Homemade parts cleaning fluid

[HoSS]

Anyone got any good recipes for parts cleaning fluid for a bath?

I've used white spirit with a bit of dishwasher fluid before.. The real stuff seems rather expensive

[Mo Murphy]

I'd like to see some too. I'm using diesel which works well enough but there's always room for something more effective.

Mo

[Ally V8]

28 sec burning oil.

[landroversforever]

Diesel in my parts washer tank. I use alcohol wipes or brake cleaner if I want zero trace of oil left.

[Retroanaconda]

Diesel works well and the oily film/residue can be a benefit in some cases depending on what you're cleaning. Personally I can't stand the smell of it though, and it's propensity for getting everywhere.

I have used petrol for cleaning some things (wheel bearings mainly) but you have to be f'king careful. Brake cleaner or similar solvent works wonders, though it's quite expensive so better for detail work rather than large-scale cleaning of a timing case for example. I buy it in 5 litre containers and transfer into a squirt bottle for use.

I've heard kerosene/paraffin works well for cleaning. Not tried it myself.

[landroversforever]

I love the smell of diesel

[CwazyWabbit]

Paraffin does indeed work well but diesel is probably the safest one when it comes to burning the place down.

Why not use diesel to do the primary cleaning then rinse off with something more expensive to remove the diesel?

[steve200TDi]

I've just cleaned all my diff centres and ARBs with this stuff!:

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/5-litre-parts-washer-concentrated/

I have one of the small parts washers, but last time I used it I ditched the mezzanine level and didn't use the 10 or so litres it recommends because of the following:

- I put 0.5 litre or so of the fluid in the tank and topped up with boiling water with the parts in.

- Didn't use the parts washer pump!

- just used a small paint brush/toothbrush.

It seems to work a lot better the hotter the water is! Ok, it's not the best and I use parafin at work, but it stinks! So for a quick wash at home this is ideal.

As I said it works best with boiling water and then wash the parts quickly after as when the water cools off it's useless. A couple of times I've topped up with another kettle full of water so you can use the same stuff again.

Also I've tried reheating it too - that didn't work either and is more hassle than it's worth!

Steve

And it smells nice too! Orangy I think!

[Mo Murphy]

I love the smell of diesel

In the morning ? ?

Mo

[CwazyWabbit]

I've just cleaned all my diff centres and ARBs with this stuff!:

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/5-litre-parts-washer-concentrated/

I have one of the small parts washers, but last time I used it I ditched the mezzanine level and didn't use the 10 or so litres it recommends because of the following:

- I put 0.5 litre or so of the fluid in the tank and topped up with boiling water with the parts in.

- Didn't use the parts washer pump!

- just used a small paint brush/toothbrush.

It seems to work a lot better the hotter the water is! Ok, it's not the best and I use parafin at work, but it stinks! So for a quick wash at home this is ideal.

As I said it works best with boiling water and then wash the parts quickly after as when the water cools off it's useless. A couple of times I've topped up with another kettle full of water so you can use the same stuff again.

Also I've tried reheating it too - that didn't work either and is more hassle than it's worth!

Steve

And it smells nice too! Orangy I think!

So heat is the secret then, it's rubbish cold so that makes it a one time use fluid. I took mine out of the tank and just use it for washing down oil spills now.

[Anderzander]

I love the smell of diesel

Me too - almost as much as petrol.

[Snagger]

For years I used the drained contents of a missfuel (petrol into a diesel vehicle); I had originally used it for the lawnmower, but the diesel content, though small, damaged the carb, but it didn't go to waste...

[steve200TDi]

So heat is the secret then, it's rubbish cold so that makes it a one time use fluid. I took mine out of the tank and just use it for washing down oil spills now.

It appears so!

Hot water, preferably boiling to leave to soak for a bit and then once finished (or cold) throw it away!

Steve

[HoSS]

Yeah i was trying to avoid Diesel. I dont mind the smell but it does get everywhere.

[landroversforever]

I've not found my diesel gets everywhere? And I can only smell it when the lid is open?

[jackmac]

I seem to remember HfH making up a particularly good parts cleaner mix that melted every pair of gloves he tried?

[Tanuki]

In a previous world we scavenged a 205-litre drum of AVTUR or Jet.A-1, but now I use paraffin for general cleaning - and when it gets a bit mucky I strain it through a depth-filter [as used on John Deere tractors] and sling it in the central-heating-oil tank. 5 litres of oily paraffin in 1000 litres of 28-second heating-kero isn't an issue.

For some things - specially anything even vaguely electrical like starter-motors - IPA [that's IsoPropyl Alcohol, not India Pale Ale] is better since it's less likely to cause damage to insulation. Blow-dry with a compressed air line !

The other option is to use the dishwasher!!! a couple of cycles set to the 'maximum hotness' program works really well to clean up things like cylinder-heads, intake-plenums and other alloy-bits.

[Anderzander]

I know of someone who turned the inside of his dishwasher grey washing an alloy head - so careful with that one ?

[muddy]

Tankuni what is a john Deere depth filter?

I usually use diesel for flushing out oil residue, an industrial steam cleaner soap neat and then brake and parts cleaner depending on how clean I need something.

Will.

[qwakers]

I know of someone who turned the inside of his dishwasher grey washing an alloy head - so careful with that one

yea i did that one... in my brand new dishwasher... oops. took hours to clean.

[Anderzander]

I think it was one with white plastic insides and it never came clean - he bought his wife a new one though and I think, plumbed the old one into his garage ??

[qwakers]

yeah mine was stainless steel and i got it clean, theres still the odd grimy corner tho...

[simonr]

I use the dishwasher too! (Shhh Don't tell Sarah!) Occasionally she says the dishwasher smells funny (read EP90) - but a cycle or two running it empty seems to get rid of the smell.

The dishwasher tablets are very alkaline and disolves the surface of Aluminium (which is why they come out so clean!). I tend to use about 1/4 of a tablet or no tablet and you don't get the grey film (Aluminium Oxide) over everything. The boiling water alone is enough to shift the worst of the dirt.

Hand cleaner works well in the dishwasher too - and doesn't smell too bad either.

Si

[UdderlyOffroad]

Another vote for misfuellings - less filmy than neat diesel.

Am glad somebody managed to make that Machinemart fairy liquid stuff work, all I got was a gunky mouldy mess in the bottom of the parts washer.

HoSS, are you currently in Bristol or Schwyz? If the former, I keep driving past a place that is advertising Kerosene at 49p /l near Temple Meads, am tempted to give it a go myself. If the latter....um try your local Landi.

[Cynic-al]

I used to have paraffin but it seemed to turn itself back into crude oil in the tank over time :/

I now have rock oil soluble oil cleaner. Came in 25 litre drums and wasn't that expensive.

However after watching many an episode of Kim and aggie with the wife anything can be cleaned with white vinegar and lemon juice! Sometimes a bit of baking soda can make things a little more exciting.