Answer me this

grandpa Love · Jul 5, 2019

I've got an old Allis B with a stuck motor......most common answer is pour some transmission fluid in the cylinders. I have a rusty gas tank off a 8n and folks say nothing cleans a gas tank out like vinegar!! So .......why not put vinegar in the cylinders??? Thanks!

old · Jul 5, 2019

Vinegar is an acid and acids eat metal and on a stuck engine you need to both clean up rust but also lube the rings and cylinder wall to free them up. Vinegar if left in long enough would eat holes in the cylinder walls

WayneLee · Jul 5, 2019

Try E 85 in the rusty tank. I freed an old ford v 8 with transformer oil. Might be hard to get that now days. Try penetrating oil in the cylinders

coshoo · Jul 5, 2019

Old, don't know if it was you or somewhere else that said 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone made the best penetrant ever. Tried it, and they're right (only thing is, you have to use a tight lid or the acetone goes away- I found a pint whiskey bottle works good- just be careful to not confuse your whiskey bottles). Would that also be the ticket for freeing up a stuck engine?

old · Jul 5, 2019

Was not me who said acetone and ATF. I have said ATF and turpentine mixed 50/50

David G · Jul 5, 2019

vinegar does not do the pistons any good, nor provide lubrication that is needed.

gmccool · Jul 5, 2019

Old is right. DON'T use vinegar.

Steve@Advance · Jul 5, 2019

Vinegar is acidic, so it cleans by removing the rusty metal.

Putting it in a rusty gas tank could result in a perforated tank!

But then if it was that far gone it was just a matter of time anyway.

I would not put it in the cylinders. Even though it "might" work, especially for freeing up stuck rings, just in case it didn't free the engine, or there was another problem that prevented the engine from starting, the corrosive effect of it being left in there would be very destructive.

tomNE · Jul 5, 2019

peroxide is the best stuff i ever used. even better then acetone and ATF 50/50

grandpa Love · Jul 5, 2019

Like the peroxide you put on cuts?!?!

showcrop · Jul 5, 2019

Vinegar would work great for a first stage of the project. What you are trying to accomplish is to get the piston rings to move past rust which is tough to do. Vinegar would dissolve the rust given some time, so that well lubricated rings would move more readily past the rust. The rate of degradation of the rust would not be very fast, and any damage to the pistons, rings, and block would not be noticeable until after a few days, because vinegar is a weak acid. The problem with this though is the logistics of getting the vinegar out after letting it work for a day or two, and getting oil in to provide lubrication. Due to this problem I would stick to solvents and lubricants.

old · Jul 5, 2019

Peroxide is H-2 O-2 so will cause the same problem water does don't use it unless you want more rust

old popper · Jul 5, 2019

I just recently freed up a JD B that had been stuck for 25 years.......filled cylinders, and the crankcase with E-85. You need patience, but it freed up the old B. Right now I have both brakes off, and soaking in E-85 in a washtub. I guess I'm a believer.

Hobo,NC · Jul 5, 2019

The problem with vinegar if you don't get it un-stuck and it continues to set in the long run vinegar will make it rust more... It will become yard art

Hoenes · Jul 5, 2019

Hopefully PCB transformer oil WILL be hard to find.

Leroy · Jul 5, 2019

I have had cast planter plates setting in vinigar for a month and it did not do anymore after setting that long than letting it set for 1 day. After a day or two just take sandpaper and use that vinigar for a lubricant to rub rust off cylinder walls. then take blow gun on air hose and just blow the vinigar out of culinder Might want to do this to get out down to about a half inch before using that sand paper, and then rince good, dry and probably repeat untill you get a piston to move an eighth of an inch then clean out again and then put in just enough lubricating oil to cover the stuck rings and try to turn over and if you get it moving stop several times and wipe out any signs of rust and relub and keep trying to get it to move. If you have the head still on you will still have the same problem getting anything you have filled cylinders with out and just use that air hose in spark plug hole. But you could not wipe down to get any loosened rust out. Don't wory about the vinagar keeping on eating steel, on those planter plates I found it did not do it.

Geo-TH,In · Jul 6, 2019

I've used white rock inside a motorcycle gas tank and shook the rock to knock rust lose.

I've read on YT where someone jacked up the back tire of a tractor and attached gas tank with rock in it to the back wheel.

I put an old rusty chain in a bucket of hydrochloric acid, commonly known as muratic acid. The acid kept eating away the chain. Chlorine bleach will eat rust too.

Rust is iron oxide. There are chemicals that convert rust back to iron. I think it phosphoric acid, rust converter. Smells like vomit.

The original tank on Jubilee was coated with a white material to protect the iron from rusting. Not sure what it was. That material started flaking off. Looked like gray primer. I got tired of it choking up the carb. YT sold a new tank for a little over $200. Materials to recondition an old tank was more than half that amount. I would look for a new tank if one is available. If not, good luck cleaning the old tank.

After you clean up the tank, you may want to coat the inside of tank with something. I think there is a red seal coat like paint.

Good luck.

Stephen Newell · Jul 6, 2019

Vinegar is an acid. I don't think I would put it in a motor you weren't sure you could get running. If you have access to an inspection camera you might look in the cylinders and see if there is anything obvious before doing anything. As far as the transmission fluid the machine shop I use uses that to lubricate parts they work on.

Answer me this

grandpa Love

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old

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WayneLee

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coshoo

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old

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David G

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gmccool

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Steve@Advance

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tomNE

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grandpa Love

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showcrop

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old

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old popper

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Hobo,NC

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Hoenes

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Leroy

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Geo-TH,In

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