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Thread: Parts washer solvent

  1. #1
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    Cool Parts washer solvent

    About to begin rebuilding the wheel and master cylinders on the forty. Plan to buy a parts washer to clean everything before I start on the rebuilding. What solvent do you guys use? I was considering mineral spirits but at $14 a gallon it would be expensive to fill even a small parts washer. Suggestions?

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    Quote Originally Posted by BubbaBear View Post
    About to begin rebuilding the wheel and master cylinders on the forty. Plan to buy a parts washer to clean everything before I start on the rebuilding. What solvent do you guys use? I was considering mineral spirits but at $14 a gallon it would be expensive to fill even a small parts washer. Suggestions?
    BB

    I am the proud owner of a parts washer that I would give you if you were closer. Unless you are going to use it regularly, you may want to consider another options. The washer takes a lot of solvent, it gets dirty quickly ands it is getting harder and harder to get rid of legally.

    What I do is to take a five gallon plastic pail, a screen basket and pour in a gallon of "Super Clean" brand water based cleaner. Soak the parts for as long as you want, use a scrub brush to knock off the rest and wash with water. Super Clean is not really cheap but most big box and auto stores handle it and it's usually $8/ gallon. Don't let anyone tell you there are other brands that are equivalent Bolderdash!!!. It comes in a purple bottle.

    Others will probably disagree but I use it all winter in the heated part of my polebarn. It's not flammable but read the directions and use accordingly. In Fact, I have a bunch of 74 Avanti engine compartment parts soaking as I type.

    Bob

  3. #3
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    Thanks, I'll check it out.

  4. #4
    Senior Member rockinhawk's Avatar
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    I use mineral spirits or kerosene, or a mixture of both. Add a little ATF to keep it from doing too much damage to your hands. I haven't bought any in awhile but I don't think it's that expensive here.

  5. #5
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    I use diesel. Nice and cheap

  6. #6
    Senior Member Dick Steinkamp's Avatar
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    I generally use diesel also to clean greasy parts....but NOT on brake parts.

    Use the water based cleaner Bob suggests, OR one of the aerosol brake cleaner products. The solvents in diesel, mineral spirits, and other petroleum based cleaners will eat the seals if even a small amout is left on the brake parts and is not compatible with brake fluid. Use only brake fluid as a lubricant if you plan to hone the cylinders.

  7. #7
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    yes I didn't read the original question properly. You can't use any oily solvent on brake parts.

  8. #8
    We use diesel in our shop to rinse off machining lubricant. It works especially good on carbon steel, doesn't cause flash rust and our plater is happy with how easy it is to clean off. Beware of bio-diesel, it works even better but any and ALL rags that have been exposed will be likely to spontaneously combust. We never had a problem with B20 or lower, only B99. There are some new bio-diesel based cleanres that are supposed to have additives to control spontaneous combustion, one I have used lately but the name escapes me, I'll look it up tomorrow at work.

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