Parts cleaner

[jim nicholson]

What cleaner does everyone suggest for use in a Harbour Freight parts cleaner?
I have heard Purple Power and water 50/50 mix. Any thoughts on this?

[SGragg]

Don't know about a HF cleaner, but I use a roaster filled with 50/50 Industrial Simple Green (which is purple in color) and water. A 30 minute bath cleans carbs very well.

You can buy Industrial Simple Green at Walmart and Home Depot.

Does your HF cleaner recommend or prohibit certain liquids?

EDIT: I re-read your post. You meant a parts cleaner, not an ultra sonic parts cleaner. My mistake.

[CADplans]

For a REALLY difficult carb,,,
try a 50% PineSol/water mix in an old crock pot,,

Plug in the crock pot check it every couple hours,,

NOTHING but carb parts will come out, the PineSol will dissolve your problems away,,,

[jim nicholson]

Thank you for the suggestions. I wasn't really talking about a small parts cleaner. More on the terms of cleaning air cooled engine blocks or larger components. I retired from a Caterpillar dealership and they had a big dish washer type pressure cleaner that was about 6' x6' x 8' tall. You could put an engine block in there and it took everything off.
Right now I'm using a plastic tub with Kerosene in it. Just wondered if anyone added anything to Mineral spirits or a similar cleaner.
I mostly just work on garden tractors.

[CADplans]

Originally Posted by jim nicholson

Right now I'm using a plastic tub with Kerosene in it. Just wondered if anyone added anything to Mineral spirits or a similar cleaner.
I mostly just work on garden tractors.

I quit using ANYTHING petroleum as a cleaner over a decade ago,,,

The other products available are better at cleaning, and ultimately cost less.

Get a 5 gallon jug of purple cleaner at Lowes,, and try it,
you will be happy with the results, and save money,,

yes, you can put the purple cleaner in the parts washer,,
I use the purple cleaner undiluted in a 1 gallon pump-up garden sprayer,,

DO NOT apply the cleaner to paint that you want to save,,,

[jim nicholson]

Thank you I will try it.

[cooperino]

Another note about industrial purple, super clean, and products like it. It is corrosive. It will destroy rubber, Also if using in a pump sprayer wear goggles. A small wind and getting this in your eyes is not good.

It does clean very well though. I also keep one parts washer with diesel in it and the other I use water based purple stuff. Think the one I get is called purple power. I clean really greasy stuff with the diesel one first then put into purple. This keeps the purple one much cleaner.

[jim nicholson]

Thank you much. The only problem is I dont have room for two cleaning tanks. As the saying goes one never builds the garage big enough.

[cheesedawg82]

This is my homemade heated parts washer. I use dollar store pine sol.

https://youtu.be/B0x2Qu98Xnk

[cooperino]

Originally Posted by jim nicholson

Thank you much. The only problem is I dont have room for two cleaning tanks. As the saying goes one never builds the garage big enough.

Keep a homer bucket half full of diesel.. Use pinesol or purple in your washer