Mark Whatley solvent recipe - safe for parts washers?

[PabloCruise]

All,

I got a little cheapie parts washer over the weekend and could not find solvent at a couple of places in town, so I used paint thinner.

It did not work so fine. It left the discoloration on the botom of the valve cover, and took paint off my hub.

The big problem is it melted some plastic pieces in the solvent pump.

Then I remembered Mark W's recipe for solvent:
- diesel fuel
- kerosene
- ATF

Has anyone run this in their parts washer? How does it do?

TIA,

 

[IH8Wood]

I think you'll have the same problem. Paint thinner, diesel and kerosene are all petroleum distillates. Does you're washer specify a water based solvent?

 

[RredFJ40]

I've run both straight kerosene and straight deisel in my parts washer with no ill effects. The pump housing and strainer are plastic.

 

[PabloCruise]

I think you'll have the same problem. Paint thinner, diesel and kerosene are all petroleum distillates. Does you're washer specify a water based solvent?

No it didn't, but I think standard parts solvent is a lot less nasty than lacquer thinner...

I'll have to take a pic of what it did to my pump!

Now that I think about it, I think Mark W's recipe might have been for penetrating oil.

I'll grab some solvent at the petroleum depot and try to source a new pump!

 

[psfpilot]

I personally would be scared to use a flammable substance such as kerosene or diesel in something that is electrically powered and/or in a confined space. If the fumes find the pilot light on a water heater...

 

[3_puppies]

No it didn't, but I think standard parts solvent is a lot less nasty than lacquer thinner...

I'll have to take a pic of what it did to my pump!

Now that I think about it, I think Mark W's recipe might have been for penetrating oil.

I'll grab some solvent at the petroleum depot and try to source a new pump!

I think it was for penetrating oil also, removing rusted items, also I thought there was one more item. have to dig out that issue of trails.

 

[psfpilot]

In one of the last two issues, he was extolling the virtues of muriatic acid as a rust remover. Instead of using penetrating oil to reduce friction, he was using muriatic acid to melt the rust away between the seized bolt and nut/bolt hole.

 

[Mark W]

The "Ed's Red" variation that I use for penetrating oil will probably be hard on some plastics. Not as bad as pure acetone, but over time it will add up. I tried using it in trigger style spray/squirt bottles. The valves fell apart after a while. After it happened two or three times I realized why.

I have a citrus based solvent that I'm using in my parts washer tight now. I usually use it as the last step after getting the parts pretty clean to start with. Works well for that approach.

Diesel works better for cleaning gunked parts.

Diesel is not real flamable and has a high flash point/high vapor pressure. I have no concersn using it for washing parts.


Mark...

 

[-Spike-]

No it didn't, but I think standard parts solvent is a lot less nasty than lacquer thinner...

I'll have to take a pic of what it did to my pump!

Now that I think about it, I think Mark W's recipe might have been for penetrating oil.

I'll grab some solvent at the petroleum depot and try to source a new pump!

Laquer thinner is NOT paint thinner. 'Paint thinner' is xylene and toluene and naptha, or some combination of some of those, also known as mineral spirits. I use paint thinner in my parts washer, it's been sitting in it for several years with no noticeable effects on the pump. I would not expect the pump to last a day with laquer thinner in it.

-Spike

 

[gladly]

yup, paint thinner and lacquer thinner are different animals, not much of anything that isn't bare metal will sit for long with lacquer thinner in it.

 

[Nomis]

Anyone use this stuff?
Berryman B9 Chem Dip
http://www.amazon.com/Berryman-Parts-Cleaner-Basket-gallon/dp/B0002KKIIC

 

[-Spike-]

Anyone use this stuff?
Berryman B9 Chem Dip
http://www.amazon.com/Berryman-Parts-Cleaner-Basket-gallon/dp/B0002KKIIC

That stuff is great for carb parts. Smells like burning Band-aids though, and the smell lingers on your fingers for hours.

-Spike

 

[agent orange]

The "Ed's Red" variation that I use for penetrating oil will probably be hard on some plastics. Not as bad as pure acetone, but over time it will add up. I tried using it in trigger style spray/squirt bottles. The valves fell apart after a while. After it happened two or three times I realized why.

After reading this post i was looking around at the hardware store im working at this summer and noticed a chemical resistant spray bottle. I bet that it would hold up pretty well to stuff like eds red.

-Matt

 

[Hugh Heifer]

I just changed the fluid in my cheap Harbor Freight washer. I used 1 gallon of their cheap biodegradable stuff to the max amount of water that would fit and I was pleasantly surprised (actually very surprised) at how well it worked. I use Lacquer thinner after I have rinsed or blasted to assure good paint adhesion.

 

[FLYINGLOW]

I personally would be scared to use a flammable substance such as kerosene or diesel in something that is electrically powered and/or in a confined space. If the fumes find the pilot light on a water heater...

Huh? Diesel, kerosene or jet A are no more flamable than most solvents.

 

[oldIron]

Use Kero in my cleaner all the time.