New Parts Cleaner

[79XS11F]

Being that it is a Sunday morning I took a break from working on My bike to install my new parts washer. It will come in real handy when i start my custom bike rebuild. It was on sale at CTC for 49 bucks so if it works well it's a good score. I guess I will have to run "Chomp" or some other non petroleum based degreaser in it. Anyone else have one of these home garage type units and if so what do you use in it.
Rob

[Ken Talbot]

Right now I've got mine loaded up with Castrol Super Clean. It cleans well and doesn't smell up the basement.

[prometheus578]

"Oh... look at Mr. Fancy!"

Hey, when you're done there, I have a new stainless steel sink that you can install in my kitchen counter top.

Yeah, I've seen those at the local parts store, too. Made for biodegradeable, water based solvents, or something.
Now then... I don't know if everyone can get away with this, and I suppose it depends on the type solvent, but we have one of those types here at the shop. Have been running regular solvent through it for over four years. I guess the worry is that regular solvent would eat up the seals/O rings or something.
Hasn't happened to ours, but who's to say.
The effectiveness of regular solvent over water-based was worth the risk.(If a mechanic can't take apart a pump and replace o-rings, well, there's something wrong there.)
Not saying you should run solvent... just saying that we did.

Interesting concept, the counter top mounting. Never seen that before. Is that how they do it up north?

[79XS11F]

I did it that way for easy working height, can use the lid area when not using the washer, Floor space is tight in my garage. The pump on this puppy is one of those plastic aquarium types with the epoxy sealed motor. The instructions say that some petroleum based solvents will remove the paint. I think I will also add a drain at the bottom before I use it for the first time.
Rob

[mro]

I think I will also add a drain at the bottom

Miss my parts washer
Don't miss the monthly bill to change the solvent tho.
One of these days going to get a blast cabinet


mro

[prometheus578]

Drain would be an interesting idea.

Change the solvent monthly?

Whoa... aren't we high-fallutin'!
Coupl'a years ago, some company wanted us to try their "Wonder Solvent" for 60 days, so we did. Great stuff.
They came back and pumped it out, as the boss was too cheap to buy it. Old solvent went back in.
I, on the other hand, spend money like the world's ending. (Which in a way, it is)
Five gals. of solvent is something like $30.

[79XS11F]

The drain will be handy to run the cleaner through a filter from time to time and drain the unit for WINTER time. It just seemed like a good plan.
Rob

[prometheus578]

It is.

[fredintoon]

Ooh, there's posh.

Hi Rob,
it's been my experience that no matter how large a washtank is, the thing you really need to clean is just too large to fit in it. That said, your parts washer installation looks real neat. Far neater than the dump-salvaged & endwise-split hot water tank on a stand I used to use. But I betcha yours can't be filled with BBQ coals with an expanded metal grille on top to cook 24 steaks at one time for a family gathering.
Your least-cost solvent will be diesel fuel. If diesel attacks your plastic wonder take it back & play hell. Stinks a bit, mind you; an extractor fan will help. A neat thing I saw on a commercial washtank:- the solvent was pumped via a flexible rubber hose that had a circular scrub-brush on it's end that the solvent came out through.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[79XS11F]

Oh there's no doubt that there are parts on my bike that will not fit in there but most will. It is big enough to handle the likes of the clutch side engine cover and many of the engine parts.
Rob