Slick 60's

Any tips on removing rust from cast iron to prep for paint? I have a bell housing, master cylinder, and exhaust manifold to paint. I have 1300 deg paint for the manifold. I finally found a 3speed bell

If you're without a blast cabinet, you can wire brush the parts good and then wipe them down with a rust inhibitor like Rust-mort or corroseal before you paint.

You might try electrolysis. Worked nicely on some cast iron cooking pans for me once.

Have it hot tanked, wash it with soap and water when you get it home, dry it as quickly as possible, and you're ready.

Cast iron is porous and any type of rust removal is a problem. Blasting is most likely the best but the electrolytic is also good and cheap. Can be done with a battery charger . You need a plastic tub a sacrificial anode and washing soda (not baking soda). It does make a difference whether you hook the positive or negative terminal to the part being cleaned. If you hook it up backwards you can really mess up what your cleaning. Negative goes to anode if I remember right. Take it out once in awhile and wire brush it and put it back in until your happy with it. Just be sure to dry the part immediately after removal from the tank. You can get it done faster with a stronger power source . I was using a 6 amp charger most of the time, sometimes a 10 amp . Both were old charger I had lying around. Try to keep the wires and clamps out of the water. You can buy the washing soda in arm and hammer brand in the grocery store . You use about 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.

Rich

Apple cider vinegar will remove rust from cast iron.
Backing soda will neutralize the vinegar.

64 f100 wrote:Cast iron is porous and any type of rust removal is a problem. Blasting is most likely the best but the electrolytic is also good and cheap. Can be done with a battery charger . You need a plastic tub a sacrificial anode and washing soda (not baking soda). It does make a difference whether you hook the positive or negative terminal to the part being cleaned. If you hook it up backwards you can really mess up what your cleaning. Negative goes to anode if I remember right. Take it out once in awhile and wire brush it and put it back in until your happy with it. Just be sure to dry the part immediately after removal from the tank. You can get it done faster with a stronger power source . I was using a 6 amp charger most of the time, sometimes a 10 amp . Both were old charger I had lying around. Try to keep the wires and clamps out of the water. You can buy the washing soda in arm and hammer brand in the grocery store . You use about 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.

Rich

A friend of mine made a very similar setup and cleaned up my single-pot master cylinder. Came out a nice dark grey. I've had it in storage ever since but I may need to take another peek and see how it's held up over the years.