DIY: Stripping anodized aluminium parts (like fuel rails, fuel fittings etc)

[RB30X]

 

I recently bought some cheap fuel rails off eBay. The reason they were cheap I’m guessing is because they were pink ……..or purple. Not that there is anything wrong with that. The worst part about owning purple fuel rails is telling your parents you’re gay. I’m just joking.

 

My plan was to strip the anodizing off the rails after being inspired by a recent article in a Street Commodores mag. How hard can it be?

 

 

 

Grab some Draino or Drain Clean or something containing Sodium Hydroxide. Oven cleaner spray works as well, but is an aerosol and the application would be different.

I sprinkled about half of the little tube on the side of the Drain Clean bottle worth of crystals into an old oven tray. I then poured enough boiling water into the tray to completely submerge a fuel rail. If you’re only doing a few fittings you could use an old cut down soft drink bottle or something that wont melt with the hot water. Now be careful, this stuff is very dangerous and by heating it up with boiling water it is extremely bad if you get it on you or in your eyes. I performed this outside with a fan blowing any fumes away from the house.

 

Give the crystals in the hot water a stir to help them dissolve. Throw a pair of gloves on, grab one fuel rail and lay it in the solution. Make sure you keep an eye on what happens next as the stripping rate will depend on the concentration of sodium hydroxide in your solution. The photos were taken during the stripping of the second fuel rail, and the results were much slower than when the initial solution was fresh and hot.

 

 

 

 

 

After you really start noticing that most of the anodizing has gone you may wish to drop it in a bucket of water. The reason for this is the surface gets a slippery soapy coating on it from the reaction and it slows the process down. Once in the bucket of water, rub this stuff off the surface with your gloved hands and dunk it back in the tray to finish off the rest. Once fully stripped, give it a wash in the water again, rubbing the surface as before but this time let it sit in the water to release all of the chemical.

 

 

Once the anodized surface has been stripped, the aluminium is prone to oxidation like any other bare metal surface. I plan on giving my rails a coating of an aluminium de-oxidiser just before I polish them using an aluminium polish. The finish below is straight out of the bucket of water (pre-polish) so you can see it doesn't look too bad already.

 

 

[FLEXZED]

Hey Tim

 

That looks great mate, thank you for the info

 

I will be doing that now if the misses allows me to use her baking trays

 

Loui

 

[RB30X]

Just tell her you want to 'clean' the trays for her

[reverendzed]

That's excellent Tim, thanks for the effort in documenting this.

Rev.

[Wayne G]

I have used same method, minus boiling water, for years to clean all sorts of parts whilst doing engine and component rebuilds. Two things I have learnt the hard way; 1. do not leave non ferrous parts to soak too long because the acid will eat them and 2. always add the acid to the water. By adding the acid to the water you avoid being splashed with really strong acid. My old chemistry teacher would tell us "do what you ought to, add acid to water" which came flashing back whilst I was madly rinsing my burning arm.

[PeterAllen]

... Oven cleaner spray works as well, but is an aerosol and the application would be different.

...

Tim - I failed Chemistry 101 (didn't enrol actually) so I don't know the chemistry behind it but I recently tried to clean up some aluminium component with spray on Oven Cleaner and it tuned them a horrible gunmetal colour. I subsequently read on the web never to used oven cleaner. I think you should stick to what you used - they look great.

 

Best wishes to all for the new year.

[RB30X]

2. always add the acid to the water.

 

This is very true. It's been a while since my chemistry lessons as well, although I do work in a metaliferous processing plant???

Also, sodium hydroxide is a 'base' which is the opposite to an 'acid' but both hurt the same.

 

Peter, the spray on oven cleaner is extremely concentrated sodium hydroxide. If your had to use this you'd spray the can into some water then dunk your 'parts' in it. You could always de-oxidise those darker pieces Peter and polish them, they'll still be ok unless you left them exposed long enough for pitting to begin on the surface.

[the.mb._]

keep in mind if you leave aluminium in this solution too long it will dissolve away. Be careful of threads especially, if they don't require stripping plug them with rubber bungs or use electrical tape wrapped around them to minimise the damage.

 

the black colour could possibly mean that the part is not aluminium & intead a zinc casting like old door handles & trims commonly found on cars. Not a good idea to put these in sodium hydroxide(caustic soda) as they react worse than aluminium & may damage the part beyond repair.

 

the solution isn't an acid either, it is a very strong alkaline & in some ways can be alot worse.

 

eg. mixing it into boiling water can make it almost explode in your face. Same thing if you mix the crystal or powdered form in big clumps, it has a violent reaction & is very dangerous!! 

 

i recommend being very careful & if you are unsure you can always ask your local electroplater for any directions on how to do it safely.

 

hope that helps 

[xa1973]

Or you could try a SHELL product called Dobatex ...either Gold or Purple...I prefer the purple as its a little more potent...but the Gold is also excellent

 

Non caustic to your hands eyes, ears, nose, skin, pet cat, dog or throat, it takes a little longer to dissolve the coatings on parts, but works a treat if left over a 24 hr period and stirred not shaken occassionaly

[Roes]

A good way of stopping the oxidation of the aliminium is applying Rust Bullet, its adhesion to aliminium is very good.

 

 

[Bigfella]

A good way of stopping the oxidation of the aliminium is applying Rust Bullet, its adhesion to aliminium is very good.

You are obviously a fan of Rust Bullet. New member today and already posted 3 moments about it

[Roes]

What can i say i like the stuff, and by your comment i take it you've had the same experience?

[benny]

my guess is he works for them!!

[Roes]

You're totally right Benny, I am a distributor located in the Sunshine Coast.

 

The main reason why I am on a forum like this is to sell Rust Bullet and to avoid people receiving advice to paint their rusted classics with fish oil, or some encapsulator that will do nothing to solve the problem and restore their car.

[gav240z]

You're totally right Benny, I am a distributor located in the Sunshine Coast.

 

The main reason why I am on a forum like this is to sell Rust Bullet and to avoid people receiving advice to paint their rusted classics with fish oil, or some encapsulator that will do nothing to solve the problem and restore their car.

 

Well if you are here to help our members that's fine. But if you are here to try and post links back to your own website then this will be disabled very shortly and a pointless exercise. I hope you have more to contribute than just flogging 1 product.

[Stivva]

I would love to see some photos of the ones that turned a gunmetal colour!