78 1000 skunk - here goes nothing

[Guest]

OMG SCIENCE!


do you think that's possible? the current wasn't connected to the float assembly, it was connected to the crappy threaded rod i bought... though of course it's electricity, it goes where it wants....

so you're suggesting that the reason this one looks like it's made of rust is that it acted as the anode, since i didn't pull it before trying electrolysis, AND my anode wasn't good steel, so the float assembly basically attracted as much rust as it could?

Just saying I do believe it's a possibility, whenever you have disimilar metals submerged in water you get electrolysis, galvanic corrosion.
The float assembly was grounded to the tank by the securing screws.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion

 

[salty_monk]

I cleaned one up great in Evaporust.

 

[shwaz]

I cleaned one up great in Evaporust.

yeah i can always give it a bath. we'll see, can't hurt to try salvaging it

 

[salty_monk]

As I found out at the time... They are not easy to find now..!

 

[Guest]

I'd soak it in a product called "Evaporust"
http://www.evapo-rust.com/

Evaporust!

 

[Guest]

As I found out at the time... They are not easy to find now..!

I've looked on e-bay and I can't find one at present.
As bad as the unit looks, it appears to be structurally sound, looks like just superficial surface rust.

 

[chuck hahn]

Dan is right on the evaporust..its a great product..but kinda pricey.

I am for the vinegar and have used it on many pieces..cheap to get. Only drawback is that it works slower than the other stronger chemicals, so soak time will be much longer.

Once it has soaked, there are 3 little bent over tabs that hold the cover on. GENTLY lift them and remove the cover. Clean the contacts and the coiled wire board thing with a soft toothbrush and some baking soda.

My gas cap pieces for the 73 TX 750 project looked as bad as that and I used vinegar soak and it took the stuff off to bare metal again..with a little scrubbing with a brush too.

Heres the parts after they were soaked and the rust in the bowl. The rust was so bad it left the parts well pitted, as you can see. But the vinegar did its job well.

 

[Gregory]

Mine looked worse than that and i just put it on a wire wheel. I thn took the cover off and cleaned the inside with small wire brush and scewdriver as a scraper. Light sandpaper on the contacts.

If your fuel guage worked, then maybe you wont even need to do the contacts

 

[chuck hahn]

Gregory..the vinegar will turn the gunk inside the cover to slime and just a simple toothbrush will finish the clean up.

Myself, I would be afraid of picking and poking with a screwdriver on the thin coiled wires..but that just my err to the side of caution thing.

 

[Gregory]

good idea. in retrospect, I think i was also spraying it out with brake cleaner or carb cleaner while i worked on it...but your idea sounds much safer.

 

[chuck hahn]

Yes, I suppose as the final clean up get underway some carb or brake cleaner would help even further. I will store that tip in the good ideas file of my mind!!!

 

[shwaz]

wow

wow

its really cleaning up well. just stuck it in some vinegar and its flaking off in chunks. granted ive never used it before so ive no frame of reference but the speed and ease its coming off with makes me think sedelen was correct with his guess about this piece acting as the anode.

measured resistance, got a range of about 45-265 iirc. seems like its working

after 2 hours

 

[chuck hahn]

Just keep checking the outer case with a tooth brush from time to time till it gets it clean...i wiould guess a full 24 hrs MINIMUM by the way it looks.

Then bend those 3 little tabs that hold the cover on and clean everything inside.

You can plug the unit in to the wiring harness outside the tank and move the arm to see if the guage works.