Would this housing be useable? There's a lot of rust inside and around the end where the hose attaches. It's not soft or holey but rough. Of course I will be installing a new thermostat. The intake manifold also has rust inside that I can't seem to be able to reach. Any ideas?

Brad
Sierra Vista Arizona
1954 Lincoln Capri

Give those parts a bath in muriatic (Pool) acid.  Just make sure that you rinse off and neutralize all of the acid with plenty of water from a garden hose and then paint the parts right away as they will immediately begin to rust if left  in bare metal.  

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

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

Brad
Sierra Vista Arizona
1954 Lincoln Capri

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

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

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

Hey miker, you in az yet?

Brad
Sierra Vista Arizona
1954 Lincoln Capri

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.

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.