HF Parts Washer Aluminum & Solvent

[854X4]

I'm looking into buying this parts washer from harbor freight, its on sale and I can get it for 65 dollars http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=7340
I was wondering what kind of solvent I can use in it that is safe for aluminum? I know oven cleaner turns it black and simple green will eat it away, also I dont want to use diesel fuel ,so what kind of cleaner is safe to use with aluminum? I searched but it didnt answer my exact question.

[mondtster]

Go to the auto parts store and buy a 5 gallon pail of parts washer solvent. The stuff I have in mine is similar to brake or carb cleaner and seems to wash everything well and without any evidence of damage.

[49willys]

naptha

[Wicked_S10]

Anything lye based, or extremely caustic (strong base) will destroy aluminum. This includes the products you mentioned, as well as most other cleaners billed as environmentally friendly, or biodegradable. Parts washer solvent will work, so will Stoddard solvent. Naptha is a good choice for cutting the shit, but it is highly flammable. Mineral oil is going to be less flammable, but also no where near as strong of a solvent.

Why do you not want to use diesel or kerosene? Both have a very high flash point and will do a good job at cutting grime. I have heard lots of good things about trans fluid/diesel recipes as well.

Keep a fire extinguisher handy nearby if you decide to go with any solvent or petrochemical based cleaner.

Later,
Jason

[KarateDoc]

Have you thought about Clean-Rite Purple Power cleaner?

It is also biodegradeable

[yozsi]

diesel or kerosene, old jet-a will work too.

[afirover]

Anything lye based, or extremely caustic (strong base) will destroy aluminum. This includes the products you mentioned, as well as most other cleaners billed as environmentally friendly, or biodegradable. Parts washer solvent will work, so will Stoddard solvent. Naptha is a good choice for cutting the shit, but it is highly flammable. Mineral oil is going to be less flammable, but also no where near as strong of a solvent.

Why do you not want to use diesel or kerosene? Both have a very high flash point and will do a good job at cutting grime. I have heard lots of good things about trans fluid/diesel recipes as well.

Keep a fire extinguisher handy nearby if you decide to go with any solvent or petrochemical based cleaner.

Later,
Jason

Jason:
Some of your statements are not absolutely correct. The citrus based solvents have a very low pH and are acidic-which isn't good for aluminium either. Many of the aqueous solvents are little more than detergents and are pretty inocuous with regard to aluminium.

Naphtha-might as well use gasoline!

Stoddard solvent and mineral spirits are essentially the same thing for what we're using them for. Both, if ignited are very difficult to extinguish.

Diesel fuel does not necessarily have that high of a flashpoint, but its autoignition temp and amount of energy ot ignite are both pretty high. I've been using diesel fuel for 30 years and used to smoke over the parts washer and never had a problem. That said, fire extinguishers are always good idea to have around:D.

I've had jobs where I managed 30-40 parts washers in factories and found the Safety-Kleen high flashpoint mineral spirits to be the best way to go. The high flashpoint, non-chlorinated dry cleaning solvents worked well, but evaporated WAY too fast to be of much use and were expensive.

I know many argue over using diesel fuel, but cost, availability and safety shift the balance toward its use. Use what you will, but for me, diesel fuel is the way to go.

[smearig]

I know oven cleaner turns it black.

You do? I've used it on bellhousings, timing covers, intake manifolds and other cast alunimum pieces and it works great without causing damage to the surface.

[Ed ke6bnl]

You do? I've used it on bellhousings, timing covers, intake manifolds and other cast alunimum pieces and it works great without causing damage to the surface.

I have had them turn dark also and left on too long will no longer be there

[Wicked_S10]

Jason:
Some of your statements are not absolutely correct...

I don't even know why I bother, but here goes.

I said MOST of the parts cleaners billed as environmentally friendly, or bio-degradeable are lye based, not all of them. Citrus orange or whatever the hell they call it, I wouldn't call it a cleaner anyhow... If you mix the purple power or simple green according to it's label, I agree, it isn't caustic enough to do any damage, unless we are talking really long term exposure, however, it is unlikely anyone who has used them really mixes them to the recommended concentration, as it isn't much better than dish soap or dishwashing detergent at that point. If they are used w/o or with very little dilution, they are plenty caustic to have problems with aluminum.

I didn't bring up naptha, someone else did, I was simply pointing out, that while it will cut through shit like no tomorrow, it will also likely burn your shop to the ground.

Stoddard solvent is not the same thing as mineral oil, one is organic solvent based, one is just very light weight petroleum oil. Stoddard solvent is basically a potluck of different organic solvents, typically waste streams from other chemical process'.

Diesel does indeed have a high flash point. It's flash point is >140° F, which if I am not mistaken, gets it a rating of combustible, rather than flammable. The flash point is the temperature that the liquid has to be at for it to evolve enough vapor to begin combustion, given an ignition source. The flash point does not mean it will support combustion, when the ignition source is removed, it will likely go out. The auto ignition temperature is the temperature that the liquid has to be at to ignite w/o an ignition source. For diesel, it is 410°, not really applicable at all to this discussion unless your shop is already on fire. In contrast, gasoline has a flash point of <-40° F and a bit higher autoignition temp of 475°F. So obviously, gasoline produces enough vapor to easily ignite in basically any ambient temperature. So in short, it doesn't matter how much energy it takes to ignite (in fact, there is no such thing) and the autoignition temp is meaningless in this application. The fact is, if the material is at or above it's flash point, and the vapor concentration falls withing it's LEL and UEL, any ignition source will set it on fire. The reason diesel is fairly safe, is that it is unlikely that the solvent in your parts washer is going to be above 140°. Make sense?

For the record, I used to work in a QA lab at a major chemical plant. I have done thousands of flash and fire point tests, and understand very well what I am talking about. Do you?

Later,
Jason

[PTSchram]

I don't even know why I bother, but here goes.


So in short, it doesn't matter how much energy it takes to ignite (in fact, there is no such thing)

For the record, I used to work in a QA lab at a major chemical plant. I have done thousands of flash and fire point tests, and understand very well what I am talking about. Do you?

Later,
Jason

Jason:
I didn't mean to piss you off.

Yes, there is a measure of how much energy it takes to ignite a product. It's referenced in the flammability table of the National Electric Code and ASTM has a spec for it. If I had my NEC handbook handy, I could provide the correct terminology.

I admit I misspoke on the issue of autoignition, however, it is applicable as it is an indication as to likelihood of combustion if a material contacts a surface at or above that temperature. You might be surprised at the surface temperatures of such things as incandescent lightbulbs, electric motors, etc.

As for your credentials, very impressive. However, I owned a testing lab, have worked and managed some very big ones (VP of elemental spectroscopy for the largest lab in Maryland for a while), have a degree in chemistry and spent 19 years as an environmental, health & safety engineer, during which time I achieved every certification in the environmental field, save a PE. Sadly, parts washer regulatory compliance and safety have filled far too much of my professional life. I have also had professional positions where emergency response was a major component of my job. I've put out many industrial fires.

I have not conducted a flash point test (Pensky-Martin closed cup, or Tagliabue) since 1985. Yes, I have also had to sit there and open the cup and tip the flame over the port of the sample cup.

I was posting from a colleague's computer, hence the AFIRover screen name.

[Wicked_S10]

Didn't piss me off, just told me I was wrong and I don't think I was. Anyhow, we both said the same thing, use good ol' diesel.

As for flash testing, the test equipment is automated now :) Both of my PM flash testers were automated, the newest one would even watch for the flash for you. We still had some manual cleavelands, and all the tag crap (which really dates you) was still manual, but rearely got ran.

IMO, and I think yours as well, diesel is going to be one of the safest options for cleaning solvent.

Later,
Jason

[PTSchram]

(which really dates you)

IMO, and I think yours as well, diesel is going to be one of the safest options for cleaning solvent.

Later,
Jason

When I was studying chemistry, there were only four elements, earth, air, fire and water. Gary (San Diego CJ) was the prof!:flipoff2:

I am old enough that I have literally washed my hands in benzene, something that would never happen today, developed kidney disease from exposure to halogenated solvents from uncontrolled exposure and ran flame atomic absorption, something that is considered to be so old that even Einstein didn't use it! (yet he developed the theories that allowed it to even be considered as practical).

Glad we're still friends!

PT

[KarateDoc]

I read the MSDS from purple power and it does not list it as caustic to aluminum.

I just use it straight and let it soak for awhile and then use a bristle brush. Then I hose it off. What I like about it is that it is environmentally friendly I did read that it has ethyleneglycol if I remember right so watch your pets.

The one thing I don't like about some of the solvents is that I can't get rid of them safely.

[PTSchram]

The one thing I don't like about some of the solvents is that I can't get rid of them safely.


In the past, I would put my spent diesel fuel in the fuel tank of my 1978 Land Rover. it was a gasoline engine, but had tuning data to run it on diesel and dieselene. It ran fine.

Now that truck is gone, I'll go back to using spent solvent as fire starter:flipoff2: and tiki torch fuel/mosquito repellent.

[Sapper]

Why not make a Electrolysis (Washing Soda) cleaner from plastic garbage can and a old battery charger. It will clean the aluminum very quickly but don't leave it in too long. There is a bit or fumes but there is nothing toxic to dispose of once your done.

This will also strip paint and rust from steel and works very well. You will just have to play with the battery chager current settings and the amount of washing soda you use.