What Do You Use To Clean Parts?

[sabre1fv]

I'm currently using a Safety Solvent to clean most parts: engine and trans components, oily car parts, etc. Definitely a solvent that you don't want contacting your skin in any significant amounts - I do use good, re-useable, solvent resistant gloves. I use this in a solvent tank and keep it in smaller containers for small, simple cleaning jobs; it cleans very well. But I am looking for alternatives and am interested in hearing what other people are using.

I did a quick check and didn't see this topic listed previously. Thanks in advance.

-Jim

[Mike B]

I've been using this: https://www.amazon.com/Cleaner-Degre.../dp/B01HOK2TWU
in a cheap bench-top parts washer (this one:https://www.grainger.com/product/WES...9&cm_vc=HPMPPZ)
on a street car project and it's been working great. I left a set of 275,000 mile pistons in the tank over night and after a minute or two of wire brushing they look new. Oily, greasy parts come out come out clean without any additional scrubbing.
I still wear nitrile gloves but this isn't a solvent so they aren't required.

[jrh3]

I've used mineral spirits with follow up Walmart purple cleaner, water rinse .

[Steve Demeter]

Stoddard Solvent in a home built parts washer with a Stainless tank, a tray with expanded metal bottom to sit parts on and a pump. Drain solvent back into 5 gallon bucket when done for the day via a petcock in bottom corner of tank.

But I am old fashioned.

[EricP]

Soapy water or Acetone for most of my Formula car parts because they are not grungy. Not sure if acetone is a bad idea but I like it because it goes away quickly and is cheap.

For production car parts that are grungy, Zep brand parts cleaner. Sometimes WD40.

[jtaphorn]

I use and recommend Graymill's Agitene in my parts washer. Very low odor and excellent degreasing properties.

[Daryl DeArman]

Soapy water or Acetone for most of my Formula car parts because they are not grungy. .

I'd shy away from the acetone. I ruined a carb for a 45 year old bike I was restoring when I left it sitting in a "sealed" jar of acetone a bit too long. I used it because it was the only thing I found that would cut the tar like gel that the 2-stroke oil and old gas that had been sitting for 30+ years, had created. New carb dip stuff didn't touch it and the good old style chemdip/berryman carb dip stuff can't be obtained in the Republic of Kalifornia any longer.

[Westroc]

After 36 (?) years I've used a bunch of stuff. Never worn gloves and I am still here somehow. The best stuff to clean aluminum stuff is still the orange based cleaners. Especially cast ali.. It just gets it done w/o all the effort of using brushes to scrub it out of the pores. Less work but probably the costliest. It also has the PITA of not mixing well w/ varsol or thinners in your existing tank. It doesn't react just doesn't mix either. Recently tried a solvent from Wurth that you cut w/water. Cheaper and better than average BUT it leaves the parts filmy sortt of a slippery film. Cheaper and way less evap than thinner butI really don't like the film left. Used all the other sprays and they all left me less impressed. First most important thing you need is a good parts cleaning brush. Go to Snap-on and flag the guy down and buy their brush. Don't cheap out! The others are just mops and are useless! I thought I lost mine and bought a couple different ones only to find it. You know like when you light a smoke THEN your dinner comes. Acetone- no way I hate white dried out hands and white scale on parts. IMO use as only a very harsh alternative. Big believer in using a shot of brake clean ( Wurth) after I know i's clean.
Jus an anecdote: When I try out a new crew guy the very first test is I ask them to clean a part and bring it back to me when they have it clean. When they come back all proud I say " lick it". Then I get the look. Then it clicks in. No you won't loose the guy who wants to do it. All my guys are 10-15 yrs. Yes even the grandkids. After a while it's self policing.

[Bob Wright]

NAPA parts washer solvent. Available anywhere, used by garages across the country with very little smell. Use gloves for best results with your hands but not essential. As an aside- you would be amazed how well gasoline cleans things- just a little more smelly and dangerous that the other choices.

[EricP]

Option:

https://www.factorydirectchemicals.c...aner-degreaser

[Rick Kirchner]

oil eater for light goo, maybe some non california brakleen for heavier spots. Big stuff? Diesel. Use it to kill weeds when done.

[sabre1fv]

Thank you for the replies, I will look into several of them.

My Safety Solvent is the same as, or very close to Stoddard Solvent. What is really great about it is you clean the parts and it evaporates - no secondary cleaning steps. It does also seem to leave an imperceptible oil(?) film that prevents rust from forming anytime soon - good for parts that sit for long periods of time. I ALWAYS use special solvent gloves, not the flimsy 100/box gloves readily available everywhere - when they rip or tear you are getting the chemical exposure the gloves are supposed to prevent (BTW, the different types have different resistances to the myriad of chemicals you may expose them to). I would strongly recommend that anytime you are going to expose your skin to these types of chemicals, you wear gloves because some of that stuff is going INTO your skin.

-Jim

[Rick Kirchner]

especially acetone. never clean epoxy with acetone and bare hands. goes straight into the bloodstream.

[sabre1fv]

Agree on the acetone. If it is wet epoxy, typically Isopropyl Alcohol works very well. If you are using Acetone, use Latex gloves (also good for Lacquer Thinner).

-Jim

[Hardingfv32]

There is no better cleaning solvent for general automotive use than gasoline. Nothing less expensive.

If you think it causes an unacceptable air pollution issue or is against air quality regs, then for sure don't use it.

Is gasoline some kind of evil poison that should be avoided at all costs, not so sure. Why is it that we are allowed to fill our tanks without any kind of protection. Where are the class action suits?

Each individual must make their own cost vs benefit assessment if choosing to use gasoline as a cleaning solvent.

Brian

[Rick Kirchner]

The problem with gasoline is the issue of fumes.

When I was a kid my dad was a painter. To clean brushes, we used gasoline (with high quantities of lead no less - I want my 20 IQ points back). Gas was a ****-ton cheaper than thinner. Everybody used it. Latex paint? Who wants that crap?

Neighbor was a painter too. Was painting rooms at the local hospital. Went down in the basement to clean his stuff. Fumes went under a stud wall and lit off from a water heater that he didn't know about.

FOON! (kinda the noise gas makes when a large qty lights off). He died the next day.

If you are going out to the airport to buy AVGAS, get a couple gallons of JET-A. It's even harder to light than diesel, and not so stinky.

[Daryl DeArman]

Why is it that we are allowed to fill our tanks without any kind of protection. Where are the class action suits?

Driving through parts of Oregon I learned that some municipalities have decided it's too dangerous for regular folk to pump their own gas.





Acetone is used to remove finger nail polish. . . how is that supposed to work if they are wearing gloves? Yeah, don't bathe in it. And it will eat the seal on a tamper evident glass pickle jar that you are soaking the old carb in, allowing moisture in and all kinds of fun reactions with that mixture and the various metals in an old carb.

[Charles Warner]

For small parts get a cheap sonic cleaner from Amazon and use half water and half Purple stuff. Made a 1967 era brake master cylinder look brand new, and it gets everywhere. They can be had for around $100.

[marshall9]

Slide mold and die cleaner, but beware it is strong and a can goes as quickly as brake kleen