HCL eats al. I would advise strongly against using a strong acid for this purpose. Especially if you have a high molar HCL product it will immediately chew apart the al. To even suggest this is astonishing. It's extremely dangerous, and will produce hydrogen gas and vigorously "boil".
I have an under grad degree in chemistry.
Now take them off and soak them in a solvent. If you want to use an acid I would suggest a weak acid as in acetic, citric, or even vinegar. Which is commonly found in soda pop. **** you could even use electrolysis, but that's more involved.
With all due respect to your being on this forum longer than me:
Maybe you didn't see I said diluted and less than 3 minutes, or maybe you took chemistry but don't really know how to apply anything you were taught. Your tone in your post implies a bit of disrespect, so let me give you my credentials:
I was a Chemistry major who aced basic chem and then honored in Organic Chemistry. I was considered gifted, kind of a prodigy. Currently I'm an Orthopaedic Surgeon, also considered gifted. Previously I worked as a mechanic to get through school after my dad died and moneys dried up. I later was a part owner of a auto shoppe. Maybe, I might have worked on one or two cars over the years, maybe a few thousand more than that. If I was a betting man, I would bet that I've faced stuck aluminum hinges and such, as I worked on rare cars and even planes and boats over the years. I live by the ocean in an area that uses road salt for snow, so we get a crap load of frozen hinges made of all combinations of Aluminum and Iron and steel. As such I'm giving solid advice.
The reaction of Aluminum with DILUTED store-bought Muriotic acid would be unlikely to generate enough Hydrogen gas to generate more of a pop than a cap gun, and the heat would be negligible.
Thanks for freaking out.
My advice stands.
[I've seen some of your other posts, and you seem like an OK person, so please consider who you might be talking to before you start spouting off about your undergraduate achievements. I'm not trying to make myself look important. I'm not important, just another cog in the wheel of life. I'm just a guy who wonders why you went off the way you did when it was not necessary. ]