VaughnT Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 As you can see in the photo, I'm the proud owner of two very nice blowers. Unfortunately, the Buffalo Climax blower is frozen solid and two weeks soaking in oil hasn't loosened anything up. Before the oil bath, I tried PB Blaster to penetrate through the rust, but that didn't work, either. I was thinking about heating the axles with a torch, but I am worried about any rubber/phenolic seals that might be in there. On the Lancaster blower, she turns but stiffly and there's only one turn from momentum. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being very difficult to turn, this is definitely a 6. Not unusable by any means, but I worry about future performance. As with the Climax, PB Blaster and the oil bath have been tried. Looking into the Lancaster's gear box, I see what looks like a heavy grease applied to the topmost axle. I would also note that the Lancaster's gear box separates from the fan housing as you turn the handle. The gap is only about an eighth, but I wasn't sure if this is something that can be tightened up or could be contributing to the difficulty in turning it. The bolts around the periphery are rusted solidly to the fan housing and would need to be destroyed to get it apart. Overall, though, I have two fun projects to work on..... I just don't know where to start or what to look out for. I'm thinking of a soapy bath for the Climax, followed by a two week stint in a vinegar bath. The vinegar should eat away all of the rust and the residual oil and grease, right? Maybe electrolysis? Anyone have schematics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matto Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 your on the right track. if they don't move or move hard it is time to take them apart. i got tw blowers at an auction both worked well but still tok them apart and heavy cleand them. never hurts. the old grease in the lancaster can be what is making it turn hard. grease is a dust magnet. the buffalo only one way to find out. it could be mud dobbers, mice, old grease, no old grease or oil, who knows (you will soon.) you can try a can of coke to help free up rusted parts. works but not always. have fun and post pics and let us know what you find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Thanks, Matt. I will hold off on the torch until I've tried the vinegar soak. I've heard good things about using vinegar to remove rust, but I'm worried about the vanes on the impeller. I'll have to do some research on electrolysis to see how I can do it at home. I'm thinking I have a tub large enough to submerge the entire blower without worry, and I have a battery charger.... Might just be the easiest way to do things, and hopefully it would free the bolts holding the fan enclosure together. Worst case scenario, I ruin the Climax and have to completely rebuild it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcusb Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Kroil If there is any hope of penetrating oil working, it will be this one Free'd JD handclutch that had been laying in the mud of a field for decades It really is that good, amazing stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Vinegar is more powerful than you might believe. Try 12 hours, then check, until it is clean or free. Don't forget to neutralize. Dilute ammonia and water is probably best in this case since it can get into small areas. The gears may be brass which gets eaten by vinegar much more quickly, the zinc will get etched out. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Ammonia and Water? What kind of mix are you thinking? I've not heard of this one before, but I'm willing to try. I have a nice large bucket just waiting to fill up with something that will attack the rust, but I'm going to have to do a serious soap/water wash/scrub to get the oil and grease out of the gear case before anything. That's going to be a chore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Is it just me, or does it look like the Climax's handle was fixed, only on the wrong side of the blower? It looks like it would hit against the air pipe coming from the blower's exhaust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 No worries, Ridge. The handle slides out of the axle fixture, and I've already turned it the right way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 For neutralizing acid with ammonia and water about 1/4 to 1/2 cup "household" ammonia per gallon of water. This is a similar concentration to some ammonia based window cleaning sprays. Ammonia is a bit more basic than baking soda, and is already liquid, so it is a little more convenient. Use with adequate ventilation. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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