[Fot] Loosing stuck pistons

[Spitfire Racing]

Just think, people actually drink that stuff! I remember seeing it totally
dissolve a mussel shell in a glass of it overnight when I was a kid. Scared
me away from it!
Russ

-----Original Message-----
From: fot-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:fot-bounces at autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of EDWARD BARNARD
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 9:24 AM
To: fot; Duncan Charlton
Subject: Re: [Fot] Loosing stuck pistons

Duncan: FWIW I had to unstick a piston/liner last month from a 3 motor.
After
using Liquid wrench, PB Blaster, Kroll, etc. I had about given up and
figured
I would just break the piston. The gentleman with the shop next to me, who
is
restoring a '46 Stinson Monoplane wandered over and suggested Coca-Cola!
Damn
if it didn't work. I let it soak overnight from the top down. I can't vow
for
other cheaper brands of cola :O)
-Ed-

--- On Tue, 6/28/11, Duncan Charlton <duncan.charlton54 at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Duncan Charlton <duncan.charlton54 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Fot] Loosing stuck pistons
To: "fot" <fot at autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 8:31 PM


If sodium hydroxide reacts to a lesser degree with cast iron -- less damage
is
always better!

I don't recall (too many years ago) what prompted me to use muriatic acid
(hydrochloric) to remove aluminum piston smears from a cast iron jug on an
air
cooled motorcycle engine that had suffered a seizure.  I knew that aluminum
reacts vigorously with hydrochloric acid and have read that iron oxide is
removed commercially with hydrochloric acid. Perhaps the expected limited
dwell time (the aluminum layer was not very thick) led me not to be
concerned
about damage to the cast iron cylinder.  The aluminum fizzed and dissolved
very quickly with no visible sign of reaction with bare cast iron.  There
might be some concern about acid remaining embedded in the iron grain
structure, causing future oxidation, but perhaps there is not much to worry
about if the engine is going to be bored -- and the acid will remove rust
from
the cylinder.

Duncan
(Texas)
1952 Morgan Plus 4 #6 red

On Jun 28, 2011, at 2:24 PM, Robert Johns wrote:

> Duncan has suggested using Muriatic Acid to free the pistons.  Most all
acids
> will eat into the iron of the block.  I suggest to use Sodium Hydroxide (
Lye)
> instead.  It will not eat into the iron and will dissolve the aluminum.  I
> have salvaged many two cycle cylinders and small engine cranks with
aluminum
> con rods,  that had the aluminum welded to the steel or plated surface,
> usually due to insufficient oil.   The aluminum comes off clean and all
you
> need to do is to smooth up the cylinder surface or crank pin.   The warmer
the
> affected surfaces, the faster the chemical reaction.  Make sure us use
good
> rubber gloves and a chemical mask.
> Bob Johns
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