Parts Cleaner...what does everybody use

747driver · Oct 4, 2018

Since I have my new barn up I can get a shop better outfitted. Looking for a parts cleaner. The popular ones I am looking at only allow water based solvents. I would like to use oil based solvents but these popular units pump will not work. Is the water based solvents really that good to not have to use oil based solvents ? Maybe I could buy a oil based solvent pump and install it ?

Thanks for any info

Big Barn · Oct 4, 2018

I’ve used oil based solvents in my tank for over 30 years.

A couple of weeks ago (no one can call me impulsive) I finally added a remote filtering system to (hopefully) extend the cleaning life of the solvent.

747driver · Oct 4, 2018

Big Barn said:
I’ve used oil based solvents in my tank for over 30 years.

A couple of weeks ago (no one can call me impulsive) I finally added a remote filtering system to (hopefully) extend the cleaning life of the solvent.

View attachment 573486 View attachment 573487

Nice setup ! Is that the original pump or did you get a pump for oil based solvents ? What is the filter system you made

Big Barn · Oct 4, 2018

Everything about the tank including the pump is OEM. The only thing upgraded is that filtration system.

I had the remote mount filter setup salvaged off a hydraulic system years ago. They are readily available online and at automotive retailers. Usually around $30. Get one that accepts standard off the shelf Ford-GM etc engine oil filters to keep replacement cost down.

The only other items you will need are appropriate fittings and oil resistant hose. HTH

Fallon · Oct 4, 2018

I picked up a HF tank & 2 5 gallon buckets of the TSC solvent. Worked fine except all the crap accumulating in the bottom. The water only pump worked fine.

I ended up doing the aforementioned oil filter trick. I also got an old small Zep tank on a 30 gallon drum. Put the bigger HF tank ontop of that & used the old pump that came with the Zep tank. The HF tank now drains into the 30 gallon drum through a stocking to filter out big chunks. The fluid now gets pumped up from below after settling out then through the oil filter. Nice clean fluid all the time. Overkill, but it was a cheap upgrade. No photos at the moment.

Something with the 30 gallon drum as a sump is $400-600 if you get one new. Probably not 5x better than the $100 Harbor freight special. A nice new petroleum rated pump is only $75 or so if the HF pump dies.

moship · Oct 4, 2018

With respect to water based cleaners.

I've used various solvent products from the commercial service places over the years and something I still can't believe that works great without the fumes is Purple Power or Castrol's Purple Cleaner. Purple Power is inexpensive and readily available for $7 or less a gallon. It seems to do a much better when parts are greasy or have that baked on oil residue. Example: Pushrods that have that dark golden sheen to them after 100,000 miles of use.

Just be careful with painted parts. Sprayed the cleaner on a JD750 7A Backhoe (excess grease and pivot points) and the paint started to turn yellow as if it bleached out the blue pigment from the green paint. Also minimize skin exposure as it can really dry it out... You'll notice it the day after using.

It also seems to leave some type of residue that keeps bare metal from flash rusting. It won't last forever, but I haven't had a problem hosing the cleaner off iron/steel parts and drying with rag.

Example: Clean-Rite Purple Power Cleaner/Degreaser, 2.5 gal. at Tractor Supply Co.

Oldoak · Oct 4, 2018

I must be plain old fashioned. I suppose it comes along with my screen name.

I still use kerosene in a bucket or plastic wash pan of some sort along with old paint brushes. Just have to make sure no bristles come loose and get stuck in any bearings I may be washing at the time. When the kerosene gets to griming for cleaning parts, I save it and use it when I have brush piles to burn.

Oldoak · Oct 4, 2018

Deleted double post.

747driver · Oct 4, 2018

Oldoak said:
I must be plain old fashioned. I suppose it comes along with my screen name.

I still use kerosene in a bucket or plastic wash pan of some sort along with old paint brushes. Just have to make sure no bristles come loose and get stuck in any bearings I may be washing at the time. When the kerosene gets to griming for cleaning parts, I save it and use it when I have brush piles to burn.

Thats the way I have always done it to. Usually use mineral spirits or brake cleaner. Kerosene is a good choice also. The thought of having a filter and pump pressure to clean with seems nice. But then again I don't need it to often .

/pine · Oct 4, 2018

Parts stores and places like HF have assortments of stiff poly mechanics brushes that work great...

depending on the part...I use a cheapo electric pressure washer for a lot of initial rough cleaning...even bearings can later be immersed in a water displacing fluid and blown out with dry air...

The light duty PW also works good for lightly blasting things like u-joint yokes etc. (that are caked with grease and dirt) before having to put hands on them...!

Always wear eye protection...be careful out there...!

flyerdan · Oct 4, 2018

I've got your basic stand alone big tub type. Got it before HF had stores here, at that time (89) there was a fuel distributor up in Woodburn that had solvent at a pump, you filled up containers.
I put a regulator on the shelf next to it with a plastic hose so you can percolate a can with bearings at 1-2 psi and not spend a lot of time brushing and swishing.

thepumpguysc · Oct 5, 2018

It seems that the majority is the HF tub.. Theres a real good video/review on utube.. the guy show his mods & results after 1 year of use after rebuilding/washing an engine.
& he used petro based solvent.. no issues.

Deere Dude · Oct 5, 2018

747driver said:
Since I have my new barn up I can get a shop better outfitted. Looking for a parts cleaner. The popular ones I am looking at only allow water based solvents. I would like to use oil based solvents but these popular units pump will not work. Is the water based solvents really that good to not have to use oil based solvents ? Maybe I could buy a oil based solvent pump and install it ?

Thanks for any info

Last year I went to TSC and bought a tank that comes with the cart and wheels. It uses 5 gallons of solvent as cleaner. It works great and is always set up for use.

Bird · Oct 5, 2018

Before I moved back to town, I was using my Harbor Freight parts washer several times a week and I used Varsol for the solvent.

CADplans · Oct 5, 2018

Virtually all of my "greasy" cleaning is done the same way,,
I buy Greased Lightning at Lowes in a 5 gallon jug,,, (cheap!! :thumbsup

I pour the Greased Lightning into a 2 gallon garden sprayer,, then, spray the dirty item.
If it is a small item, I wash it with a brush and a bucket of water,,

If it is heavy enough, I pressure wash it,,,

I have all other sorts of cleaners,, but, have used none in the last 10 years,,

OOPs, that is incorrect,, I did clean a carb with Pine-Sol and a crock pot this spring,,
that did work like a miracle,,,!!

thepumpguysc · Oct 6, 2018

When I watched all those utube videos, they were NOT using water based solvent.. If the pump burns up.. so be it.. just get another one.
I do like some of the modifications done to those tanks..

Mace Canute · Oct 9, 2018

I use varsol/mineral spirits/paint thinner...whatever is cheapest at the time. I've had my old parts washer since the mid 80's and it's done a lot of cleaning for me. The filters are rectangular in sheet form that sit on a curved tray under the easily removable floor of the washer. The Little Giant pump is suspended from the lid of the 5 gallon pail the solvent is stored in. Looks very much like this.

I don't have a flow through brush which I should have incorporated decades ago, lazy me, but I did add a diverter valve so I could reduce the flow through the main nozzle and hence reduce splash to the point of no splash at all. I used an old radiator drain cock for that with a T fitting. I also drilled a pair of holes through the legs on one end and added an axle and couple of steel wheels so I can pick one end up and easily roll it around.

A friend bought a used one of these last year.

Once we took it through the local car wash and cleaned it up, straightened/repaired a couple of things and gave it a new paint job it looked and worked like new. I bought an on sale Princess Auto moving dolly (600 lb capacity, 29.7 x 18.0 x 5.2 in.) to make it easy to move around .

We added a couple of pieces of 3/4 inch plywood with curves cut out to nest the barrel in. The dolly also raised the working height which allows the user to stand up straight while using it; much easier on the lower back!