Best Answer Spider , 04 May 2026 - 05:28 PM
You can do the Hot Tank Caustic yourself. The Caustic you can usually buy from the Hardware in a granulated dry form and mix it in to water to make your solution. Check with your local waster water utility first, most of the time you can pour the solution down the drain to dispose of it, though you'd want to remove the grease etc from it first. You'll want a steel tank for it so you need one big enough to take your whole block and something in the bottom to keep the parts off the bottom of the tank, eg, some rods. or suspend the parts from the top.
You can do it cold, it's much slower and I find even then it seems less effective.
To heat it, there's various ways, you want to get it up to around 80 - 900 C and keep it there for about a day. When you put the block in, it'll loose a lot of heat until the block too is heated, this is where a bigger tank helps. I have some industrial electric heaters hat I've used when I did run a tank, but keep in mind, you'll be limited to what ever you can get from a power point, usually a max of 2300 Watts.
While both of these processes can be done at home, and I have done t in my workshop, for all the faffing about and disposal of these chemicals afterwards, the energy costs of heating a tank etc, vs taking the parts to a commercial shop, it makes it very unworth while doing it at home. Particularly, if you are getting machining done, most machine shops don't usually charge much money to do it for you. Following their work, they'll often coat the parts in an anti-rust compound too.
Just On Tickover
Posted 30 April 2026 - 07:30 AM
Hi
I am not experienced in restoring engines but I am learning. I have got my hands on a 1275cc A-series engine and overall it looks good. I have a question regarding cleaning the water coolant passages around the cylinders. What is the best way to get rid of all the sludge and rust deposits without damaging the block?
Br
Thomas
Moved Into The Garage
Posted 30 April 2026 - 08:12 AM
Hi and welcome to the forum.
The best way to clean the block is first a hot tank in a a Caustic Solution, that'll remove grease, grim, most paints etc, then following that and a decent rinse, a tanking in Phosphoric Acid will clean all rust from the block. The Cam Bearings will need to be removed from the block before putting through the acid, though all block plugs and these bearings are usually removed at an earlier stage.
These are 2 processes that are done as part of normal engine reconditioning practice.
Up Into Fourth
Posted 30 April 2026 - 08:17 AM
do a proper examination of the bores etc before you worry about that, decent chance it needs a hone at least anyway, in which case let the workshop deal with it as above
just generally speaking in terms of rust removal and initial cleanup for assessment purposes, double strength white vinegar overnight does wonders on rusty parts, more the smaller parts really, all your nuts and bots, anything metal that looks old and fits in a bucket, wire brush the next day (gloves / mask / goggles)
of course to do that with a block you'd need a really big bucket and a lot of vinegar. and that would stink to high heaven, be advised, especially if you spill some on the floor, ask me how I know lol
I pulled my core plugs, and used a toothbrush and continuous flushing, to get the worst off. but only so it was clean enough to handle, move around, inspect, and leave in storage for now
Edited by stuart bowes, 30 April 2026 - 08:21 AM.
Just On Tickover
Posted 04 May 2026 - 04:28 PM
Thank you for your replies. I will see if I can find a company that can help me with the hot tank. I guess that is not something I can do myself in a private neighbourhood?
Moved Into The Garage
Posted 04 May 2026 - 05:28 PM Best Answer
You can do the Hot Tank Caustic yourself. The Caustic you can usually buy from the Hardware in a granulated dry form and mix it in to water to make your solution. Check with your local waster water utility first, most of the time you can pour the solution down the drain to dispose of it, though you'd want to remove the grease etc from it first. You'll want a steel tank for it so you need one big enough to take your whole block and something in the bottom to keep the parts off the bottom of the tank, eg, some rods. or suspend the parts from the top.
You can do it cold, it's much slower and I find even then it seems less effective.
To heat it, there's various ways, you want to get it up to around 80 - 900 C and keep it there for about a day. When you put the block in, it'll loose a lot of heat until the block too is heated, this is where a bigger tank helps. I have some industrial electric heaters hat I've used when I did run a tank, but keep in mind, you'll be limited to what ever you can get from a power point, usually a max of 2300 Watts.
While both of these processes can be done at home, and I have done t in my workshop, for all the faffing about and disposal of these chemicals afterwards, the energy costs of heating a tank etc, vs taking the parts to a commercial shop, it makes it very unworth while doing it at home. Particularly, if you are getting machining done, most machine shops don't usually charge much money to do it for you. Following their work, they'll often coat the parts in an anti-rust compound too.
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