Part washer solutions, What do you guys recommend? Options

[MoveQik]

Sell the parts washer and rent Ferg (IMG:style_emoticons/default/FERG.gif)
Mike

This is perhaps the best suggestion yet.

[Prospectfarms]

Parts washing solutions:

1. NAPA carburetor cleaner solvent in 1 gallon can with a parts basket. Reusable.

2. Diesel fuel -- excellent for grease, readily available, smells bad.

3. Solvent like WD 40. PB blaster is pretty strong.

4. Detergent based cleaners: Purple power, etc. All contain a strong base and is therefore caustic. Will etch aluminum. OK for steel.

5. Caustic Soda: oven cleaner, drano, sodium hydroxide in solution. Same problems as the detergent cleaners but cheaper. I use it for really old, really greasy steel or iron parts, such as old heat exchanger parts. Treat it like acid.

6. Electrolysis. Electric cleaning in a brine solution with a tank and a battery charger is easy and effective for corroded delicate or threaded parts. Again not suitable for aluminum/alloy parts.

When using a detergent cleaner, be sure to break the surface tension of the residual product be alternating hot/cold water, vinegar water, or scrubbing while you rinse.

[brant]

surprised no one has spoken up
the best and oldest solution is a naptha based solvent.

go to a petroleum distributor or an old time gas station that sells kerosene and things out of above ground tanks behind their station

ask for "solvent" or naptha

its what parts cleaners were designed to use
it still smells, but not as bad as kerosene
it is less flamable (but still best to treat it safely)
and its what parts washers were designed to use before the enviromental concerns pushed towards water based cleaners.....


geezeee... ask an old guy when you need something answered. lol

[John]

I like to use :

Stoddard Solvent

Super Agitine (from Grainger used in my parts washer)

Castrol SuperClean (use caution with aluminum)

Purple Power (again use caution with aluminum)








I also use an old discarded dish washer, but have yet to find an aluminum safe detergent so I only use plain water.

If anyone knows of an aluminum safe dishwasher detergent, please let me know.

[burton73]

Super Agitine (from Grainger used in my parts washer)





This is the stuff that I use in my HF washer and it works great. In California you can not get everything because of the air quality people but the Super Agitine (from Grainger) does the job on grease and does not kill your hands right away. 10 hours with no gloves will dry them out. I still like to use thin cheep gloves that I trash after each use. This stuff is around $80 per 5 gallon with tax. I use a 30-gallon tank. One will be all you need to just get it to work.

Bob B