78 1000 skunk - here goes nothing

[sedelen]

you guys clearly don't know what you're talking about



what should i even do to this thing? *dremel wire brush?

I think we know what were talking about, but geez we didn't know we'd be up against something that looks like it spent most of it's life in salt water. I've never seen one that looked that bad.
Anyway, for starters I would seriously look for a "replacement" I have seen them on E-bay a perhaps someone here might have one they'll depart with.
Other than that, I'd ohms check for varying resistance throughout the floats range, to see if it even works. If by chance it does or can be made to by cleaning the contacts, I'd soak it in a product called "Evaporust"

http://www.evapo-rust.com/

But that's a long shot. If it were mine, I might keep it just to fill the hole until I could locate another, then I'd toss it with extreme predjudice.

[Big T]

you guys clearly don't know what you're talking about



what should i even do to this thing? *dremel wire brush?

evaporust, metal rescue, Permatex rust remover, vinegar

Any of those might save it - I'd start with vinegar because it's cheap

Don't bother with scraping it off, you'd never get enough of it

[sedelen]

I can't remember exactly about the galvanized stuff but it's not good. I have an old box spring I cut pieces off of, bare steel, it works well.

That float assembly is galvanized, and it appears that in the Electrolysis process that galvanized metal became the equivalent of a sacrificial zinc anode. I've seen alot of rusty tanks but the float assemblies in them looked pretty good.

[shwaz]

evaporust, metal rescue, Permatex rust remover, vinegar

Any of those might save it - I'd start with vinegar because it's cheap

Don't bother with scraping it off, you'd never get enough of it

thanks. thinking about the dremel, there's also the inside to consider so yeah. i think i'm just more mechanically minded than chemically so scraping it off comes to mind first

i've never used vinegar but know i've seen mention of it here before. regular white vinegar, just soak it?

i'll try an ohms test but would be good to get the crap off it so i can at least use it to seal the hole until finding a new one if it's shot.

[shwaz]

That float assembly is galvanized, and it appears that in the Electrolysis process that galvanized metal became the equivalent of a sacrificial zinc anode. I've seen alot of rusty tanks but the float assemblies in them looked pretty good.

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?

[sedelen]

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..!

[sedelen]

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

Evaporust!

[sedelen]

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.