Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

crazy charlie

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I was thinking of giving the risers and manifolds a cleaning flush.I was planning on pouring straight Salt-X in the riser by pulling the tstat housing hose off and pouring right in the hose into the riser and let it sit for a while and start the motor to flush it out.Someone suggested a muriatic acid and water mixture to do the same .How long should I leave the acid in the riser before starting the motor to flush it out if I opt to go the acid route.I am not planning on taking the risers off to do this as I know they are not clogged.I just want to do a cleaning P.M..Charlie
 

Haut Medoc

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

I have used muriatic acid, but only with the risers off....<br />It did loosen the scale but I had to use a coat hanger & a hack saw blade to get them clean...<br />On a Merc, if you plug the outlet holes with scale, bad things will happen....<br />I would use the salt x if you don't want to take the risers off.....JK
 

crazy charlie

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

When you used the acid with risers off ,did you use it full strength and for how lond did you let them soak??
 

Don S

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

If the manifold are so rusted up inside that they need cleaned, that is a sure sign they need changed. If you take all that scale off, they could start leaking water into the engine.<br />That scale is nothing more than the insides of the manifolds corroding away.
 

rob935

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

dons right do it right the first time by changing the manifolds, will be a cheap fix in the long run.
 

crazy charlie

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

manifolds and risers are fine.I get some black sediment that has collected in the past due to a stretch of shallow water I have to pass through.I figured it would be better to keep them clean rather than waiting until they have to be cleaned.Charlie
 

Doug Durako

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

Muriatic acid won't remove rust, but it will bread down the mineral compounds found in water. I never thought about flushing the motor with it. Be careful, it will burn you and the fumes will knock you out. Also, if it blows out the exhaust it will mark you concrete and eat the roadway.<br /><br />Try 1 cup acid with a gallon of water. Just a suggestion. If I did it, I would try to catch the runoff.
 

Haut Medoc

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

What DD said.....It is nasty stuff & I would not use it inside my engine.....JK
 

Buttanic

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

Muratic acid will remove rust. I have a 55 gallon plastic drum that I keep a 25% mixture of muratic acid and water to de rust metal. How long depends on how bad the rust is. Sometime an hour or two does it other times it may take 24 hours. You have to remove the part and hose it off every so often to see how the process is going. If done right it will leave the metal as clean as sand blasting. After derusting I neturalize with baking soda and water and dry it as fast as possible.
 

Doug Durako

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

I've only used it underground to open up a well and there is no rust underground because there is no air. It does clear mineral deposits and my well pumps water like it was new after a treatment.<br /><br />I would not put the stuff out on the ground. I got my nose too close to my well pipe once and could not breathe for about 15 seconds. Scary.
 

woosterken

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

what would happen if you used liquid plumer?<br />it is safe on plastic pipe in the house.<br />ken
 

mikeneal

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Re: Salt-X or muriatic acid for risers & manif

I would worry about the effects of a strong acid on the rubber hoses and misc compenents. Dittoon the removal of rust and scale on risers and manafolds, once they are that bad time to replace...too much $$ when they fail.
 
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