Internal front wheel rot

[jbrewer]

Maybe it's because I live in the south and maybe it's because most of the tractors that I buy most sane people would part out, BUT, darned if so many of the front wheels I run into are rotted out with rust.


I tried cutting rotted pieces out and welding in patches. The patches I formed out of similar steel fit really well, BUT this process reminds me that I became an electronics engineer, not a welder. The widely varying thickness of the rot-from-within rusty wheels are unforgiving for an untalented wire welder as I am.

Anyway, I found what seems to be a good solution for preventing additional rust after cleaning the always-rusty inside part of a cub wheel--- spray undercoating.

The wire wheel(s) in an air drill do a good job of removing rust...and loose rusty metal. I then spray with some of the "rust reformer" spray stuff, which I've used before . It's usually a flat black thin spray that really does seem to prevent rust from reappearing or progressing on wire-brushed rusty patches. There's a chemical process with this, that neutralizes the rust process, so the description says, and I believe it.

Then I've used spray can undercoating. This stuff covers thickly dries fast and really seals well. Its also just a bit rubbery so it sticks really well.

Whoever buys my cubs after I croak can share whether it's a good long term solution, but I'm pretty sure it's much better than the coat of almond paint that it came from the factory with.

Not rocket science, but it seems to work well

[finsruskw]

IIRC a cub front wheel will fit in a round 5 gallon bucket.
That and leaving it submersed overnight (or longer if needed) in some white cleaning vinegar is what you need , then take your wire brush to it.

You will be amazed as the vinegar turns the rust to mush and is easily removed w/your brush.
Be sure and knock of all the large scaly stuff before hand is all so the solution can soak into the rusty metal.

It's either that or the sandblaster at my shop unless I have only one wheel or only a few small parts to de-rust
If I have other parts to blast, then I usually gather up all I can find that need it and take with to make the trip worth while.

[jbrewer]

I'll give that a try. Just regular ole vinegar? (I've never heard of cleaning vinegar).

[Mike McKown]

Just plain old white vinegar works. Like your wife would have in the kitchen for cooking.

Muriatic acid works much faster. 30% strength acid cut 10-1 with water. neutralize with baking soda/water. Avoid the fumes of the acid and fumes from neutralizing. Be careful with it.

Vinegar fumes not much of a problem.

[cooperino]

Awhile ago there was a thread about electrolysis. Ironman had built a tank and it made me want one so i built one as well..

So here is my electrolysis tank. I used 1/4 x 1 flat stock and 2 pieces of diamond plate for the sides. It worked really well on a my seat for my 100. I wish I had taken pictures of it after it came out of the tank But I did not.

I used a small non automatic charger with this running at about 15 amps. I think more power would have made the process faster but also would run up the electric bill. Still need to play with it to refine results.

[jbrewer]

Thanks Coop and Fin!

I've got some small experience with the washing soda method... it works well I admit. At the end there's just black stuff where the rust was . I used a battery charger and I don't think there's any significant cost. 15A of 12V is about what ... 170 watts or so? So at $0.13 per KW hour, that's only about 40 cents a day or so. (I'm doing this in my head without asking Alexa , so bear with me). :-)

I've seen vinegar at the dollar stores so it's gotta be cheap.