Removing corrosion from throttle body

[Cosantoir]

Hey gang,
I'm getting ready to put a new engine into my car over the next while and will start to have the engine I have sitting here the past 5-6 months rebuilt.

I was checking it out over the weekend and I can see the white powdery texture inside the throttle body that I would associate to corrosion.
Here's a random pic from the internet that looks similar.

Any tips or tricks on cleaning this down where im not gonna be sucking this ****e into my engine?

 

[Brad93]

Vapour blasting

 

[brightspark]

or bead if u intend stripping it down and rebuilding it you will need to to get rid of the beads

 

[Ross365]

White deposits like that will be metal compounds (ionic), so solvent type products won't do much. I think I'd start with some dilute citric acid solution (discussed in detail on another thread), but don't leave it going for very long without taking a look at it and stop it as quickly as possible before there's significant attack on the underlying metal and spray with a WD40 type product.

 

[bricol]

I'd just give it a wipe over with scotchbrite and WD40

 

[Ross365]

I'd just give it a wipe over with scotchbrite and WD40

That might well work, but... I'd be willing to bet 50p that, sooner or later, the white neds would be back. It's like rust, taking off the surface stuff is one thing, dealing with the pits is another.

 

[graffian]

Get your mum to boil it up when she's making you a rhubarb pie.
It will come out all lovely and shiny.

 

[Ross365]

Get your mum to boil it up when she's making you a rhubarb pie.
It will come out all lovely and shiny.

Can it be any old rhubarb, or does it have to be "premium rhubarb" grown in the wondrous "Rhubarb Triangle" of West Yorkshire ?

 

[optima21]

The rhubarb is on offer at Aldi until 02.06.21

https://www.aldi.co.uk/rhubarb/p/712762463125800

 

[Screwdriver]

Ketchup works well on aluminium I find. It is not too acidic (contains acetic) but strong enough to remove the white fluffy oxide. I leave stuff coated overnight in a plastic bag.

 

[bricol]

That might well work, but... I'd be willing to bet 50p that, sooner or later, the white neds would be back. It's like rust, taking off the surface stuff is one thing, dealing with the pits is another.

But by then you'll have the air filter strapped to it, and won't notice

 

[Munkul]

Look towards strong acidic products for cleaning alloy wheels....

Or, just take the butterfly out and give it a good scotch brite That's what I would do!

 

[Ross365]

Look towards strong acidic products for cleaning alloy wheels....

Or, just take the butterfly out and give it a good scotch brite That's what I would do!

Are their any strong acid products for cleaning alloys? Every one I've ever tried has been strongly alkaline!

@Screwdriver Ketchup usually contains both acetic and citric acid and would very probably do it!

 

[AndersK]

Oxalic or phosphoric acid will do it.
As in rhubarbs or rim cleaner

Rim cleaner and a brush or scotch Brite will bring it back easily, done that on engine parts before. Clean well with hot water and apply some old school hard wax after helps to protect it.

 

[graffian]

Some one who knew an ion from an ionic bond was telling me about chains, organic acids
and aluminium. All went right over my head. But he did say the
active ingredient was oxlic acid and there was more in the leaves that the stems.

 

[Munkul]

Are their any strong acid products for cleaning alloys? Every one I've ever tried has been strongly alkaline!

Autosmart sell some professional grade cleaners which are strongly acidic. They're great products and quite dangerous, not sure when they'll get banned like all of the other good stuff nowadays.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Autosmart sell some professional grade cleaners which are strongly acidic. They're great products and quite dangerous, not sure when they'll get banned like all of the other good stuff nowadays.

Their 'Smart Wheels' is usually strong enough for removing baked-on brake dust [not the best for using on 'diamond cut' alloys though ]

If all else fails, there's always brick acid.... [use this at your own discretion ]

 

[Ross365]

Get it while (if) you still can; a new law came in earlier this year called The Explosives Precursors and Poisons act. I reckon that by the time it's fully enforced the most reactive stuff you'll be able to buy ( for home/domestic use) will be vinegar.

 

[Screwdriver]

Are their any strong acid products for cleaning alloys? Every one I've ever tried has been strongly alkaline!

@Screwdriver Ketchup usually contains both acetic and citric acid and would very probably do it!

You don't really want a strong acid for aluminium, it is a highly reactive metal. It is usually protected by a very durable layer of oxide. Also, the "strength" of an acid has no more effect than time (all things being equal) so that a weaker solution will do just as good a job over a longer time period. This is ideal for our purposes where we only want a mild cleaning action which with ketchup, can take place overnight or over several days with no harmful effect.

Dunk aluminium into a strong enough acid and it might only last minutes or seconds!

 

[Ross365]

Yes, I agree, and strong alkaline solutions are hardly better, and I suspect the reason why you see the powder coating flaking off so many alloy wheels is frequent use of those products. I do have some alkaline cleaner in the garage, but never leave it on the wheels for more that 5 or 10 seconds.