Muriatic acid to remove melted/fused aluminum from a cam???

[tri again]

Before anything more, READ the warnings on all labels.
This stuff can kill you, your tomato plants and sleeping pets.

Just ran across this problem and a muriatic soak
as a possible answer to removing melted aluminum from
the cam.

I threw out all my chemistry books.

Have done a few rusty gas tanks with it so I'm familiar with
the drama of the reaction, but I can't picture how it would separate
alum from steel.

Any ideas?

[RubberSalt]

I imagine it would eat the aluminum away faster than the steel.

Just grind as much of it off as you can, then soak it in acid.

I'll have to ask my girl on this 1, shes going to be a chemistry teacher. She also helped me figure out how to remove the calcium out of carbs that had water in them. Use vinegar to dissolve it - I couldn't believe how well it worked.

[Cave Rider]

I have used this method multiple times on nicosil cylinders with great success,however the camshafts are generally stelite coated. I would feel confident in your aproach. Hopefully someone else will chime in and confirm..good luck doc.

[Billy Golightly]

I'm not sure that I'd soak the cam in it (although you probably could) but I've used muratic on a cast iron cylinder sleeve before to remove the remnants of a seized piston and put it right back together (after cleaning it) with another piston and never had problems. Just keep it away from flesh and don't breathe it obviously :)

[fabiodriven]

Just keep it away from flesh and don't breathe it obviously :)

For anybody who may be reading this that has never used muriatic acid, listen to what William just said. This stuff is not to be toyed with at all!