I use a siphon gun and vmp to clean parts with i found this works good lots cheaper than buying brake cleaner by the case
I carry a 5 gal bucket of Naptha with a lid on it to clean really dirty parts. I use Thrust starting fluid for spot cleaning and to clean hyd components before reassembly, it's a little cheaper than brake clean by the case. Some folks express concern that starting fluid is flammable, but I've never been careless with it so as to cause an accident of myself.
We use Brake Cleaner. Lota and lots of brake cleaner.
I do the starting fluid also , most of the time you're ventilated enough not to worry. DO NOT like the brakekleen , alot of it has nasty stuff that can be absorbed thru the skin not good stuff. jr
Yeah, like Tetrachloroethylene (PERC), same solvent used in the dry cleaning process for clothes, really stout stuff. :yup LoL...I just re-read my original post. I "meant" to say, "I carry a 5 gal bucket, with a lid, with about 2 gals of Naptha in it to clean parts". Oops!
Guys, I use a 5 gal bucket of mineral spirits and a siphon sprayer from harbor freight. I also made another 5 gal bucket BUBBLER with a piece of 1/4 pipe (about 4 foot long) curled into a spiral with 3/16 holes drilled about 1" apart in the spiral. It has an end that sticks up out if the bucket and the spiral lays flat on the bottom. I hook a small air regulator on it and the shop or truck air hose, then place a small screen basket with all of the nuts / bolts / small parts form the currrent job in the bucket and turn the air on a few pounds until the bucket start to bubble. Then while you complete the major stuff, the small parts and nuts and bolts are just perculating away to cleanliness with no mess. I simply blow the basket off then reassemble with clean bolts. I works rather well..
more of you use the same setup i use i have a lot of custmors like my setup they say there going to get one
I used starting fluid once to clean some grease and oil off something I was gonna weld. I let it set for awhile figuring it would evaporate and not be problem. Wrong The residue it leaves is still pretty flamable.
I like using ether also besides Brakeleen[non-chlorinated,not as toxic].The side benefit is I love taking out wasps in mid air with it---freezes them and they drop like stones,COOL!!! Ha.
Am I gonna be the only guy that has a 5 gallon bucket with 2.5 gallons of gas/diesel mix with a strainer to clean parts? I got a ear full one time about how environmentally unfriendly it was and bla bla bla, my excuse: Do you know how economically unfriendly it is on my wallet (my companies' wallet) everytime I empty out a can of brakleen or starting fluid...the can still has to go somewhere...you can use the mix i have over and over and over again till it becomes too oily to do its job.
I will use some gas when my monthly ration of brakecleaner runs out, or when I forget to re-stock the truck. I like WrenchOne idea for the bubbler, gonna get one put together before the Summer Stretch is here.
OK guys, I'll weigh in, too. Some of the modern brake cleaners are really nasty, with toluene. I carry a 2.5 gal hyd. oil jug with clean K1 and another jug for the waste. I clean the parts in a pan with a brush. When I'm done, I'll "rinse" the parts with a squirt of CRC Lectromotive, which costs me $ 2.30/ea or so by the case. The used K1, I save it, settle out the nasty stuff, reuse it, and eventually pour it all on my brush piles to start a big fire (pronouced "far" in TN).
i used to have nifty gadget that dropped onto a 5 gal pail. it had a little air operated cylinder that dropped down the center that atatched to a basket. put the parts in, drop it into the pail with your favorite brew, plug it into the air supply, and it would cycle up and down as regulated by a valve. it worked real good. that was quite awhile ago and i dont remember the brand. i like the gasoline diesel mix. its cheap like me and works. one drawback is the diesel smell on your hands. i also like to air blast everything in sight before tearing into it. it takes the loose stuff off and makes assembly a bit neater.
I use mineral spirits and brake clean in the canisters charged with air pressure, mine are from Zep. you can change nozzles from mist to stream, the stream is great for blasting crud off! I buy brake clean in 55's saves alot of $$$. Beats the there goes $2,$4,$6,$8 spray cans. If you know what I mean, and my guys don't use as much. Those boys can go through some spray cans.
did you used to work for me? my guys used to love nailing bees an wasps with brake kleen. but it cost money and my customers do not like to pay for times spent chasing bees