why zinc was used in the process of rust removal though..
Ive heard not to use stainless as the vapors are deadly but some writeuos said use stainless. I like using scrap iron sheets then I can use a zipdisk or sanding pad to clean them up.. sheet metal has lots of surface area.
Id put a little warning , be careful you dont short out your parts and electrodes or youll kill your big battery charger by shorting it. this is easy to do accidentally.
Im thinking of building apool made of 2x 4 and plywood lined with plastic so its big enoguh for things like fenders and doors..
I thought I may use 24 V it might go faster.
the work done seems to relate to how close the expendable electrodes are fro the item being cleaned.
I found that wrapping and tying parts caused bad connections , then the proicess stops. I got onto the idea that you can use these common brakets , they are made for hanging wires to hold suspended ceilings, they have a nice little clamp bolt. meant to hold it to the heavy angle iron above the ceiling.. they seemed good to use as connectors.
I also tried soldering my wire to my expendable electrode and that helped to keep it connected.
I've tried it in the past a few times with smaller items and was using baking soda but washing soda may work better.
when I pull my parts and they are blackened i use a rag with baking soda for that, its a good cleaner and it wont hurt the solution since it can be baking soda anyway.
maybe a 20 amp fuse or so can be used in case parts touch so you dont blow a battery charger.
why 12 volts? I thik I have a great big 24 V supply so maybe that will go faster. maybe there is a safe limit but it stands to reason the voltage may relate to the speed.
that engine block looks fantastic !
I came to the realization that many do a great job stripping and then use paint from a rattle bomb or heat paint but its quite thin and the OEM paint was quite thick. I was thinking its actually important if you want the nice paint to last to maybe build it thicker or maybe find pain that is less thinned out than what comes in the rattle cans. It alway looks nice at first. but after all the work it may rust after 5 years if its just a rattle can.
the electrolysis may present some dangers but Ive used muriatic acid and that stuff is completely horrible. other acids work too but the electrolysis wont eat the parent metal .. acid will , and a warning here, acid eats alunimum for breakfast.
body shops do use acid as part of a pint prep ritual so you can get such products.
im also a big fan of using rust amalgamator and have had good results when its something where I want it done fast and over.
From my experience anything that I stripped well and coated with epoxy paint never again rusted,,
l just use whatever color 2 part epoxy I have , and then the rattle can for the color I like.. the engine block might exceed the heat rating of epoxy, so it would be good to check. I think JB weld is good to 600 degrees or so so its ok on engines. maybe different types of epoxy have different properties relating to withstanding higher temps.
a paint I tried and liked a lot was this stainless steel paint, it is a coating you brush it on then cook it. it is heat cured. you need to etch or sandblast blast first.. the stuff had so many warnings. it maybe another discontinued product. I really liked that for rocker covers and ashtrays as it has a nice OEM sort of look, it is not shiny but dull grey and to me looks very OEM. its good for manifolds and exhaust pipe parts. with those they stink when you fire up but the then it can harden from the heat of the part itself.
I dont know if the product is still available.
i guess we will see what happens wiht the EPA and restrictions like those mentioned above and access to offshore parts as there are big changes happening now. I think we are all waiting to see whats in store next. or whats not in the store.. I think right now everyone is reeling back a knotch with expendatures ,, for me anyway and some others, its good time for some of those jobs that take more time than expensive parts. Let the chips fall where they may I guess.. I'm pretty resourceful and I have the benefit of having that 1930's save everything, you might need it, 1930's philosophy drummed into me.. I feel like its very similar now.
If new cars go up as drastically as expected maybe we are all in a similar position being able to fix up older stuff.. I see it as somewhat of a benefit to those who have that type of skillset.
Bill1958
Well-known member
"that engine block looks fantastic !"
Thanks! Only wish I had the $$$ to send it to the machine shop. Hard times....ain't nothing new : )
Better days are coming for all...they're just on back-order.
24VDC should work better...never tried it though. Only got the 12v start/charger to work with.
Like the idea of building a small swimming pool for larger parts : )
Heard of a story...a guy lowered a car body into his in ground pool to do electrolysis. Wife was not happy for some reason...
Painting engine blocks and prep....best video I've seen so far...you might want to check it out. The process I'll use when the time comes.
Uncle Tony's Garage
philford
Famous Member
good video. I used the torch method when I tried soaking parts in muriatic acid. I dotn recomend the acid, it works and removes all the paint but the fumes that come off the stuff are deadly nasty and horrible. anyway my process was to pull the parts out of the bath and wash then really well in baking soda and water to neutralize any acid, and then to use a torch to dry them and then paint while still warm. wiht that method the parts start rusting immediately , similar with sandblasting.
another way , for what hes doing is just to set the block somewhere warm, maybe on a warm hotplate or similar, or if its too cold Ive directed some warmth into a box, just let the whole block get nice and toasty to drive water away. I do think that pait sticks better when the metal is warm so I don't paint cold metal.. most of those paits can dry faster with a bit of warmth.
if paint is not fully finished offgassing and you go and apply another coat it will mess up as the paint underneath is offgassing and the new coat is a boundary then you get paint bubbling.
any time it's a second coat id use a bit of sandpaper or maybe scothcrbrite knock any pebbles off. helos it lay down and stick better.
If I dont want remove existing paint i use a rag soaked with acetone and a glove.. , it will usually dull the paint and open it up a bit to accept another layer. I dotn see much wrong with existing pait being left alone if its stuck its often fine to just not worry about going to base metal just for the excercise. chances are its old paint with all the bad chemicals that actually made it last.
leaded paint is a known carcinogen as are most solvents so just think aboout your exposure.
Ive been using washing soda for the electrolyte, some may use baking soda. I dont knwo how much it matters.
another chemical to consider is caustic soda. I wouldn't put any aluminum parts in it. at least not without testing that.. but from cast iron and steel it will remove paint by soaking for a while in that.
Ive heard of people using stainless steel for the electrodes and Ive been warned this is bad because chrome has some nasty chemicals that are given off, any metal that is bare is good enough sheet metal old car parts whatever you have , if you like you cna clean the rusted metal and reuse it , some use rebar.
whats given off if you try electrolysis using caustic soda, well a warnign there , Im not sure but electrolysis may release stuff thats bad for you, so Id do it outside and dont lean over the tank too much just in case.
I'd say I found using washing soda and electricity worked ok , it seemed to take a while and a few cleanings and checking if its still bubbling..
if you are confused about polarity, the part that you are cleaning should be the one that's bubbling. If you have it backwards your electrodes will bubble .
I once tried using a car battery, well the electrodes shorted and I hadnt; noticed. That battery got hot and melted down and that was dangerous. a fuse is likely a great idea.
I found a plastic container that was from a place that sold vegetables, its got lots of holes so I like using that to put my parts in and then put the metal in the bottom keeping things separated to avoid contact. a milk crate may be ok too.
I think if you have several electrodes dispursed around the epart it helps and to turn the location , it works harder where the metal is near the electrode than it will if the part is further away.
another method of paint removal is to put it in a pot and boil it, it may work with little parts.
abrasive methods work but then you have hazardous dust, the nice thing about using a chemical process is there is no abrasion.. paint stripper will work too, where that works good is if the part has something like a brass or copper plating and you want the part cleaned, but abrasion will damage the coating plastic brush may be ok.
painting inside the engine I dont know. I'd personally be a little afraid it may migrate into the oil or flake off.
a suggestion that was made was to put a litre or so of sea foam in the oil , run it a while and then take it apart, it may relese some of the gunk so when you are working inside its cleaner from the start.
its probably worthwhile to have it hot tanked if you are taking the engine to a shop and having it bored and things like that they do a good job. I'd still want to do a thorough cleaning after and make sure to blow out every oil galley, you can chase the airjet with solvant, a squitrt bottle held in front of an air blower works well but but be careful that atomized solvents can be explosive and its easy to blow stiff back in your face, Id use a face shield and safety glasses and watch where you are blowing it. WD 40 might be ok for that.
sometimes I want to clean lubricated parts , such as dirty chains or gears etc, what I like to use for that is solvant and oil mixed about 50/60 then it will clean but also won't dry things up, so there is no lube at all.
later I lube it well .. I think what happens is the solvents gas off and the lube stays. I think that helps draw the oil into crevases. a chain is a good example because it has tight spaces that you can't open to clean. for that I'll gravitate to a thin oil and not engine oil maybe use 30 weight rather than 10 W 30, because I don't want my hands in the engine oil detergents. Don't use used oil its just stinky.
I find that oil and solvent mixed on a brush can replace what WD 40 does, basically a cleaner. its cheaper. It lubricates sure but I wouldnt depend on it as a lubricant in most cases. WD is handy for freeing up a lot of things. I call it the repairman in a can ;-)
I had a solvant tank I found I could use the solvent based stuff and it works or the water based enviro products don't work so well. I found I don't want the tank offgassing where I spend time, I figure its healthier to not have it. they have their place. better in a commercial space than a home workshop.. If you use them lots they are good.
if I paint anything in my house , its overwhelmoing , the whole house stinks and tis not healthy at all. its stuff I'd rather do outside in the warm weather. all this stuff can increase your long term exposure risk. a good chemical mask is essential. the guy in the video should wear one as he's setting a bad example. I know hes talking but he shouls probably have included one in his video just to encourage others to do the same.
i think in growing up well back when my father was a tradesman a lot of that safety gear was considered not cool or during some of my jobs, well the boss wouldnt want to pay for it.. there is nothing uncool about protecting yourself and a good mask, gloves and new chemical cartridges are well worth the money.
things did change and the employer is responsible for provinding the right PPE. I think it also takes time for these habits to change.
a friend described doint the "safety squint" thats when you are holding your eyes half open while running an angle grinder , lol crazy.
another way , for what hes doing is just to set the block somewhere warm, maybe on a warm hotplate or similar, or if its too cold Ive directed some warmth into a box, just let the whole block get nice and toasty to drive water away. I do think that pait sticks better when the metal is warm so I don't paint cold metal.. most of those paits can dry faster with a bit of warmth.
if paint is not fully finished offgassing and you go and apply another coat it will mess up as the paint underneath is offgassing and the new coat is a boundary then you get paint bubbling.
any time it's a second coat id use a bit of sandpaper or maybe scothcrbrite knock any pebbles off. helos it lay down and stick better.
If I dont want remove existing paint i use a rag soaked with acetone and a glove.. , it will usually dull the paint and open it up a bit to accept another layer. I dotn see much wrong with existing pait being left alone if its stuck its often fine to just not worry about going to base metal just for the excercise. chances are its old paint with all the bad chemicals that actually made it last.
leaded paint is a known carcinogen as are most solvents so just think aboout your exposure.
Ive been using washing soda for the electrolyte, some may use baking soda. I dont knwo how much it matters.
another chemical to consider is caustic soda. I wouldn't put any aluminum parts in it. at least not without testing that.. but from cast iron and steel it will remove paint by soaking for a while in that.
Ive heard of people using stainless steel for the electrodes and Ive been warned this is bad because chrome has some nasty chemicals that are given off, any metal that is bare is good enough sheet metal old car parts whatever you have , if you like you cna clean the rusted metal and reuse it , some use rebar.
whats given off if you try electrolysis using caustic soda, well a warnign there , Im not sure but electrolysis may release stuff thats bad for you, so Id do it outside and dont lean over the tank too much just in case.
I'd say I found using washing soda and electricity worked ok , it seemed to take a while and a few cleanings and checking if its still bubbling..
if you are confused about polarity, the part that you are cleaning should be the one that's bubbling. If you have it backwards your electrodes will bubble .
I once tried using a car battery, well the electrodes shorted and I hadnt; noticed. That battery got hot and melted down and that was dangerous. a fuse is likely a great idea.
I found a plastic container that was from a place that sold vegetables, its got lots of holes so I like using that to put my parts in and then put the metal in the bottom keeping things separated to avoid contact. a milk crate may be ok too.
I think if you have several electrodes dispursed around the epart it helps and to turn the location , it works harder where the metal is near the electrode than it will if the part is further away.
another method of paint removal is to put it in a pot and boil it, it may work with little parts.
abrasive methods work but then you have hazardous dust, the nice thing about using a chemical process is there is no abrasion.. paint stripper will work too, where that works good is if the part has something like a brass or copper plating and you want the part cleaned, but abrasion will damage the coating plastic brush may be ok.
painting inside the engine I dont know. I'd personally be a little afraid it may migrate into the oil or flake off.
a suggestion that was made was to put a litre or so of sea foam in the oil , run it a while and then take it apart, it may relese some of the gunk so when you are working inside its cleaner from the start.
its probably worthwhile to have it hot tanked if you are taking the engine to a shop and having it bored and things like that they do a good job. I'd still want to do a thorough cleaning after and make sure to blow out every oil galley, you can chase the airjet with solvant, a squitrt bottle held in front of an air blower works well but but be careful that atomized solvents can be explosive and its easy to blow stiff back in your face, Id use a face shield and safety glasses and watch where you are blowing it. WD 40 might be ok for that.
sometimes I want to clean lubricated parts , such as dirty chains or gears etc, what I like to use for that is solvant and oil mixed about 50/60 then it will clean but also won't dry things up, so there is no lube at all.
later I lube it well .. I think what happens is the solvents gas off and the lube stays. I think that helps draw the oil into crevases. a chain is a good example because it has tight spaces that you can't open to clean. for that I'll gravitate to a thin oil and not engine oil maybe use 30 weight rather than 10 W 30, because I don't want my hands in the engine oil detergents. Don't use used oil its just stinky.
I find that oil and solvent mixed on a brush can replace what WD 40 does, basically a cleaner. its cheaper. It lubricates sure but I wouldnt depend on it as a lubricant in most cases. WD is handy for freeing up a lot of things. I call it the repairman in a can ;-)
I had a solvant tank I found I could use the solvent based stuff and it works or the water based enviro products don't work so well. I found I don't want the tank offgassing where I spend time, I figure its healthier to not have it. they have their place. better in a commercial space than a home workshop.. If you use them lots they are good.
if I paint anything in my house , its overwhelmoing , the whole house stinks and tis not healthy at all. its stuff I'd rather do outside in the warm weather. all this stuff can increase your long term exposure risk. a good chemical mask is essential. the guy in the video should wear one as he's setting a bad example. I know hes talking but he shouls probably have included one in his video just to encourage others to do the same.
i think in growing up well back when my father was a tradesman a lot of that safety gear was considered not cool or during some of my jobs, well the boss wouldnt want to pay for it.. there is nothing uncool about protecting yourself and a good mask, gloves and new chemical cartridges are well worth the money.
things did change and the employer is responsible for provinding the right PPE. I think it also takes time for these habits to change.
a friend described doint the "safety squint" thats when you are holding your eyes half open while running an angle grinder , lol crazy.
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