Parts washer fluid, what are you guys using?

[onformula1]

I used to use diesel fuel and liked it but it stinks up the shop.

I changed to Simple Green which is OK and I like the smell, but there must be something better or maybe a concoction?

Cheaper the better because I like to change it often.

[Jmoozy27]

1 part diesel, 1 part ATF = this stuff really stinks, but it works.

[ponderinjunkman]

I like individual cans of brake cleaner. The flammable kind. Especially Just before final assembly, all parts are blown clean. For heavy grunge, I scrape it off, then use blue-rags-in-a-box with brake cleaner. The rags then go in the fireproof metal can to be used to start the shop Woodstove in the winter. I tried parts washers, I never trusted the fluid, seemed like it carried dirt back on to the parts I wanted clean.

[poolieZerUK]

If you are going to mig or tig weld you have to be careful what's in carb and brake cleaners there's some chemical reactions that can make mustard gas when burnt with argon will really feck you up good and proper
Have a quick search on the web to make sure

[oscarmayer]

I like to use purple power. 1gallon is like $18.99 at the auto parts store. let it soak over night and 90% of grime is gone. then use a brush and get the hard stuff off. parts look nearly new. if you have metal, use CLR to remove the rust and it will look new again after you cleaned.

[atc007]

Same here^^^ However,last time I bought it at Wal Mart or Auto Zone it was $4 a gallon? I won't buy the name brand,only the knock off. Put some in a sams spray bottle.Dillute it about 1/4 purple/3/4 water. spray on your bike before washing. For parts cleaner,,,full strength,,USE GLOVES,It WILL eat your skin off. Are there stronger commercial heavy equipment degreasers? Yes, But for the price, this is the best I've found by leaps and bounds.

[big specht]

Mineral spirits are in mine the zep guy tryed to talk me out of it but his stuff was like 30.00 a gallon. He said it would stick the shop up but we don't notice it at all

[onformula1]

I like individual cans of brake cleaner. The flammable kind. Especially Just before final assembly, all parts are blown clean. For heavy grunge, I scrape it off, then use blue-rags-in-a-box with brake cleaner. The rags then go in the fireproof metal can to be used to start the shop Woodstove in the winter. I tried parts washers, I never trusted the fluid, seemed like it carried dirt back on to the parts I wanted clean.

I scrap/wire brush the parts very well then put them in my 20 gallon parts washer, I have a filter on the pump so the junk stays at the bottom under the cleaning rack. I also built a bubbler system I can install that works on very low air pressure to "boil out bad parts"

Thank You for all of your input.

I did a grim test tonight- Simple Green VS. Purple Power VS. Pinalen.

Pinalen won hands down...Hmmm

I also spray off everything with carb. cleaner, outside. I buy carb cleaner by the case. :lol:

[onformula1]

1 part diesel, 1 part ATF = this stuff really stinks, but it works.

I like this, but my wife can smell a neighbors fart from 2-clicks away so I am going with water base VS. oil base.


Plus I have been building trikes/bikes/quads/hot rods for so long I already "Glow" at night from the harsh chemicals!

[Scootertrash]

I like this, but my wife can smell a neighbors fart from 2-clicks away

http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww173/prestonjjrtr/Smileys/Smiley11-1.gif

[Billy Golightly]

If you are going to mig or tig weld you have to be careful what's in carb and brake cleaners there's some chemical reactions that can make mustard gas when burnt with argon will really feck you up good and proper
Have a quick search on the web to make sure

YES! Good and proper warning to all, brake cleaner has an ingredient that when submitted to ultra violet light (Like from welding...) produces phosgene gas, which is indeed basically Mustard gas, bad bad stuff. Its not even the heat that causes the reaction, but the brightness and type of light emitted by the welding process. Carb cleaner does not have this issue from what I understand (I have always used carb cleaner since I learned of this).


For cleaning parts...I've never really had good luck with anything but Purple Power and carburetor cleaner myself. What is Pinalen?

[atc007]

What he said^^ What is pinalen? And btw,,I bought a gallon of simple green at Sams,,SO WANTING it to be awesome,,My experience is it makes a nice cologne and works like tap water. WHAT grease will it remove?? Because it sure doesn't remove any of my kinds of greases!

[Jmoozy27]

This is how I clean my parts...

212989

[bkm]

Pinalen is concentrated pine oil cleaner available at Wal-Mart I believe. I have a buddy who swears buy it and purple power.

[09RappySE]

Mineral spirits

[shortline10]

X3 on the mineral spirits

[oscarmayer]

I swear all the time but I don't brag about it. :P LOL

[YTZ drew]

I usually just use the parts washers (Safety-Clean brand) at my work for the heavy grunge, except big stuff like frames, they get pressure washed out in the driveway. For engines, I brake-clean them off and blow dry them before final assembly, and cylinders get soap+water with a toothbrush, then a blow dry and a wipe-down with WD-40 soaked paper towels until the towel is still clean after a pass. For not-so-greasy stuff I use GP (a general purpose auto-detailer I affectionately call PINK S#!T) that works very well, better than Simple green even when diluted.

For what its worth, over the years I seem to have become sensitized to the solvent in my safety-clean tank. I can't stand the smell of it anymore, and I will leave my freshly cleaned parts at work overnight to air dry, rather than blowing them off or putting them in my car to stink up my ride home. I can't even stand the smell of the solvent on my clothes, I change as soon as I get home. About 3 years ago I lost a very good friend to cancer. He was a tranny rebuilder for 30 years, always arm-deep in solvent. I hate to think about, it but I don't think the occupation and the outcome were a coincidence.

[atc007]

Lots of opinions here :). but ALWAYS,always,always,, clean the bore of your cylinder with a white rag and 4 cycle engine oil,swabbing and scrubbing back and forth until all you see is clean oil on the rag. After boring or honing, the metal is driven into the wall of the cylinder. You can degrease and even boil your cylinder till the cows come home.. Scrub it with a clean oiled cloth,and it will be GRAY with metal. . It is far to often overlooked,and why rings fail prematurely. And to be clear,,I only work with a steam jenny cleaning bikes and equipment. I like my stuff ultra clean when I'm done. If you've never used one, try one sometime, they are great. You actually hardly need degreaser :)