[jpnovak]

Who out here has a parts washer? I just got one and am trying to figure out what cleaning agent to put in it. This will need to clean various engine and other car parts. yes, its big.

Organic solvents work great but stink and will be hard to dispose when I get there.

most aqueous based cleaners (simple green, Castrol, etc) are bad for Aluminum parts.

Citrus based cleaners just don't cut greasy dirt well.

Let me know what you are using...

Thanks

[Vicegrip]

I have one and use the organic based solvent. It does not stink nearly like I expected it to. I can only smell it when I have the lid open and am using the washer and even then not like a spray can solvent kind of stink. With the lid down there is no smell at all. You can dispose for free at the Fairfax County Transfer station. They take non oils on each Thursday or something like that. Info on the web. They take oil any time.

From my limited experence the H2O based cleaners just don't cut it when used in a standard washer.

[jpnovak]

Thanks Kurt. I had already been leaning toward the organic based cleaners.

btw, Which solvent are you using? Varsol? Berrymans?

[Vicegrip]

Advance auto parts brand. No research just grabbed a 5 gal can of the stuff when I got the washer. You are welcome to test it out if you like.

[Jazzbass]

My brother, a machinist, always told me they used varsol for all cleaning. FWIW.

[jpnovak]

thanks Kurt, I will get some here. Its a long drive to dunk some greasy parts...

Adv. Auto is on the way home.

[Vicegrip]

[BW911]

I thought the fun petrol smell was one of the reasons you wanted to use a nasty solvent, Kurt.



Bill W.

[William Miller]

In the home building business we used to keep varsol in a 250 gallon tank.
Hardly anyone is using oil based paints anymore. Is it the same as what is labeled "Paint Thinner" at the home center? I bought 10 gallons when Old Tee gave me his old parts washer. aka "The Shelf".

I think after the first few months much of it evaporates and it doesn't smell as much anymore. Maybe also not as effective. I haven't noticed.

[Vicegrip]

Varsol and paint thinner are two different things. If I remember corectly Varsol was developed for cleaning and as a industrial process degreasing agent and has a high reid pressure. It is made to evaporate as slowly as posable. Paint thinner is paint solvent so to speak and needs to evaporate in order for the paint to dry. one can be used for the other but each is better at it's own use.

I forgot to add that a parts washer that is made for volatile organic solvent might rust up if used with water based solvents. They make washers designed to work with the water stuff. Heat makes the water baised stuff work better and some wet solvents have rust inhibitors so you crank won't flash rust when it comes out of the tank. Can't have a rusty crank...

If you have too much $ sitting around you can get a parts washing system that distills the dirty fluid automatically. The fluid never gets dirty, you only have to add what is lost from wet parts and you have a small catch tank of the dissolved gunk only to dispose of.