What is best to use in a parts washer?

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Yellow_Cad

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Sorry, not a totally Norton specific question but thought I might get some good ideas from you guys. For cleaning carbs etc, what is the best liquid to use in a 20 gallon parts washer (small Harbor Freight size) ? Does diesel work well enough? Thanks for your thoughts.
 
I use kerosene, but I have also used Castrol Super Clean. The stuff is kinda harsh...heck it melts paint...but it is not flamable so it is a trade. I wouldn't use the Castrol unless it was on parts that you plan to refinish!
 
Hi YC,
I too have a Harbor Freight part washer. I use kerosine in mine, there are purpose made solvents you can buy that have less odor, but are much more expensive. Anyhow, the kerosine works well and rinses off with water, and when it gets dirty I just recycle it with my used motor oil.

GB
 
Parts washed in kero go rusty very quickly, some of the purpose designed cleaners do tend to leave a film to slow rusting
 
I use "Agitene" biodegradeable; good stuff, and safe for my bare hands (not sure if the label agrees, but I do).

I buy it locally at W.W.Grainger in 5 gallon cans.

IT DOESN'T DO MUCH TO VARNISHED CARBS. For that I use the 1-gallon can of Berryman's Chem-Dip; nothing better for the job.
 
grandpaul said:
I use "Agitene" biodegradeable; good stuff, and safe for my bare hands (not sure if the label agrees, but I do).

I buy it locally at W.W.Grainger in 5 gallon cans.

IT DOESN'T DO MUCH TO VARNISHED CARBS. For that I use the 1-gallon can of Berryman's Chem-Dip; nothing better for the job.
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I also use Agetene in my parts washer. Works great.

For carbs, I take the disassemble approach...
 
I use a petroleum based cleaning solvent that I buy from a local refinery outlet. I've been getting it from them for 20 years or so, but it's now become so expensive that I'm considering buying one of the aqueous parts washers with built-in heater. I've added an automotive oil filter in the pressure line of my cheap Harbor Freight parts washerto help keep it clean longer. I also had to replace the pump with one rated for petroleum solvents. Most of the cheap washers now come with plastic impeller pumps that fail pretty quickly when used with anything other than aqueous liquids.

Lately I've been using a Simple Green solution to pre-wash really grungy parts before putting them in the solvent. It works pretty well, and would probably work even better in a heated washer. At least it's affordable.

Ken
 
I used commercial solvent for a long time but it got very expensive and a couple years ago I worked out a deal with the local Saftey Kleen outfit to come out and service my tank on a will call basis. It ended up being no more expensive than doing it myself, and I don't have to deal with the waste or mess. It smells better too. Like Ken I installed an inline filter- I made mine from an old K&N air filter installed in a discarded air drier housing from the local scrap yard. I tried using a automotive spin on filter but found it had to be replaced a lot. Jim
 
comnoz said:
I used commercial solvent for a long time but it got very expensive and a couple years ago I worked out a deal with the local Saftey Kleen outfit to come out and service my tank on a will call basis. It ended up being no more expensive than doing it myself, and I don't have to deal with the waste or mess. It smells better too. Like Ken I installed an inline filter- I made mine from an old K&N air filter installed in a discarded air drier housing from the local scrap yard. I tried using a automotive spin on filter but found it had to be replaced a lot. Jim
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I agree, but my local Safety Kleen guy didn't want to do it on a will call basis. That was some years ago, so maybe I should try again.

Ken
 
As said, the cost of solvent has become an issue.

When I built our garage, I plumbed in hot and cold and waste out back, behind the bathroom, so when our dishwasher started leaking and my wife wanted a new one anyway, I didn't argue. The old leaky dishwasher went out back where it does a good job as a parts washer. I don't put heavy duty greasy oily stuff in there, just the light jobs, the parts that you'd clean up by other means anyway. My wife says that the new machine, being "green" is inferior in cleaning power to the old one. She's not getting it back.
 
I agree, but my local Safety Kleen guy didn't want to do it on a will call basis. That was some years ago, so maybe I should try again.

Ken[/quote]

I think their rules have changed a bit in the last few years [they have gotten hungrier] so it may be worth a try. Jim
 
xbacksideslider said:
As said, the cost of solvent has become an issue.

When I built our garage, I plumbed in hot and cold and waste out back, behind the bathroom, so when our dishwasher started leaking and my wife wanted a new one anyway, I didn't argue. The old leaky dishwasher went out back where it does a good job as a parts washer. I don't put heavy duty greasy oily stuff in there, just the light jobs, the parts that you'd clean up by other means anyway. My wife says that the new machine, being "green" is inferior in cleaning power to the old one. She's not getting it back.
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Brilliant! We don't have a dishwasher. I asked my wife once if I could bring one home and she said only if she got the bartender. :roll:
 
Good grief- do you suppose she would actually want it back now? Your dinner plates would taste like a crankcase.... but that's a pretty clever idea, actually, I wouldn't have thought of that in a million years.



My wife says that the new machine, being "green" is inferior in cleaning power to the old one. She's not getting it back.[/quote]
 
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