Topic: "The works"

[lash]

As usual you cant buy anything good that works in Canada and it seems that "the Works" is one of them. Anybody know what would be a good substitute?

[ekpent]

 Yuk- must be some dirty looking toilets around there------------------- Don't they sell any other brands of toilet cleaner that may contain the same ingredients ?

[b52bombardier1]

CLR bathroom cleanser used to be good stuff but they took out the phosphoric acid.  Now I buy straight phosphoric acid by the gallon called Prep and Etch. With a little heat, phosphoric acid easily removes rust but does not harm good metal.

Rick

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[BomberMann650]

I was going to suggest finding some on ebay....but then I looked.  People are trying to sell these $1.35 bottles of cleaner for $17.00 a bottle online 👿

[Desert-SOHC]

Evapo-rust works well but takes awhile to eat the rust.  I used it on my Triple A's, everything looked like this...

I still need to soak them longer, but it worked pretty good.

[Imago]

I did a tank this fall and used Apple Cider Vinegar. It's 5% acetic acid. I took off the gas cap, lock and petcock and taped the openings with really sticky duct tape. Inside was a gallon of the vinegar and a six foot length of light dog chain. I rotated the tank and shook it like mad every 6 hours for 3 days... voila! The tank looked like new inside. I immediately rinsed well with 1/2 a box of baking soda in a gallon of water, then rinsed with a garden hose for 10 minutes. I heard that it might flash rust so I sprayed the inside with some engine fogger I had in the garage.

It's now painted and on the bike with a new gas cap. I'm not sure if regular white vinegar is as effective, it's also 5% acetic acid, but I'm now a firm believer in Apple Cider Vinegar.

One tip... I learned to shake the tank directly up and down to get the chain and vinegar to the top of the interior of the tank. It's easy to shake it back and forth but inside the top part directly under the gas cap only gets wet and not struck by the chain to knock the rust loose, without this motion.

[BomberMann650]

Word of warning; do not get any of "the works" on chrome.

I got a drop of the stuff on the 750's gas cap and it stained.  I hope it buffs out.

Imago, that sounds like a lotta work with the vinegar.  The works had the yammie's tank cleaned in about 6 hours flat.  I had a 8" length of old 530 chain in there as a scraper.  But didn't have to work nearly as hard as you did!

Metal Rescue seemed to work well on my chrome parts.  Same price as evapo rust.

[Imago]

Imago, that sounds like a lotta work with the vinegar.  The works had the yammie's tank cleaned in about 6 hours flat.  I had a 8" length of old 530 chain in there as a scraper.  But didn't have to work nearly as hard as you did!

No doubt, but I'm frugal, need the exercise and can't get the "Works" up here.

[toma]

The Works jug says that it is hydrogen chloride in water. Which means that it is dilute hydrochloric acid or muriatic acid. If you buy the concentrated Muriatic be careful it is nasty stuff. It eats rust and aluminum and pot metal but really cleans brass carb parts well. Wear eye protection rubber gloves and don't breathe  the fumes. 

[BomberMann650]

Yay chemisty! 

[lash]

I use the Metal Restore on other stuff but it would be really expensive to do a tank. I am going to maybe do the vinegar thing or maybe the muriatic acid. Thinking about electrolysis also..

[lash]

Yuk- must be some dirty looking toilets around there------------------- Don't they sell any other brands of toilet cleaner that may contain the same ingredients ?

I dont know what the works has in it to compare anything else to.

[drumstyx]

Prep and etch stuff here didn't have phosphoric acid...I forget what it was. Canada *sucks* for anything chemical. I paid 80 bucks for a gallon of methylene chloride just so I could make a brew similar to berryman chem dip.

If you find something let me know...I ended up using muriatic acid, but the surface rust comes back no matter how well you oil it after

[MikeSimon]

I have used molasses to derust a tank. Read about it on several other forums and tried it out. Mix with hot water one part molasses to five parts H2O.
Totally safe for paint and chrome, however, remove the petcock when you use it. let tank sit for 10 days. Works perfect and is cheap and easy to dispose of.