Messing about with acid

[Metalicmike]

I have had Merak 2½ years and decided to decalcify my engine which is a VP2003. I bought a small pump and having removed the thermostat I created a circuit through the engine and into my plastic bucket with the water pump inside. The whole process went well with a lot of fizzing brown liquid being returned to the bucket. After about 4 hours I emptied a small tub of baking soda into the bucket with a little more fresh water. So far all going well and to plan. I carefully removed the pump and hoses from the bucket into a plastic container allowing them to safely drain whilst I disposed of the contents of the bucket with the intention of replenishing the bucket with tap water...................
On lifting the ½bucket of now a weaker acid ½way up the companionway the plastic snapped into three pieces depositing the whole contents into the saloon and galley from about 4ft, you can imagine the mess. First I had to get to a hose and wash myself off and luckily the acid wasn't strong enough to cause any burns then I mopped up, lifted the boards, cleaned out the bilges and went home absolutely distraught. I had to go back to tidy up and face the damage but it took a few days to assemble the slightest motivation knowing that Murphy is still laughing at me.
I managed to clean up most of the brown splash marks, but the Teak sole is now black and having successfully sanded a test piece its going to take days to get back to a good surface. Lesson learned......Never trust the handle of a plastic bucket.

 

[KevinV]

Yikes, I can't even imagine moving an open bucket of acid around anywhere, let alone a boat

Glad you got away with it

 

[Metalicmike]

Yikes, I can't even imagine moving an open bucket of acid around anywhere, let alone a boat

Glad you got away with it

Unfortunately if your inboard engine is saltwater cooled its an evil necessity and requires careful planning eg. safe working area, personal protection and clear exits. And a sturdy bucket with a preferably metal handle. Fingers crossed murphy doesn't send a seagull to dive bomb you when coming out of the hatch ( fortunately we do not have many seagulls here).

 

[Baddox]

Tannins in wood (tea and other plant matter) are sensitive to pH, acid can lighten the colour and higher pH can darken it. Try giving the teak a good wash and time to dry. A little lemon juice or bicarbonate of soda may help buffer back to the colour you need.

 

[Halo]

If you didn’t rinse out the engine I would do it soon.
The price of doing anything is that you will occasionally mess up. At least you had neutralised some of the acid.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Sorry to hear it. The choice of acids is a dilemma. Less active acids can take ages or fail to shift stuff. More active ones, even when a bit more diluted, are a pretty fearsome force.

Bucket failure aside, it sounds like you were taking that pretty carefully. I keep looking at the rusting wire handles of the builders' buckets that came with my boat and thinking I really should arrange something better, so I'm not 100% sure this is strictly a plastic problem ...

 

[Metalicmike]

Tannins in wood (tea and other plant matter) are sensitive to pH, acid can lighten the colour and higher pH can darken it. Try giving the teak a good wash and time to dry. A little lemon juice or bicarbonate of soda may help buffer back to the colour you need.

Ill try that tomorrow thanks, I have tried sanding and its like sanding earthenware but black, I have probably had to remove ½ a mm

 

[Metalicmike]

Sorry to hear it. The choice of acids is a dilemma. Less active acids can take ages or fail to shift stuff. More active ones, even when a bit more diluted, are a pretty fearsome force.

Bucket failure aside, it sounds like you were taking that pretty carefully. I keep looking at the rusting wire handles of the builders' buckets that came with my boat and thinking I really should arrange something better, so I'm not 100% sure this is strictly a plastic problem ...

At least you can see the rust, I had been using this bucket for my aircon....that murphy must be over here on holiday.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Murphy certainly gets about a bit, and hardly ever takes a break!

 

[Metalicmike]

If you didn’t rinse out the engine I would do it soon.
The price of doing anything is that you will occasionally mess up. At least you had neutralised some of the acid.

I did get back and rinse out the engine, I noticed a slight leak from the Exhaust elbow gasket and discovered that all the ports were blocked and the galleries inside the elbow were totally blocked. I took it home and spent 4days unblocking it with wires and more acid (this time in two buckets). Unfortunately the joint face is badly eroded so I have had to order a new one. Another two days searching the internet and I have Ordered a stainless steel exhaust bend from America because the price and delivery to Tenerife was better than a Cast Iron one anywhere in Europe or Uk. I bought a new Gasket here and it cost 18 euro.

 

[thinwater]

I replace the handles with rope in most cases. Reliable and won't scratch. The result of my own lessons learned.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Having a steel boat, I use HCI quite often to remove rust from mainly the outside. always neutralize acid with an alkaline before doing anything with the dedusted metal