Can you suggest a good parts washer fluid?

[Skip Weld]

Hello everyone, I bought some supposedly good non smelly non petroleum parts washer fluid and it is useless!! I put a tank heater on the tank and that helped a tiny bit but it was a complete waste of money. I will post the name of it later when I see it so no one will make the same mistake.
My Question is does any one know a good cleaner other than Safety Clean? I am too small an account for them I would think.
I use an old gas station style safety clean washer so nothing fancy.
I would hope for Safety Clean level of cleaning with less smell. Sandi doesn't want the smell in her office and I don't enjoy it much either.
Thanks very much for any advice you might have.

Skip Weld

[Rick Kirchner]

oil eater? I've used it a lot over the years, never in a washer and rarely with any heat. It is pretty effective, although not as effective as chlorinated brake cleaner. I find it's hard on anodize at higher concentrations, and will strip the oils from your hands almost painfully.

[jtaphorn]

I use Agitene

[sabre1fv]

I posed a similar question several months back and received several suggestions; besides gasoline, there were suggestions of an orange based cleaner and a product called RTX9 Turbo among others. I did purchase the two I mentioned but haven't used them yet since they involve the use of water which could lead to rusting if not completely removed - not a good thing for engine and transmission components.

I have been using a Safety Solvent in an un-heated parts cleaner (basically a variation of the Stoddard Solvent) which is great for removing oil and grease from parts, then evaporates leaving a clean and dry component. I purchase this locally from a fuel/oil distributor in 5 gallon cans. The distributor also carries a refined Kerosene which is also used for parts cleaning, but it smells like Kerosene and isn't quite as good as the Safety Solvent; the Safety Solvent also has an odor but not as bad as the Kerosene (at least to me).

The downside to the Safety Solvent is that it is absorbed into the body upon contact, and this is NOT a good thing (same with Acetone and probably most other chemicals). Use of heavy duty chemical resistance gloves (not those cheapie 'box of 100' type gloves) is the smart thing to do, as a minimum...

I have also found that a "Stoddard type solvent" can be purchased from auto parts suppliers in 5 gallon cans so you are not stuck with the Safety Clean program.

I also keep the solvent in 1 gallon jugs for small cleaning jobs and re-use it until it gets dirty (usually dissolved oil and grease); I do not use it for brake components because it may leave a trace of oil (normally undetectable) on component surfaces.

There are of course the aerosol cleaners, but they aren't cheap, but certainly are convenient; I do not know what their exposure risk is, but I always use gloves and try to minimize contact with them.

If you find something better, please share it with us.

-Jim

[R. Pare]

Try plain ol' mineral spirits. There should be a distributor somewhere near you that carries it in 5 gallon cans at a reasonable price.

[Steve Demeter]

Stoddard solvent which is not too different from mineral spirits

[Skip Weld]

I use Agitene

Which Agitene do you use? The 5005 141 water based with Lanolin or the older petroleum based stuff?
How is the smell from it?
Thanks very much for taking the time to reply. It helps
Skip Weld

[John Robinson II]

Skip
you can get mineral spirits from paint supply stores fairly cheaply.
I use PSC 1000 from tractor supply. Works really well at cutting grease and oils. Comes in 5 gallon cans.

John

[jtaphorn]

I use this Agitene.

Regular Agitene™ M2062 (5 gal)

This version leaves no residue. Works great on grease.

Unlike stoddard, Varsol and Mineral spirits, it has no odor.

Occasionally good deals are had on EBay.

[Bob L.]

Mineral spirits. Walmart Super store paint dept is cheapest in my area.

Bob L.

[DanW]

Here in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia, we can no longer buy denatured alcohol or methanol. I can buy straight ethanol though. Oil eater is good but leaves a residue and discolors aluminum.
Mineral spirits are good.
Coleman stove fuel works well as a solvent since its a clean light cyclohexane, heptane, octane. I put that in a "sure shot" pressure sprayer and wipe the chassis and alu parts down.

[Ed Womer]

I was going to use Simple Green when I bought a Harbor Freight parts cleaner but after talking to my friend who has repair shop and he suggested mineral spirits. So that is what I have been using but I did notice that after cleaning a lot of parts the mineral spirits did defiantly leave a stinging feeling on my hands for a day or so. I might switch to Simple Green when I use up the mineral spirits since I know that doesn't affect my hands since I use it to pre clean then when I get real dirty working in the garage.

Ed

[ktaggart]

I would steer away from Simple Green if you do much aluminum. It causes severe oxidation on Aluminum.

Ken

[Steve Davis]

OK.. regardless of which solvent you use to clean with .. HOW/WHERE do you dispose of it when it's no longer usable?
Steve

[Charlie Schmidt]

I give mine to my neighbor. He works at the Freightliner shop, and it goes in the tank for oil fired shop heaters.

[SteveG]

Here in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia, we have household hazardous waste disposal facilities where we can drop off anything that isn't pharmaceuticals or radioactive.

Steve

[Steve Davis]

I might also add that Jet-A fuel ..available at most small airports... is a "highly refined" version of mineral spirits (based on google searches). I've been using kerosene for a number of years (mixed with a fair amount of WATER) in my parts washer. Whenever I empty my 55 gallon can of kero (filled last over 10 years ago), I plan to replenish it with Jet-A instead. Kerosene around here even in 55 gal qty is obscene in price. The Jet-A at my "local" airport is about half the price. Diesel fuel should also be VERY similar and even cheaper (aka less expensive), but it won't be nearly as "clean" as the Jet-a.

Steve

[lmpdesigner]

Many airports will no longer sell Jet A (or any fuel) to people wanting it in a can. Must be a real plane. Some sort of law(s)

[Mike B]

I would steer away from Simple Green if you do much aluminum. It causes severe oxidation on Aluminum.

Ken

You might want to consider Simple Green Extreme: https://simplegreen.com/industrial/p...ision-cleaner/

I would've also suggested mineral spirits or solvents but one of Skip's requirements was less smell.

[Steve Davis]

Many airports will no longer sell Jet A (or any fuel) to people wanting it in a can. Must be a real plane. Some sort of law(s)

I'm sure the OP knows this since he's a pilot, but FYI there are no 'LAWS' or even 'REGULATIONS' prohibiting the sale of Jet-A or AvGas to anyone in any container other than a 'for street' vehicle. However there are REGULATIONS that prohibit putting those fuels into STREET (HIGHWAY OPERATED) vehicles due to the HIGHWAY TAXES that are added to HIGHWAY fuels - e.g. gasoline and diesel fuels primarily. This regulation has been INTERPRETED by MANY airports as prohibiting the sale of fuel into anything other than an airplane. This SEEMS to have come from 'somewhere "on high" ' as I have yet to find an official FAA FBO that would sell fuel to anything other than a 'vehicle for flight'. I have argued with a couple of them to no avail, but small airports with common sense abound throughout the country and are happy to satisfy our needs - you just have to find the right (small) place - if it has a 'manned control tower' forget it .. go somewhere else . A great deal of the 'small places' have UNATTENDED fueling stations using credit cards and NO ONE IN ATTENDANCE, so you don't even have to EXPLAIN what you're doing . I load two 55 gal cans at a time and that generally lasts me a bit over a year for racing fuel - but I DON'T live in the Kalifornia Republic .
YMMV
Steve

[EACIII]

Jet fuel is close to diesel, so why not just buy that if you want to use to clean parts. But not what I would use as leaves a oily film. Why farmers rubbed it on their tractors to protect them back in the day

Ed

[Steve Davis]

Jet fuel is close to diesel, so why not just buy that if you want to use to clean parts. But not what I would use as leaves a oily film. Why farmers rubbed it on their tractors to protect them back in the day

Ed

BECAUSE .. it (diesel) leaves a worse 'oily film' ... by a significant margin, than mineral spirits .. so does kerosene, but the only thing I can use my kerosene for is in my portable heater, which I seldom use, or to clean parts. At the time I bought this kerosene, the best price I could find for mineral spirits was twice the price of the kerosene. Also, at that time, I had no idea that Jet A would be a great substitute. I haven't priced mineral spirits lately in a 'fill my drum' qty, but I do know that the cost at my local airport is close to what I pay for AvGas (roughly HALF the cost of kerosene now) and the pump nozzle is only a few feet away .
Steve

[Daryl DeArman]

I load two 55 gal cans at a time and that generally lasts me a bit over a year for racing fuel - but I DON'T live in the Kalifornia Republic .
YMMV
Steve

First, say thanks for the fact you don't live in the Republic of Kalifornia.

I may suggest you transport said fuel in smaller quantities unless you have a HazMat endorsement on your license and DOT approved containers with class 3 flammable liquid placards.

If not, and you get busted, it's not going to be fun. As much as I generally detest a billion regulations, this one is a good one. We don't want you involved in an accident, for first responders to arrive on scene and not know what they are dealing with.

[Purple Frog]

Steve lives in rural Georgia... enough said.
Sort of like North Florida, the rules are a wee bit different here.

I had an experience with Simple Green a few years back.
I decided it had to be the best way to get my race trailer clean.

Mrs Frog found me on the ground in anaphylaxis shock. Rapidly running out of breathing passages.
Not fun.

Seems a lot of this stuff goes right through your skin.

Don't know how i survived carbon tet in the 60's. (maybe that is the reason...)

Now carry an Epinephrine Injection device in my truck.

[Skip Weld]

Thanks for all the help and ideas. I am going to Tractor Supply today to try 5 gallons of their stuff for $40.
I will let you know what I think in a week or so.
Thanks again!!
Skip

[Rick Lovett]

I have no connection with this company but:
All you guys should look into a company called Inland Technologies ( inlandtech.com). They are in Tacoma, Washington.
Their website will answer more questions than I can, so go there.
Non-hazardous waste cleaning fluid.
Look at their "Breakthrough" cleaning fluid and look at the names of the comapnies using their fluids and equipment.
Prior to retirement, from Auto Service Department management, my shop used their stuff for over 20 years after moving away from Safety Clean.
At that time, they had a program that GAVE you the parts washer machine and you agreed to buy their fluid and filters.
Their staff came out 2-3 times per year or whenever called and serviced / maintained the machines - free labor.
Look them up.

[socaljeff3798]

I will tell you what I use. I and NOT suggesting you do this. It is simply what I do.
I used "Gun wash" that automotive painters use to clean paint guns. I think its a combination of acetone and Lacquer thinner.
You can buy it at any automotive paint store it runs. $50-$60 for five gallons. It IS flammable, It will evaporate. So I dont put it in a parts washer. I have what I call my crap bucket. Its a 5 gallon home depot bucket and I put a Gamma Lid on it.
This it where I clean and soak all my really dirty stuff. When I uses fresh gun wash any remaining gets dumped into that bucket The gamma lid is air tight and keeps it from evaporating. I wear the heavy chemical glove so I get little exposure to it on my skin.

I know have it in a plastic bucket is not the safest thing.
As I said. I am NOT advising anyone to do this.
Its just what I do and it works.

[fvracerone1]

I was watching a guy rebuilding lawn mowers and lawn tractors on You Tube and he used a solution of Simple Green and orange anti freeze, Has any one heard of this being used?

Eagle 35F

[Steve Demeter]

One thing I have not seen or have missed: ALWAYS wear gloves that are impermeable to whatever your fluid of choice is.

And I wish that II could convince the local FBO that it is NOT against any law to asell airplane fuel as long as it does NOT go into a vehicle that will be driven on public roads.

[djones]

Call Safety-Kleen. Their cheap and do all the work! I'm sure they would be glad to work with you.
My guy even wants to come out to a race or two this season.

[Ed Womer]

Hey Ken,

Why do you say that simple green causes oxidation on aluminum? When I was racing regularly, I would roll my car out in the driveway to clean it on Monday after work and I used straight simple green and would coat the engine (VW) and everything behind the firewall on my vee and let it sit for at least five minutes. I would then use a garden hose and wash everything off. I never had any issues with the car and the firewall was aluminum and so is the engine and tranny.

Ed

[ktaggart]

Hi Ed,

I, too, used to use it on my SuperVee. The engine cases did not seem to mind it but the Mag. of the trans case did not like it at all. Then I used it straight on the all aluminum V-8 in my Mustang Cobra. It turned all the aluminum parts chalky white. Heck of a mess to clean up. And my polished alum. rim halves stain from It. So I'm just not using it on aluminum. Just plain mineral spirits on that stuff.

Ken

[Marty Nygard]

Years ago I worked for a company that used aero-derivative combustion turbines for power generation. So, whenever they swapped out a turbine, they sprayed everything down with Simple Green. I asked "what is this green liquid?". My boss said "don't worry, it's organic. I even brush my teeth with it." To this day, I use it for everything from cleaning the bottoms of old English cars to washing off bug bites.
Marty

[stonebridge20]

Simple Green (Green)

Simple Green HD (Purple)

Are two completely different animals !

Simple Green HD will dull paint and even powdercoat. It will etch Aluminum and Mag.

[Bill Johnson 42]

A while back was looking for something to clean the outside of my white enclosed trailer and thought I'd try Simple Green. It didn't clean all that well and left a yellowish residue on it. Was not impressed. I haven't tried it in a parts washer but from what I saw can't imagine it would be very effective.

[Skip Weld]

I have switched to the PSC stuff that Tractor supply sells and it working nicely now. Things are cleaning the way they should.
Priced at $40. per 5 gallons.
Skip Weld

[EYERACE]

Mineral Spirits - so your skin burns - that's why beer was invented - but don't use the beer on the skin

[GraemeD]

Flammability..............................