At home I use plastic oil change pans that I get from AutoZone when I buy the 'oil change bundle' (with oil+filter+funnel+shop towels+hand cleaner+pan) with some waste jet fuel. The jet fuel is basically the same as kerosene and I dispose of it by using at as an accelerant to start my wood stove.
When its convenient, I bring my parts to work and use a water based cleaner with bio-enzymes. That unit has a pump and heater and works pretty well, though not as fast as harsh petrochemicals.
Has anyone tried concentrated simple green in a parts washer? I wonder how it would do...
In reply to dculberson :
Works good in an ultra sonic cleaner, should be alright in a regular cleaner
In reply to dculberson :
Yes, see my earlier post (teaser; you don't want the normal Simple Green).
I couldn't call it amazing, but it's pretty good, and I like its safety for both me and the parts.
In reply to Ransom :
Well, there goes any remaining belief in my short term memory! I see now that you talked about it.
I had a bench top parts washer (still do somewhere) but the pump died years ago. Since I don't know where it is, I usually just fill a plastic bucket/bin with Simple Green and a brush, toss on some gloves, and go to town. If it's big stuff, like the underside of a truck, a subframe, axle, etc, I bust out the pressure washer.
In reply to dculberson :
Wish I had better comparative info for you. Heck, for me... I'm curious about the bio-enzyme stuff mentioned above, and some of the citrus stuff.
The Extreme Simple Green works pretty well, but I often feel like I should rinse stuff afterward. And you always want something better than whatever you've got...
HF job and purple power.
In reply to MackenziePhil :
Do you use it to wash your canoe?
A Hme Dpot cement mixing tub and $ store 'LA's Totally Awesome' Orange degreaser has worked well for me.
I have two parts washers that complement each other nicely. Stuff goes in the CRC parts washer first, then into my off-brand ultrasonic cleaner if I'm looking for perfection. Works great!
Robbie said:I'll start. I really liked the new crc portable benchtop cleaner https://www.crcindustries.com/products/crc-smartwasher-174-benchtoppro-174-bioremidiating-parts-washer-6370-BTPKT.html, but at $400 or so that's a little steep for me.
This post aged really well.
If its steel, I usually just use oven cleaner on it and a scrub brush. Aluminum I haven't found anything that works as much as I'd like. Having an ultrasonic cleaner definitely helps, though.
Lately I've had a lot of luck without a parts washer at all ( great for those with less storage space ). I mist the greasy part with GooGone gel ( I think there are other orange-based gels available also ) and after a few minutes the grease is easily wiped off with paper towels. I've used this for transmissions and other large parts that are too big to fit in a washer, plus my secret weapon are chopsticks. Yes, chopsticks! They are cheap ( free with rotgut Chinese! ) and you can shape the tip to reach in crevices and pockets while pushing the paper towel to pick up the debris. Plus they are soft enough they won't scratch most surfaces.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
I have that same ultrasonic cleaner and use it on clock movements. It does an outstanding job.
In reply to Robbie :
Go big or stay on the porch. I can dump a 55 gallon drum of parts cleaner in mine. 2 decades later I'm still using it. If I get something really filthy in, say a Jaguar Block that has never been cleaned in 45 years. I soak it down and hose it clean. Then I put a pair of panty hose on the nozzle and run it for a few days. Cleans things nicely.
I toss the panty hose in the city waste disposal pile and every spring let the city deal with it.
It doesn't get stuff clean enough to rebuild. For that I just use spray bottles of brake parts cleaner until I can take a Kleenex and wipe it down without getting the Kleenex dirty.
I have a smaller one for small stuff next to my tool box and use the parts cleaner from the big tank to keep it filled.
For anyone using a dishwasher what cleaner are you using in it?
In reply to Robbie :
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