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Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:16 am

I was told that you can remove rust by soaking in water and molasses. It also doesn't hurt paint. Has anyone here tried this and what kind of results.

Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:37 am

I did it to a pair of stock wheels. Doesn't touch the paint. Turns the rust to a black coating, which you remove with a wire brush, soap and water. Works OK as long as you're not in a hurry. The parts will need to be primed/painted/whatever immediately after cleaning, or you start over.
I bought a 5 gallon bucket at the feed store for $30. Still have most of it left. Smells awesome when you start, not so much after a few weeks. Make sure your container has a lid.

Sun Jul 14, 2013 12:01 am

Are you talking about a part you can dump in a bucket of molasses, or are you hoping to spread it on a rusty area? From what I've seen/read, you need a giant pail/bucket to leave the metal in for an extended amount of time. Then you run into the issue of having to dispose of this sugar solution you've left out for weeks...

If you're hoping to just spread it on a rusty area of your vehicle, I would imagine it would dry out too quickly to get the job done.

Personally, I would either take it to get media/sand blasted, or hit it with phosphoric acid (+wire brush, and a bunch of elbow grease).

Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:16 pm

lots of videos on this over at YouTube you need to dunk it for weeks

Sun Jul 14, 2013 4:56 pm

Yeah, it'll need to soak. Times will vary.

If you have access to a sandblaster, that's the way to go.

Used solution can be poured on the lawn/ shrubs.

Thu Jul 25, 2013 10:45 pm

I mix 10 gallons of molasses to 90 gallons of water. Throw the part in and forget about it for a couple weeks. I use a pressure washer and asap hit it with a spray bottle a metal ready to avoid flash rust,,,,,Steve

Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:12 am

Yeah it takes about two weeks, little less if you scrub the crud off often. You need 1 part molasses to 9 parts water. It acts as a chelating agent.

Nasty smell though.

I prefer electrolytic rust removal, its much faster and just as delicate, will also lift paint. I have a rubbish bin with a plastic bag in as a liner that I use. Corrugated rods cut to lenght and stuck through a wooden frame on top makes a perfect anode.