Technical parts washer; anyone used a residential dishwasher?

So when we replaced the dishwasher in sweetie's kitchen I took the old but perfectly functioning Kitchen Aide dishwasher to the shop intending to donate it to Habitat for Humanity or some similar group. Today at lunch with a bunch of like minded hot rodders/gearheads the possibility of using it for an automated parts washer came up.

Has anyone done this?

Successes/failures?

Cleaning solution used? Petroleum or non-petroleum?

Suggestions?

Please refrain from drama. If you think I'm an idiot just keep it to yourself. Most folks here already know that and it would serve no purpose to reiterate it.

Opinions are ok, but would really like to hear from folks that have done it or actually seen it done.

I also know you can buy commercially manufactured ones; like in this link. So the idea isn't farfetched, but maybe the old dishwasher idea???

b-t-w; I've already got a parts cleaner that looks like a chest type freezer or antique Pepsi machine. The kind that has an electric pump with flexible tube, fusible link lid, and holds about 35 gallons of Stoddard Solvent. If I try this it will be in addition to that one.

 

What are you gonna clean.

 

I can't see any problem with it if you are using simple green or the purple stuff mixed with water but I've been wrong before.
Pete

 

That’s what I was going to say, use a detergent type cleaner and maybe figure some kind of filter system, as a dishwasher is a total loss system. Bones

 

I clean carbs in ours when the wife is out

 

I tried this years ago for washing auto transmission parts.
If you use the conventional wash tablets they are full of alkalis that turn the aluminum parts black and the iron/steel parts are rusty before the wash cycle is over.
Went back to the laborious hand wash with degreaser method.

 

I used our dishwasher with no soap to wash a set of connecting rods and pistons. I had sandblasted them and wanted to make sure that there was no grit left on them.
It left the strangest corrosion stripes on the con rods, looked like tiger stripes. The pistons developed a slightly green tinge. No idea where it came from.
I'd post pictures but the parts are already installed in the engine.

 

I have done this as well as some other small parts (like you, when the wife is out). I didn't use any soap product, just used the hot, heavy dirt setting. After I remove the parts, I run a load of dishes through it and try to time it so they are about done when my wife gets home. I'm on her good side, and she's none the wiser.

We used to make fish in the dishwasher at work. Dishes and fishes at the same time. We called it the fishwasher.

 

I have also used the home dishwasher to clean carbs. If I clean 'em up good enough and they pass inspection, the little lady lets me run 'em with some of the regular dishes. The carb parts that go in are a hell of a lot cleaner than some of her pots and pans. I have been rebuilding a few carbs lately and have been using Eastwood's special carb paint on some of the uglier ones. It sticks real well after they come out of the dishwasher and are very durable when coated with hi-temp satin clear.

 

I seem to recall having cleaned an aluminum intake in the dishwasher a long long time ago, but nothing since then.

yes, I've been married for almost 35 years....

(but the main reason is that I don't like putting stuff with fuel or oil residue in a cleaning machine that is not designed for it)

 

I use to use one of the stand alone ones on wheels with cutting board etc to clean a lot of stuff. Mainly hubcaps etc that had already been scrubbed goo. I did a few aluminum intakes and found that with the alkali cleaners they came out black looking. Have done carbs, air cleaners etc as well. If my mom ever knew!

 

wife came home one day and noticed a couple pots on the stove, she asked what was for dinner I said "base plate with a side of main body"

 

I used to fix dishwashers for a living once upon a time, and used to get asked if could put the old one in the shed and use it for a partswasher. As someone said, aluminium parts end up black, but that is because the detergent used is basically caustic soda based. If you use normal detergent, it will froth up and you will get little or no flow through the re-circ pump.
The secret is in hand dying or blow drying the parts just after the wash cycle, don't leave them in until the end of the cycle, or they will start to corrode. You could try a bit of front-loader clothes washing powder (lo suds), but I would only use a teaspoon full.

 

well, I guess I should have elaborated on my thought process a bit. I'm thinking that I'd put a barrel higher than the dishwasher with a hose running down to the dishwasher inlet and run the pumped dishwasher discharge back up into the barrel. The hose from the barrel down to the washer would be installed several inches above the bottom of the barrel so that sludge would settle out in the barrel.

 

LOL

 

Sounds like that would work, gotta see pics of this! Bones

 

I haven’t ever used the dish washer but I have used the old thrown out crock pot many many times to clean up carb parts . Works like a champ .

 

I live alone so the piston cleaning machine is used often , as is the preheating oven near it before welding various metals

 

I used to do maintenance at a retirement home. When I had something really grungy I needed cleaned I'd run it through the commercial dishwasher. No soap, just extremely hot steamy water. (I suppose it could've had detergent in it if it was self feeding, but I need added any).

At any rate, parts used to come out super clean. Ready for paint or whatever.

 

Don't like the idea of putting grease into the sewerage or septic system. It can cause big problems.

 

Did this with a OT Jeep 4.0 intake. It came out looking very nice. Seems like I soaked it in simple green before starting the " ultimate wash" cycle. I'd do it again if the need arose.

 

I have to admit I've cleaned my stainless black powder pistols when the wife was at work...

 

Using the same detergent that is used in the hot water parts washers should work fine.
Wanna use something non foaming and not caustic

Putting the drain hose in a drum for the grease and waste to collect in is a great idea instead of it going into the sewer or septic tank.

Let it settle for a few days and pump the water off the top


Not sure how I feel about cleaning car parts in a machine that cleans my cooking stuff in

 

see response #14

see first paragraph of original post

 

That would likely be from residual detergent in the system. I like to run mine on a rinse cycle every few weeks to flush things out. I kinda wish I'd kept my old DW for the shop now!

 

When I was building my '56 panhead I had read about wrinkle finish and wanted to use it on the barrels and in the article it suggested using heat to create a more uniform surface so I sprayed the jugs and preheated the oven and baked them for about a half hour.

The problem implementing what I thought was a good idea was the lack of not thinking it through,a strong odor permeating the house and it was nothing remotely as pleasing as the scent of a Thanksgiving turkey and to say my wife was more than a little perturbed when she came home is a understatement.

Needless to say my brilliant idea ended up costing me the price of a new stove. HRP

 

so since then you've had a powder coating oven in your shop, right?

 

A good number of aircraft engine remanufacturers use commercial dish washers to finish clean the engine cases, heads/cylinders and internal parts so why not use a home unit for already cleaned auto parts. It is one thing to have your flathead quit on the side of the road, it is quite another to have the Lycoming quit at 6k feet, I have experienced both. I would suggest running the washer again after the deed so your "indiscretion" is not so easily discovered.