<VV> Corvair chemistry

[Bryan Blackwell]

Greetings,

So, over the weekend #1 son did a little chemistry experiment - de- 
rusting using electrolysis.  Basically you make up a mild solution of  
baking soda in water, put a sacrificial piece of iron in the water,  
connect your battery charger minus to the piece being de-rusted and  
the plus to the sacrificial anode.  Turn on the charger for a while  
and the rust comes off.

The technique worked well and there are lots of things we could use  
this for on a Corvair (shrouds would be a perfect candidate).  I  
recall that the one caveat was you shouldn't do this to load bearing  
parts (say, connecting rods), I think because of the hydrogen  
produced as a result of the electrolysis.

Do I have this right?  Or am I mixing something up?  Any other things  
to consider?  Thanks.

--Bryan

Bryan Blackwell bryan at skiblack.com
http://autoxer.skiblack.com/
   Corvairs: '61 Lakewood, '64 Greenbrier, '65 Corsa, '66 Corsa
   '69 Road Runner, '97 Ford F-150, '99 Neon R/T
"Why do something if you're not going to obsess about it?"