How to use electrolysis on the doors

[Kibokojoe]

Just finished the electrolysis project on my doors. This is an awesome way of removing rust and to seal and protect the doors. I have uploaded a pdf file to my site. By following this link at the bottom of the photos you can download the file

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj225/kibokojoe/electrolysisfinished.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj225/kibokojoe/finishedpainting.jpg

http://kibokojoe.webs.com/Door%20electrolysis%20setup.pdf

[BennyM]

Wow. That looks incredibly involved. Don't think I'd have the patience for it, but excellent work!

[shogun]

very nice, Joe!
If you want, it can be loaded onto my website, I can ask my buddy to add it to his server, he manages my site.
You can send it directly by email to the email address shown on the main page of my website below to 'hairywithit'

[Kibokojoe]

Most of the work is getting the door down to clean it. Or I guess you could buy a new door :). First door was the hardest, second door I had the door apart and in the tank in less than an hour. Most of the time was spent waiting for the door to cook.

You want to talk about incredibly involved try taking a 4HP22 valve body apart and cleaning it. I am doing this on my sons car right now and man there are a lot of parts. Spent 4 hours Saturday disassembling, cleaning and reassembling the VB. This is only one side of four :)
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj225/kibokojoe/Picture021.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj225/kibokojoe/Picture033.jpg

[shogun]

o.k., then send it to my email address, see PM box for details.

But the valve body work makes fun, pretty easy actually, except scraping off the old main gasket.

[Kibokojoe]

Ha yeah as long as you don't drop a spring, ball or piston. Kind of nerve racking making sure everything goes back the way it came out. Sure would hate to pay 6 bills to have it rebuilt.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

I do something like this for old rifle barrels to remove the copper/lead fouling

[Kibokojoe]

Finished reassembling the VB tonight. Luckily for me when I removed the large plate to replace the gasket all of the cups and balls stayed in place. The drawings in the manual did not show the proper placement of these little jewels. The vasoline trick worked wonderfully and all of the parts stayed in place until I finished the assembly. Question do all the bolts on the VB torqued to 71 in/lbs? What is the torque on the bolts that mount the VB to the tranny aren't those like 94 in/lbs? The gasket is placed dry correct? It took a while to carefully remove the old one. A sharp razor blade did the trick.


o.k., then send it to my email address, see PM box for details.

But the valve body work makes fun, pretty easy actually, except scraping off the old main gasket.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

so electrolysis works on lead and copper too?

Yup, just uses peroxide or ammonia as the electrolite.

Basically, you are reverse plating the bore...pulling the copper and lead off the bore and on to a cathode rod running the length of the barrel

[shogun]

Finished reassembling the VB tonight. Question do all the bolts on the VB torqued to 71 in/lbs? What is the torque on the bolts that mount the VB to the tranny aren't those like 94 in/lbs? The gasket is placed dry correct? It took a while to carefully remove the old one. A sharp razor blade did the trick.

is that not mentioned in the info I sent you? Do not have access to it at the moment.
Or do a search for BMW tightening torques, there is a +130 pages document on the internet available

[shogun]

Joe, I got the file and it is now on my website
http://twrite.org/shogunnew/fixes/body.html

[Kibokojoe]

Finally something worthy of your site :) I am honored

[shogun]

Did it again on another car and it works nice, this time a Honda

[Kibokojoe]

Did it again on another car and it works nice, this time a Honda
So you tried this? Great... The door on the 735i has a little rust return after all of these years but it is still very nice. I would like to find a plastic container to place under doors so you would not have to remove the doors. That way I could do a quick soak once a year or so.

[shogun]

Plastic container is a good idea. I use a larger plastic container/tub also for ATF change and flushing of the transmission, originally this container is a cement mixing tub and I found it for less than 10 $ at place like your Home Depot etc, something like that http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2135608-Trans-flush-setup&highlight=trans+flush


We even did that electrolysis some years ago with a E32 750 fuel tank from my Highline, of course removed from the car. I read many DIY info about motorbike tank electrolysis like this http://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11784
Also made a short youtube of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz5C3KRmwHg

This one is also interesting from Eastwood https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Covk_AxA3Ig
Don't throw your classic's gas tank away, restore it. Jim shows how to clean that old tank of rust, seal it and make it as good as new. From the Eastwood series of tips.

[632 Regal]

What is the purpose of the loose nuts in the tank?

[shogun]

The steel balls break the thick layers of rust into smaller particles and remove them from the steel tank, similar to bead blasting or sand blasting, in the industry steel balls are available in various sizes known as steel shot abrasive peening balls. Quote:
Steel shot blasting is the most widely used process for cleaning, stripping and improving a metal surface. The grade or size of steel shot will determine the ultimate finish achieved on the surface of the metal. The round ball shape of the steel shot produces a clean, smooth and polished surface through a peening action created by the acceleration of the shot. In a peening application, steel shot is also used to impart compressive strength to torque or load bearing metal parts such as crankshafts, engine turbine blades and heavy-duty springs. Smaller steel shot will result in a smoother and more polished surface. Larger shot will clean more aggressively but produce a rougher surface. Both air powered and wheel blast systems can be used to accelerate the steel shot onto the surface of the part. Since steel shot does not use an abrasive process, a minimal amount of dust is created in the blasting process.

[genphreak]

Joe, I got the file and it is now on my website
http://twrite.org/shogunnew/fixes/body.html
Well done boys, that's the business. Another invaluable write up for the less-initiated like me.

THANKS for the inspiration!