Water based cleaner??
 

Anyone using the newer water based cleaners in their parts washer??? IF so opinions and which product do you recommend??

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

I have Oil Eater. It's just OK. Biggest issue is you need to dry the part almost immediately after washing or it will flash rust. Also, the ratio they list is not effective. I needed to double it for it to even do anything.

It seems to work better when warm to hot, so a tank heater may need to come into the mix.

It's not like the old stuff that's for sure. I do not plan to buy it again.

This is stuff I have in my 30 gallon cleaner now.

https://www.amazon.com/OIL-EATER-DEG.../dp/B000EANNDM

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

Yea
That's the stuff that eastwood is pimping, think I'll stick with a solvent based cleaner.


Thanks for your response.

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

M Td my Greatfalls tank and cleaned it. It needs to go away at this stage of my non use ofm it. Too big & takes too much space. kx

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

Most of the places I do service work @ that have a parts washer with the "organic water base cleaners" just don't get used. Can's of brake-Kleen do the job.

In my parts cleaner I have the low odor solvent for parts cleaners from Tractor supply, it's not water based but I also don't get a headache when using my cleaner.

Lets face it if water based cleaners worked so well the good folks in Seattle would have the cleanest cars in the country:rolleyes:

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

Speaking of parts washers, this looks really cool but for $350 on Amazon I bet we can all find cheaper alternatives...https://www.benchtoppro.com/

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

I bought Crown PSC 1000 Parts Cleaner at Tractor Supply. According to the specs its petroleum based but the parts washer I bought at the same time from Tractor Supply wasn't compatible with the solvent so I took everything back. Most of the water based cleaners I found weren't aluminum friendly. I bought a washer that was advertised for use with petroleum based cleaners since I could get odorized mineral spirits (OMS) from my neighbor for free. Unfortunately the pump failed almost immediately as did the replacement they sent me. I'd love to find a petroleum safe pump for a reasonable price but for now I just use the tanks to soak parts in.

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

On a industrial environment I can not comment. So many good safe options available.

A bucket and Mineral spirits work well. Wear gloves.

.

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

I like to be ecologically correct if possible, but the water based parts cleaners simply don't work as good as solvent based.

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

For water based cleaners, nothing beats Sodium Hydroxide (lye) and water, for cast iron parts, especially if it's heated!

You can't put aluminum in it but, you can not beat it for cast iron.

I think the formula is 1 1/2 lb to 5 gal water. Wear eye and skin protection, especially for larger parts and hose with water.

Frank

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

Lye, if improperly used, can be a hell of a lot more dangerous than regular petroleum based parts cleaner.

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

Yes, but, not that bad. I worked with hot tanks, when I was a mechanic and that's why I warned about eye and skin protection, though I didn't use them.

If you ever worked with it, you would know that it's pretty tame. The worst I ever got was burned, not from the lye but, the temp of the parts coming out of the hot tank solution.

I worked with hot tanks when I was 18 - 26 ('62 to '70) and used no eye protection and wasn't told to use it, no rubber apron or gloves, just leather gloves. I was careful because it was hot, not because it could harm me. I steam cleaned the parts after that and had stuff blown back on me, in that process. It's just the way it was done, in those days. Do what you feel is safe.

Lye has gone up in price, quite a bit. The cheapest I can fine it, is $5 lb, still not to bad for 15 gal. I don't know why it's gone up so much but, if I an find it at $3 or less, I will build a hot tank, from a 55 gal drum with 30 gal of solution, to do heads and blocks.

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

Oh yea,
I used a lot of Stoddard solvent, in spray mists, too. I did NOT like the "high" from that! Not to mention the way it makes your skin crawl. But, it cleans better that "Eco" water based stuff. Still needs lots of elbow grease.

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

We used to put Lye and Aluminum Foil in a Glass container(hydrogen) and catch the fumes in a balloon. Tape a fire cracker to the balloon and it makes a Big Bang. We quit after a few short fuse episodes. We also made acetylene balloons but we had to stop when the Old Man thought he was being in an artillery attack .

Re: Water based cleaner??
 

Some years ago the employees at a local heavy construction company's maintenance shop used to make acetylene bombs until the static electricity in the plastic trash bag they were filling ignited early and they blew out all the windows in the shop. Needless to say that was the end of acetylene bombs for them.