Racers have been using Muriatic acid for years as a porting medium.  Coat the passages, let it sit, sand blast, re-coat the passages, let it sit, sand blast.  Enlarges the passages and keeps the shape.  It's called "cheating fairly" to those who do it.  YES, Muriatic acid will eat cast iron and ruin it.  As someone who has been porting heads and intake manifolds for the better part of 50 years, I have personal experience with Muriatic acid porting.  Joe-JDC



JDC

I sent you a pm B-rad

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

While it is true that muriatic acid will dissolve die cast pot metal,  I have never had a problem with muriatic acid "eating iron".  The acid reacts only with the rust and you leave the part in the acid just long enough to remove the rust.  The result is clean fresh cast iron.  I have soaked several rusty intake manifolds in a large tub to clean out the insides and never had a problem.  Just make sure you remove and neutralize all of the acid before painting.  Your housing should seal just fine with a new hose and tight clamp.

Just a thought, I've been using Evap-o-Rust in a large tub to tidy up my engine parts as I'm working through assembly. It works quite well. You can get it in 5 gallon buckets. I also used it to clean the dealer accessory heater before I painted and installed it.

Hey miker, you in az yet?

Brad
Sierra Vista Arizona
1954 Lincoln Capri

Thanks y'all. I know I'm asking a lot of questions almost daily but I know I will usually get the info I need on here. Not a whole lot of other places to find info on a unusual car.

Brad
Sierra Vista Arizona
1954 Lincoln Capri

It’ll probably be just fine. When they’re rough I like to “polish” or smooth them a bit with sandpaper. But the hose should seal just fine.


miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

If you have access to a sandblaster, use that and do not acid wash it.  Muratic acid will eat the iron if you leave it too long and soften it.  BTDT, and now I bead blast of sand blast iron parts.  Just looking at it, I would sand the thermostat flange flat, and sand the hose area lightly, and coat the whole part with rust inhibitor primer, and then paint it engine color.  Should last several years before needing a new gasket.  Joe-JDC

JDC

Believe it or not, this is the worst rust on the entire car

Brad
Sierra Vista Arizona
1954 Lincoln Capri

Will the muriatic acid bring it back to like new metal or will it just remove the rust? I'm a little concerned about where the hose goes, if it'll have a good tight seal with the roughness there now. Would the acid be good for the intake manifold also? What's the acid do?

Brad
Sierra Vista Arizona
1954 Lincoln Capri