Recipe for parts washer solvent

[darkroad]

Do you have a homemade recipe for use in a 40 gal parts washer? All of us at one time or another must clean up engine parts, heads, brake parts etc. I was wondering if you had anything other than a store bought solvent. I am leaning towards a water based cleaner we use at work called Byodine ( I think is an citrus oil based cleaner) It cleans oil and grease pretty well and is bio-degradeable and you can use it all day and it doesn't seem to irritate your skin or lungs. May have to scrub a little harder to get the tuff stuff off. If I can at least get the oil and grease off I can use my soda blaster to get the rest off.
Thnaks for any help

Darkroad

[morgan]

Wait til your wife is away from home. Stick the parts in the dishwasher with plenty of detergent. sqeaky clean. :D

I know of a guy that put the head of a Volvo 4 cylinder engine in the washer one weekend. Got it clean for sure.

I recommend Simple Green detergent.

[darkroad]

I use to run an automotive machine shop about 15 years ago and I used sodium hydroxide in my heated washer ( basically lye). I still have a friend who now uses cascade in his auto heated head and block washer. He claims that it does just as good and after he skims off the oil residue he just flushes it down the drain thus saving to drum it up and pay disposal fees.


Thanks

Darkroad

[GMC Hauler]

I read on a website to use transmission fluid. Haven't tried it yet.

[DennisG01]

I'd like to know about this, too. I just bought a small parts washer and was planning on using mineral spirits. So, I'd be interested to know what everyone else is using.

[gymcarm]

How about Biodiesel? It has been produced for a long time as a parts cleaner and solvent. It is also biodegradeable and not too irritating. I used it on a recent engine build and it removed grease, grime, paint, and lots of other stuff. No offensive odor (wife-woman didn't even complain...).

[Turbine Doc]

Before going exotic, make sure the rubber seals in your washer can handle it, if you have one of those Harbor Freight et als. made in China washers you may need to upgrade to a chemical resistant rubber, Viton is probably most chemical resistant one, you may not have a problem at 1st it will take a while for the generic rubber to swell, or they may have put good rubber in to begin with, just something to keep an eye on.

[JeepSJ]

Go to your local home improvement store and get a gallon of the industrial purple degreaser. It is basically concentrated 409. You mix a couple ounces per gallon. I keep a spray bottle of the stuff in the garage. When I worked for the race team, that is what we used for cleaning all of our engine parts.

[GMC Hauler]

Go to your local home improvement store and get a gallon of the industrial purple degreaser. It is basically concentrated 409. You mix a couple ounces per gallon. I keep a spray bottle of the stuff in the garage. When I worked for the race team, that is what we used for cleaning all of our engine parts.
I tried this exact stuff. It is Zep Commercial Industrial purple cleaner. The bottle reads on the back:

Avoid contact with painted surfaces, aluminum, brass, chrome, copper, marble... and other alkaline sensetive materials as damage may occur. I forgot and left a cylinder head in there and this is what happened:

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL514/3320954/7024686/142796297.jpg

Luckily, that head was junk and i didn't need it. It did look good at first.

The fluid also caused my parts cleaner to leak. I guess a bit of paint was covering a inadequate weld. I used the bars stop leak in that location of the leak, and guess what, it stopped the leak. Speaking of paint, look what it does to the paint inside of your parts cleaner:

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL514/3320954/7024686/142796264.jpg

I can't recommend it for parts cleaner duty. I might try trans fluid, though.

[JeepSJ]

GMC - good feedback. I always just squirt it on, scrub if necessary, then hose it off. I have never left anything soak in it. I was thinking of running it in a parts washer, but you have me thinking against that now!!!

[DennisG01]

Hi all,

I just wanted to bring this back to the top. So what do you all think about using mineral spirits (the small parts washer I bought said it is OK) or how about Simple Green? Do you think Simple Green will do the same thing as GMC Hauler said ZEP did?

[darkroad]

Years ago I heard of guys using mineral spirits and adding about a quart or two of ATF so it wouldn't dry out their skin so bad. Never tried it. Its been mentioned that straight ATF does a decent job of cleaning.

Thanks for all the replies


Darkroad

[darkroad]

Well after trying a citris based cleaner ( Neutron Industries) I went to Lowes and ended up getting a gallon of Simple Green. Mixed it about 15-1 thru 20-1 and it works well. Grease and oil flow off parts well and don't stick to cleaning brush. Also doesn't seem to iritate skin.. What I don't know yet how long term use will affect the washer itself ( paint , seals , etc).


Darkroad

[dieselrealtor]

When Safety Clean came around & changed the fluid in our parts washers, we ALLWAYS put 1-2 quarts of ATF, it did make a big difference on how it affected your skin without diminishing the cutting abilities of the sovent.

Menards has parts cleaner solvent, which is supposed to be different that straight mineral spirits, I don't know if it is or not.

I do believe that straight ATF has some merit & is worth experimenting with as a cleaner. I used to use it when I didn't have access to solvent to clean my hands, then it came off easy with soap & water.

[jeffclark42]

I think that all of the recipes mentioned on this thread are probably worthwhile alternatives to minearl spirits, gasoline for removing oil etc. However, my main problem is with RINSING off these environmentally friendly clearners such as simple green. I have rinsed a cylinder head of thoroughly with water and then ended up with a block coated with a chalky white residue. I'm thinking that this residue can't be good for an engine. Does anyone have any advise on how to clean an engine component after cleaning it in Simple Green?

Thanks!

Jeff "About to invest in mineral spirits" Clark

[blockw5chips]

We use mineral spirits in our parts washer at work, gymcarm said to use biodiesel, but what if you used straight WVO. I know used fried chicken grease will remove grease and grime from your hands better than any hand soap I've ever used. I've used ZEP purple degreaser and Simple Green and I have never been able to get rid of the chalky white residue, granted I've never used it on or in engine compartments or components. I use it at work and our hydraulic equipment always sports a chalky white residue no matter how many times you rinse it. You might try a rag dipped in diesel to wipe it down then rinse w/ water, a mechanic told me back in the old days, diesel was used to wipe down your car paint to make it shine and repel water. I have never heard of it before.

[1bad383]

I put 100% Simple Green in my tank. It works VERY good. Too good. Not only did it strip all of the paint from the inside of my tank ( very hard to clean) but it also strips off the coating on bolts!! I left a set of ARP head studs in there for a day or two once, it removed the black oxide coating from them! Also a very effictive cadminium plating remover. If I could do it all over, I would mix it al least 50 - 50 with some treated water. The treated water helps prevent rust on your parts.