Parts Cleaning Solvent - What do you use?

I've been using a product called "Salvasol" for years to clean greasy, dirty parts, but now I'm told you can't buy it anymore because it's a hazardous material (which explains the way I look). What products do you guys use that A) cleans parts up good and B) doesn't cost a kazillion bucks a pint???
Thanks,
Bob

 

i picked up a gallon of carburetor/ parts cleaner at my local auto parts store. it's made by the "gunk" company....comes in either a gallon paint can or a big 5 gallon can. works amazing, used it on a bunch of 94's i have and the stuff even took the rust off of the bases. i think it was roughly $8 a gallon or $25 for the big can. good luck.

 

OldCarPilot and I picked up a bucket of generic carb cleaner from Autozone last week to clean up an old 4160, it was the only brand they had. Don't waste your money on that shit, all it was good for was stinking up the place.
Useless.
I'll try the Gunk next time, and I won't rest until I find it.

 

I by the $1.99 STP spray can brake parts cleaner for parts that stay on the car or large parts. The 1 gallon can of B-9 parts cleaner mentioned above for small parts or Paint Thinner for other stuff. you can get a gallon of this stuff at Home Depot for under 2 bucks!!

 

if you have an old carb that is really gunked up, let it sit in pinesol for a couple of days, then rinse and blow it out- pinesol eats the gum and grease away, and doesn't hurt seals and rubber parts. if you leave the carb in fer too long- ie weeks, it will discolor it though. also, your carb smells pinesol fresh

 

flash 147, i buy it by the 55 gallon drum and get a bit of a price break that way but its still not cheap.

 

"Salvasol", "Stanasol", and other "parts solvents" for tank style parts washers are various Petroleun Naphtha Solvents.Common mineral spirits have replaced most of these old name brands. Safety-Kleen uses mineral spirits with a light green dye marker. In the can it is not hazardous, contaminated with old grease and oil it becomes hazardous waste. How to get rid of it is the big issue.

 

What I found works great is floor stripper for wax etc., costs about $4-7 a gallon, found anywhere esp. the Sams & Costco's, and you soak your parts in it and it will strip the grease and paint too. when i turned wrenches at sears we had a floor stripper that was more powerful than what you find today, but that was years ago.

 

one other thing - I got one of those rubbermaid tubs with the sealing lid on it and put the parts in there and slosh them around to help clean, and then hit them with a brush and water.

 

I bought a five-gallon bucket of Chemtool? carb cleaner to soak multiple carbs,

the stuff doesn't work the best when new but seems to get better the more used it gets.

For miscellaneous cleaning I use gasoline (I know but only outside on damp cool days) or lacquer thinner.

I think I’ll try the floor stripper, it sounds a lot safer.

Paul

 

When I was a kid we used to use "white gas"
which as far as I know it was unleaded, no-additive straight gasoline.
We also used it in the coleman stove and lantern.
I wouldn't use it today, mainly because it's too volatile and mineral spirits are cheaper.

 

I did use triclorethylen...

 

i asked all my friends the same question when i bought a parts cleaner (cabinet type; upper shelf; lower basket; pump w/ flex spout; looks like the old horizontal type soda machines). the majority said stoddard solvent. so i bought a 55 gal drum at about $3/gal. used 35 gallons and sold the other 15 gallons to a friend.

seems to work pretty well. the lower basket will hold parts down in the solvent tank for soaking. i can just leave stuff in there as long as it needs. i'm so forgetful that sometimes things stay in there way longer than i meant.

 

I'll second the Stoddard solvent post. I've used it for years but heard it is no longer available. I'll find out the next time I go to get some.

Frank

 

The parts cleaner machines used in service stations use stoddart solvent which is dry cleaning solution. It is dyed green by Safety Kleen before they put it in the machines. I know this for a fact as I know the ex-owners.

 

I know Dr J wont think this is cool, but Wallmart sells spray cans of carb cleaner and engine degreaser for 97 cents each. The carb cleaner works great and at 97 cents a can you can afford to go nuts. Avoid the degreaser though -- the 97 cents would probably be better spent at Taco Bell or something.

For larger items, I use paint thinner in a large rubbermaid container.

When it comes time to pull out the big guns, the ultimate weapon of mass destruction is hot, soapy water and a bristle brush.

 

PS- Safety Kleen sucks. We use it in the parts washer at work and it's not the most effective game in town. MEK on the other hand...

 

I use M.E.K. and a parts brush. Not exactly friendly to the skin and it evaporates after a while. Probably better suited for small stuff like wheel bearings and the lot.

 

I go to the local NAPA store and buy Stoddard solvent. Add a qt of trans fluid to it and it don't eat your skin so bad and stops the evaporation............

 

Don't know if they have them back east, but over here in California, they have a discount grocery type of store called the .99 Cent store. Everything in there is....you got it.... .99 cents!

Anyhow they have the most amazing cleaner called Awesome. Awesome makes like a thousand different cleaners. Awesome carpet cleaner, Awesome kitchen cleaner, etc. They are all pretty much a diluted version of the actual cleaner. Get the actual cleaner. Other than build cars, I also restore 50s furniture. I used to use this stuff to clean wood that had years of cigarette smoke stained into it. Spray it on, let it sit for about a minute and that shit will come right off. I found that if I let it sit too long, though, that it would start to eat off the finish. So, I decided to use it for more heavy duty stuff. One day I was sealing my gas tank and decided to paint it before I installed it. It was gunked as hell with think ass grease and grime all over it. I sprayed that shit on and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then hosed it off. Wasn't much more that I had to do with it after that. Best of all.....it's only .99 cents.

 

I use Mineral Spirits = Stoddard Solvent = Paint Thinner = Dry Cleaning Safety Solvent.

A bunch of names for the same stuff.

I work for a petroleum distributor. We sell parts cleaning solvent ( Stoddard Solvent ). We buy it in 4000 gallon lots and the shipping papers from the refinery say " Mineral Spirits ".

You can go to your local hardware/paint store and buy a gallon of paint thinner, it should work just fine.

It is always a good idea to wear gloves when working with any chemicals. Your body absorbs stuff real easily through your hands.

Neal

 

mek.....
not friendly to the kidneys either.
cumulative effects.
plz. wear protective stuff,(nitrile gloves ,respirator.)

 

Safety Kleen Blows Big Floppy Donkey Dick

They want $250 four times a year to "service" our solvent tank at school. I watched the guy do it once, he spent 5 minutes, and it cost me $250. $1000 is a HUGE chunk of my budget.

I recomend Zep's Dyna 143. Zep rocks, ecpecially when compaired to those communist nazi dicks at Safety Kleen.

-Bugman Jeff

 

Thanks for the input, guys. I guess I'll just find out locally where I can get the best price on a large quantity (5 gals or more) of paint thinner or Stoddard solvent.
I appreciate you all taking the time to reply.
-Bob

 

That new Gunk carb cleaner doesnt come close to the old version. It works but only so so; plus it's so damn slow.

Here is what I often do.

Iron & steel stuff goes into the dishwasher when the old lady isnt around. Cascade powder is the best and make sure the water temperature is as high as you dare use. Cascade is caustic and has some sodium hydroxide (lye) in it. Not for aluminum unless you dont mind etching and water stains.

Carbs go right into a 5 gal plastic pail mix of 98% pure Sodium Hydroxide and hot water. I use about 8-10 ounces per gallon of water. Be extremely careful around this stuff!! This is not for the careless, accident prone or drunks.
It only takes minutes to degrease, use a tray to dunk the parts quickly and then place in a bucket of clean water. Practice on junk castings to get a feel for the time needed, this stuff will dissolve the metal if you go for a beer run.
If you want to heat the brew, use a ferrous metal container or Pyrex glass. In cold weather I do that and heat on a portable camp stove out in the yard.
AGAIN, BE CAREFUL! This shit can eat your skin right off. I havent lost any yet.

For quick and dirty small stuff Ive been using gasoline for around 45 years. Never any problems. Use only brass or bristle brushes, they wont cause sparks.

Aluminum stuff such as intakes, flatheads, bellhousings, etc, I use Castrol Super Clean Concentrate. Mix about 50/50 with water and put in a spray bottle. Bristle brushes and a pressure washer work wonders here to break up that 50 years of baked on grime. I hate the EBAy bead blast look.

 

Around here some people use diesel fuel. Petroleum based, cleans good and not as flamable as others. Anybody else use it?

 

I think 286merc wins the danger award,

for the dishwasher and old lady solution!

that's scary stuff!

 

i bought some stoddard solvent about a year ago for my parts washer.as far as i know you can still get it,try an oil company that sells heating oil thats were i get mine{comes in 5 gallon pails},stuff works great.....quickrod

 

I use laquer thinner for just about everything - just dipped my grungy 97's in a coffee can of LT and the crud just dissolved, instant-like.

What's the downside that I'm missing? $5 per gallon can at Home Depot ain't too steep, and the lid on the coffee can keeps it from evaporating too quickly so's you can use it again.

 

I bought a gallon of Gunk Hydro-Seal about 5 or 6 years ago and use that for all types of cleaning.Seems to get better with age.I wouldn't want to take too may "huffs" of it though!Works great on aluminum.My wash basin is a 2 1/2 gallon plastic bottle(had some kind of plant food in it)with one side cut out.Pour the Hydro Seal in and wash your parts,open up the cap and pour the contents back into the can.I have a couple of these that I use as drain buckets;much easier to pour out of than those stupid drain pans with their oversized troughs.
Stuff isn't cheap;I think it was about $26.00/gallon back then but it sure works!