hot-tanking

by abajc3 Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:35 pm

i want to get my block and heads hot tanked, but there isnt anyone around that would do this, so i think ill have to do it myself. i just need some answers first:

-will hot-tanking remove rust and old paint or will it just degrease and clean the engine?

-does anyone know which chemical is used for this procedure?

ive been looking on many different sites and not one answer is the same:/

by JB2wheeler Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:13 pm

I am not familur with the procedure, but it occurs to that perhaps no one wants to accept legal responsibility in case something goes wrong. Then again perhaps I am paranoid today. JB

by Limey SE Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:44 pm

Nicest way I have used to clean an engineis this...Buy a box of Arm & Hammer WASHING SODA. 1 cup to 2 Gal. water dissolved in PLASTIC container big enough to submerge items to be cleaned. Wire items together, connecting them to the NEGATIVE side of a 6 amp. battery charger. Place steel rods around perimeter of soluion tank, tie them together electrically and connect to POSITIVE side of charger. Make sure rods do not touch items to be cleaned. This is not fast, but it is safe, you can put hands into solution, clean Pos. rods as neded. This will take rust, grease and paint off and leave metal nearly non-rusting. Solution can be dumped on lawn and no harm done. I have used this several times

by abajc3 Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:55 pm

yes this is exactly the procedure i have decided to follow. i dont need a fast process, i need an efficient and safe one. where do you get that soda?

by Limey SE Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:58 pm

I get mine at ace hardware here in town, I am not sure for overseas but this is what you are looking for

hot-tanking PACE3-5886582dt

by dragons_lair59 Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:51 pm

used to have a realitivily safe method to clean degrease stuff a 2100psi 215degree presure washer with roto tip the only unsafe part is presure+roto tip+ body parts+temp= possible loss loss of body parts and lots of pain

by Laguna Budman Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:10 pm

Check a local diesel shop (i.e. Caterpillar) They all have a Large parts washers that handle large parts. High heat, high pressure and dries them too. I'm sure if you told them your situation they would work with you. Just a suggestion hope it works if you try it.

by abajc3 Sun Dec 05, 2010 6:02 pm

there is infact a large caterpillar service station in my home town. my neighbour works there as well, i will ask him as soon as i get home from college.

the thing i still dont know is whether hot tanking also removes rust and old paint or does it just degrease parts?

by JB2wheeler Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:20 am

Just a wild guess, but it probably just degreases. Like I say, I am not familur with machine shop operations. JB

by pila Mon Dec 06, 2010 11:35 pm

The place that does my tanking has a caustic solution in their tank, and it's heated. It also has an agitator to move the liquid around in there. It removes everything except rust. Cam bearings have to be removed of course, because those oil passages need cleaning, and the solution eats the bearing material anyway.
Most times the blocks and heads come out looking like a new casting.

by Laguna Budman Tue Dec 07, 2010 12:00 am

Pila is correct, but the CAT shop i use alot has a cleaner with a dryer so very minimal surface rust. Even though it has a dryer you still have to blow out areas with air nozzle.

by pila Tue Dec 07, 2010 12:58 am

After I have a block cleaned, I take it to the local car wash that uses quarters, and use the high pressure soap and rinse on it, just to be sure it's actually clean. It's worth the trouble I believe. Of course it has to be air dried with compressed air.

by abajc3 Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:18 pm

ok so i made my own hot tank this weekend, i took the soda that we use for cleaning wine tanks, hope it will get the job done. i fired it up today with just the heads inside to see if it works. the bubbles appeared and there was a lot of grease on the surface and a lot of particles on the iron rods, but the current was just about 1amp or so. i dont think thats enough to heat the solution.

unfortunately im only home for weekends as i have to go to college in another town that is about 70 miles away and cold as hell, so i will se if it works on friday afternoon.

one more thing, is it bad if the object stays in the tank for too long?

by coreys73chevelle Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:27 pm

have it done, Hot tank it and magnafluxed, so its cleaned spotless and checked for cracks! cost me like $70???

by abajc3 Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:47 pm

the cost is not the problem, its the lack of workshops that do this stuff over here. believe me, i wouldnt think twice before giving that 70$ for a well done job, but noone does this stuff around here. its unusual to overhaul car engines here, especially with all the machine shop work and stuff. they are so crappy that its simply not worth it. so i had to do it myself.

and come to think of it, if you take a 1.2 block to the machine shop. no matter how little material they take off, in the end you are left with a block the size of a pencil sharpener:P

by pila Mon Dec 13, 2010 1:32 am

Sounds like you will do OK when you experiment a bit more with your tank. I doubt that leaving parts in the tank would have much affect, but then again I don't know anything about the stuff you are using.

by abajc3 Mon Dec 13, 2010 2:46 pm

my younger brother called today and said that rust, grease and most of the paint is already gone. there are some spots left, but it should be done by tommorow.

cant wait till i get home and check it out.

by abajc3 Sun Jan 02, 2011 3:09 pm

i pulled the heads out the other day and the situation is following:

-rust is gone
-paint is mostly gone, there is still a bit left but i will get that of with wire brush
-it didnt degrease parts quite how i was expecting

-im pulling solid 6 amps of current, but it still doesnt heat up. i thought that since its called HOT tank, the solution should be hot right? or am i wrong? might this be the reason it doesnt degrease parts?

i put the block in yesterday, we will see what happens

by JB2wheeler Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:05 pm

Perhaps that refers to electricaly hot instead of temperature wise hot. JB

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