I put three saw chains in some diesel to loosen the crud for cleaning. Between me and a helper (he gets the blame!), the container got pushed under some other stuff. That was a year ago, lol. Found it and upon taking the chains out, they are rusted! I am surprised, I didn't know that could happen with diesel. However... https://tanknology.com/pdf/Tanknology-FMN-Fall-2016-Diesel-Corrosion-Article.pdf
Yup, yet another product that the EPA has screwed up...diesel fuel! Parts washer fluid or kerosene is probably better for cleaning stuff up now...maybe add a little oil if you want rust prevention...
If the rust is everywhere you can try soaking it in some 5% vinegar you can purchase at the supermarket. I did that to restore my vintage wedge as well as to restore some metal bits that were rusted to heck on these benches I found in the trash.
So was there condensation that ended up in the bottom of the container causing the chains to rust? That seems to be the gist of the article that water somehow gets into the diesel and allow the corrosion to happen. Was the container sealed? Having a lot of airspace in a warm container in the summer can cause condensation in the winter putting water in the bottom of the fuel.
This is a tip I needed to hear. Do you leave them in for a certain amount of time or just throw them in and take them out next time your in the shop?
You mean a solution of 5% vinegar and 95% water? What kind of vinegar? I would like to try this to salvage those chains!
No, straight vinegar...for this purpose, apple cider (best) white, or whatever type you can buy cheap at the local store...
Just buy something like this at your supermarket. It works slowly but you have to fish it out and check it. You don't want it to eat up your chain too much. Just enough to get the rust off so you can brush it off with a stiff bristle brush or use a wire wheel on a drill. The concentration in the bottle is 5% acidity so just pour it into a container/bucket/whatever and you don't need to add any water.
until I need them or they get in my way. It seems to work for me, not sure if it's correct or not. Agree with vinegar for getting rid of light rust, used oil doesn't help with that.
Diesel fuel can "spoil". Bacteria can grow in diesel fuel and produce organic acids. Meanwhile, any fuel will slowly absorb humidity from the air (water). Please thank the EPA and all those "regulations" for reduced corrosion in your car/truck since the EPA mandated vapor recovery ensures an air tight seal on gasoline vehicles (which is especially helpful with ethanol which increases gasoline humidity absorption). Diesel vehicles in storage need to use a fuel "preservative" to reduce "spoiled" fuel. Diesel fuel vehicles do not have vapor recovery and so have to use "additives" to manage moisture if fuel turnover is too low. Those "terrible" folks at the "evil" EPA have saved me thousands of dollars and a lot of trouble... Removing lead from gasoline extends the life of exhaust systems and spark plugs. Amoco Oil Company said lead was lousy fuel and did not use lead decades ago while all the other oil companies delayed removing lead as long as possible. I have never replaced an exhaust system on a car or truck (I keep mine for 20 years)since lead was removed compared to replacing them every five years with lead. Spark plugs last 100,000 miles without lead versus 10,000 miles with lead. Meanwhile, after lead was removed from gasoline, the lead in children blood dropped by half after lead was removed. Getting rid of pandemic preparedness and approving opioid pain killers, both acts were part of "regulations are bad" ideology, did not work out for 100,000's of dead people. Regulation is a "tool" of the people. Use it wisely and prosper. Avoiding using it can result in deaths of 100,000's.
