Molasses to aid in water distribution tube removal

[johnsartain]

A while back someone had asked the question about using molasses to remove rust from the coolant system prior to removing the water distribution tube. It was their hope that it would help in loosening it making the removal easier. Has there been any updates on this as to how well it may have worked? I have one I may attempt to remove soon and suggestions would be appreciated. The one I am removing is stuck pretty solid. Their question concerned draining the coolant and adding the molasses mixture and running it some over a couple of weeks, flushing it and then attempting to remove the water distribution tube.

Edited August 24, 2018 by johnsartain
additional info

[kencombs]

I'd be more inclined to use vinegar.  Molasses would probably work but slower.  I've used it in a large tub to take rust off larger items,  it's slow.

 

However, thinking on it, the heat of running may speed that up.

 

I have used vinegar, to clean blocks and it works.  Most recently on a Mitsubishi diesel, 91 model that probably had never had a coolant change, nasty!!  Took three vinegar flushes over a few days to get clear water out though .

 

I need to remove a tube from a 56 block and have been looking for a plastic container of some type even if it only holds 1/2 of it at a time, standing on end.  The tube looks to be brass and in OK shape, so I don't want to force it out.

[johnsartain]

How does the vinegar affect a brass/copper radiator? Any issues you can think of? What mix ratio vinegar to water?

 

[Don Coatney]

A family of moles had been hibernating all winter. One beautiful spring morning, they woke up. The father mole stuck his head out of the hole and looked around. "Mother Mole!" He called back down the hole. "Come up here! I smell honey, fresh made honey!" The mother mole ran up and squeezed in next to him. "That's not honey, that's maple syrup! I smell maple syrup!" The baby mole, still down in the hole, was sulking. "I can't smell anything down here but molasses ..."

 

OK I will go sit-in the corner. Let me know when my time is up.  
 

[kencombs]

3 hours ago, johnsartain said:

How does the vinegar affect a brass/copper radiator? Any issues you can think of? What mix ratio vinegar to water?

 

It's a mild acid, so is the molasses mix.  I've not seen any damage done to copper or brass items in vinegar over the time this might take.  Can't say on long term, like weeks.  I just used a full gallon of cheap white vinegar per flush.  The total system fill was about qts.  More would make it work faster.  Using it so soak other things, it seems to work best at around 4-8 hours, depending on the amount of rust.  A good soak and pressure washer does wonders.  Nasty black stuff just washes off.

[johnsartain]

On ‎8‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 3:20 PM, Don Coatney said:

A family of moles had been hibernating all winter. One beautiful spring morning, they woke up. The father mole stuck his head out of the hole and looked around. "Mother Mole!" He called back down the hole. "Come up here! I smell honey, fresh made honey!" The mother mole ran up and squeezed in next to him. "That's not honey, that's maple syrup! I smell maple syrup!" The baby mole, still down in the hole, was sulking. "I can't smell anything down here but molasses ..."

 

OK I will go sit-in the corner. Let me know when my time is up.  
 

We had a joke around work when I mentioned I use molasses to remove rust. It got to the point where we actually pronounced it mole asses for shock value.

[johnsartain]

On ‎8‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 5:41 PM, kencombs said:

It's a mild acid, so is the molasses mix.  I've not seen any damage done to copper or brass items in vinegar over the time this might take.  Can't say on long term, like weeks.  I just used a full gallon of cheap white vinegar per flush.  The total system fill was about qts.  More would make it work faster.  Using it so soak other things, it seems to work best at around 4-8 hours, depending on the amount of rust.  A good soak and pressure washer does wonders.  Nasty black stuff just washes off.

So what is your procedure that you recommend? Drain and flush out with water. Pour in 1 gallon of vinegar and top up with water?  Run for how long? Repeat how many times?

[kencombs]

I'd drain, flush and fill with 1gal vinegar, run till hot and set it set overnight.

 

repeat until it drains clear.   Replacing one core plug with a removable type (the kind that have a bolt/nut to expand the rubber part) makes the drain/flush much easier.