Solvent for a parts washer

[bobs409]

Three questions for anyone here that owns a parts washer. 1) Where are you buying the solvent? 2) How much is it? 3) Just how much is needed for a 20 gallon parts washer? (see below for why I ask this one!)

The story is that I just bought a 20 gallon parts washer from Advance auto. For now, I put in some cleaning solvent I found at Harbor Freight that mixes with water (stuff is lousy. it couldn't cut grease if it had a sharp knife!) to test it out. I always thought that with a 20 gallon parts washer, you put 20 gallons of solvent in it but I was only able to put in about 12 gallons to get it to the full line on the filter. Does this sound right?


Thanks,

 

[Gerry]

Parts washer solvent

Bob,


I have a 20 gallon parts cleaning tank and use mineral spirits/paint thinner. I only put in 5-6 gallons and add some as it evaporates. You can buy it at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. The" low odor" type is a little more expensive than the standard type, but the smell is almost non-existent. The standard type has a noticeable odor with the lid up, but will dissipate after a few weeks. I always wear gloves as it will remove the oil from your skin. Mineral spirits does a good job cleaning and evaporates fairly quick. A few years you could buy it for $1.00/gallon in bulk. Now its up to $4.00-5.00/gallon.




Gerry

 

[DIV1RACER-2]

Solvent

Try contacting Steve Moyer [ Wully Bully ] he is in the oil business / Stoddard solvent is [ or was ] the normal parts cleaning solvent in this area .
I bought mine from an oil dist locally.

At the shop i have my parts washer proffesionly serviced for the obivious reasons . At home i'm still using from a 55 gallon drum of Stoddard solvent i bought several yrs. ago.

I think at the time it was about 2.00 a gallon , probably twice that now!

 

[Fathead Racing]

Yes Stoddard seems to be the standard, that's what I use. Here's a tip, add a quart of tranny fluid to your solvent it's easy on the pump and your hands.

 

[dq409]

You ncan get a 5 gal can of solvent here for around $25.

ALWAYS remember to wear gloves. This is a cancer causing agent !!!

 

[bobs409]

So far I found 2 places. For 5 gallons: Advance auto $46+, Napa $63+

Needless to say, I'm still looking.... :

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

So far I found 2 places. For 5 gallons: Advance auto $46+, Napa $63+

Needless to say, I'm still looking.... :

Bob,one time I was working in the garage with a friend and I didn't have any solvent.I used some gas in the hub cap to clean parts,while I had my back turned Harley my dog slurped up some gas.A few min later my freind said hey look at Harley he's running around in circles,a few min later Harley dropped to the ground.My freind says is Harley dead .No he just ran out of gas

 

[dq409]

So far I found 2 places. For 5 gallons: Advance auto $46+, Napa $63+

Needless to say, I'm still looking.... :

Bob, Don`t look for good prices at the retail end.
You need to look in the Yellow pages under chemicals and solvents and get them at a wholesale price. dq

 

[4onthefloor]

Granger sells some good stuff...Super Agitene...it's not cheap either but it's the right stuff...not water stuff either...never had any luck with that...which reminds me i need to get some myself !!

 

[impalaragpat]

Ive been using diesel for cleaning parts. Cheap and works well.Dont know about using in parts cleaner though. How flammable is diesel anyway?
I have a friend who is a firefighter. He was using gas to clean something at his house. His dog took the gas soaked rag and wandered too close to the water heater.
The rag ignited and eventually burned down the house. The owner and dog are OK. Never did hear what his insurance co. or fire captain had to say about the cause of the fire.
Pat

 

[skipxt4]

Parts cleaner solvent

BOB: Years ago I bought a parts cleaner from Harbor Freight, just to clean carburetor's. It wasn't the biggest one, they sold, but it worked perfect for what I needed. Anyhow I didn't want to put any chemical in it that was too caustic or flammable. Well I took the cheap way out. I brought some solvent home from work, that we used to clean ink rollers and blankets, from a printing press. Why! cause it was free To make a long story longer. I put the gallon of the blankrola in my brand new Harbor Freight parts cleaner. Then I inserted my son's two barrel carb, off his volare super six. Plugged it in, and watched the solvent get sucked up through the pump and then out the flexible nozzle. What a great new addition to my other tools. In the meantime my wife calls me for supper. So I turn the switch off and went upstairs. After about an hour I went back to clean the carburetor. I turned the cleaner on, and was startled by the weird sounds that were coming from my new 59.00 wonder. By the time I figured out that the noise was the pump motor seizing up, it was already smoking. Before I could turn the switch off, a spark ignited the solvent and my son's carburetor. Naturally there was no fire extinguisher around. The cover on the parts cleaner had this fail safe lever thats soldered together. The solder melts, then the cover slams shut to put out the fire. Sh*t happened so fast, I don't even remember pulling out the plug. Luckily nothing in the basement caught fire. Later that nite, my son came over to see the progress on his carb. I told HIM to open the cover. When he did, the last cloud of smoke came out. His carb wasn't ruined, but it looked like a charcoal briquet. I wish I had a camera at that moment. His expression was too funny. I still use the parts cleaner once in a while(without the cord or pump) and I still remember how stupid I was that day. Skip

 

[bobs409]

Well I certainly don't want to test out the fuseable link on the lid! Scary stuff! :eek:

I'll hit the yellow pages later and see if I can find anything that way. If that doesn't work, I'm going to visit some of the repair garages around here and ask them!

When I worked as a mechanic in the late 80's, we used something that was green. (possibly safety kleen?) It worked real good but I doubt I could afford that stuff. (was in a 55 gallon drum!) Being the new guy, I had the pleasure of cleaning the solvent tank out regularly. : (that might explain a few things...)

It's funny how many places sell parts washers but no solvent!!! (try a search on the net and that's what you'll find)


Thanks everyone...

 

[models916]

solvent

I have used Kerosene in the past, but now i use Safety-Kleen. I get it from a friend, but I think they have a program where you get the first tank and when it is dirty they change for a price. There solvent is recycled and not a problem to the envoronment. Give them a call.

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

I have used kerosene mixed with gunk and just hose it off with water.

 

[bobs409]

Would kerosene be safe to use in a parts washer?

 

[tripowerguy]

Kerosene has a flash point of just over 100 degrees so there is a fire hazard. I would use a solvent or mineral spirits, less fire danger. I use mineral spirits in mine and I've had the same stuff in there for 4 years. I drain and clean the washer once a year and reuse the liquid. I run it through a filter. Roy

 

[tmracing62]

I use the Super Agitene from Grainger that 4onthefloor mentioned. Works great and worth the price many times over. Pretty tame smelling, but use gloves as dq said. Unless you're doing the whole car or taking a bath in it, five gallons will go a long way with this stuff.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/itemDetailsRender.shtml?xi=xi&ItemId=1611619525

 

[bobs409]

Michael, I just checked that website and it looks like there is a store within driving distance from me. (Reading, Pa.)

Still have to check the yellow pages to see if there are any other options.



Bob