Shop parts washer fluid choices.

[1693TA]

The dry cleaning fluid we used for a short time sure did clean parts good and dried fast!

Carbon tetrachloride was the dry cleaning fluid in use and it excelled at electronics cleaning. The teletype maintenance guys used it liberally as it left no residue. I still have a small can of it at the shop.

Carbon tetrachloride | Halogenated Hydrocarbon, Chlorofluorocarbon, Solvent

Carbon tetrachloride, a colourless, dense, highly toxic, volatile, nonflammable liquid possessing a characteristic odour and belonging to the family of organic halogen compounds, used principally in the manufacture of dichlorodifluoromethane (a refrigerant and propellant). First prepared in 1839 by

www.britannica.com

 

[chidog]

One of the best de greasers I have ever used, and I don't think it was at all flammable, was when I worked at a certain aircraft company, we used it to clean some machine tools.
Not sure what the ID number was for it, but it was Freon. This was in the early 80's. You will not find this in a search nowadays I guess it is top secret, but Freon was also used for deicing aircraft windshields when at high altitude. Go figure.

 

[Welder Dave]

Freon can cause brain damage and be fatal if inhaled.

 

[1693TA]

Freon can cause brain damage and be fatal if inhaled.

I'm certain that is my affliction; but I've always had a lack of functioning brain cells. Grandpa always made certain I knew it too. Back in the 70's, when you inhaled, (through your mouth) R-12 refrigerant then packaged in cans marketed for small "foghorns", it froze your vocal cords and made you sound, or talk "funny". Used to do this on boat outings at the lake back when alcoholic beverages were a player.

One of the best de greasers I have ever used, and I don't think it was at all flammable, was when I worked at a certain aircraft company, we used it to clean some machine tools.
Not sure what the ID number was for it, but it was Freon. This was in the early 80's. You will not find this in a search nowadays I guess it is top secret, but Freon was also used for deicing aircraft windshields when at high altitude. Go figure.

That would have been refrigerant 11, or R-11. It used to be so commonplace in industry citing exactly what you discovered. Was liquid at room temperature for the most part but upon evaporation left no residue at all and did not damage circuit boards or etch metals. Basically totally inert. The drawback was it displaced oxygen content in the air. Not bad if used out of door at all or with good ventilation, but was fatal if used in a confined space as mentioned earlier. Trichlor, (or "Trike" as called) was the same way in being a very good product for the purpose, but wasn't used correctly, or proper precautions taken. Either product in a bug sprayer worked very well for large areas as they made grease and oils disappear instantly.

 

[nowing75]

Years ago we used mek when i was at united airlines. I think its banned now.

 

[IceHole]

Years ago we used mek when i was at united airlines. I think its banned now.

Not banned, but discouraged from use.

 

[chidog]

Freon can cause brain damage and be fatal if inhaled.

Great, now I have an excuse. So none of my posts should ever be locked or deleted. LOL

 

[willie59]

Great, now I have an excuse. So none of my posts should ever be locked or deleted. LOL

I have that brain damage as well, and therefore can make that happen with no conscience of my actions. LoL

 

[Tenwheeler]

My first day on the job when I was 17 years old I was told that,
Gasoline is for washing parts,
Alcohol is for drinking,
If you want to go to the races bring Nitro.
Thats what i was told, and have tried gas in a pinch on everything cold with batteries disconnected to clean up an oily mess, but not recommended. Way too volatile.
Simon C

I have a parts washer and use solvent from O Reiley's. I thank it is about $80 dollars for 5 gallons. It is only used for special things. Cannot find any of those other products locally anymore and wash a lot of stuff with gas.
Dangerous and explosive? I thank it was a Safety Clean machine. Old Joe was washing parts with a non filter Camel in his mouth, as usual. New boy ran across the shop yelling " Hey you have to put that out! You are going to blow us all up! Joe looked at him and took a big drag making a bright orange glow on the end. Held it out and dropped it in the parts washer. Young mans feet were off the floor as the solvent extinguished the the the glow. Then Joe told him something like " Now why don't you go back over there and do what they asked you to do and leave me alone to what I know how to do?
Some of this gas anymore is not much as well.

 

[cfherrman]

I've seen a cigarette put out by gas many times

 

[chidog]

I've seen a cigarette put out by gas many times

Yeah like gas on a hot exhaust manifold is no big deal. But hydraulic oil that lights right up.
Gas only likes flame or sparks.

 

[Welder Dave]

Gas can light on a hot exhaust manifold. I know someone who had their motorcyle catch on fire when filling it with gas right after riding it. There have been other M/C's and equipment that have also caught on fire. On one of the biker build off shows a Billy Lane bike caught on fire from a leaking gas tank made by a noted metal fabricator not him.

 

[pushbroom]

Im running walter CB100 in a heated Bio circle parts cleaner. So far I am liking it. Easy on the hands and nose. Seems to melt the oil and grease off nicely. Works ok at room temp, if you let it heat for 2 hrs it works even better. Oil separates from the fluid and sits in the top of the tank, the fluid that comes out the hose is always clean. 170cad/ 20L

CB 100™ – Walter Surface Technologies

Ultra-powerful natural cleaner and degreaser. Products

www.walter.com

 

[Welder Dave]

I thought to get a Walter Bio Circle system you have to lease the system and they come and replace the fluid when required. I don't think you can just buy the machines, just the fluid. Maybe it has changed though?

 

[cfherrman]

Gas is something like 360° to light up, hydraulic should be more since it's gas more carbon in it.

Diesel manifolds are cooler than gas ones irc

 

[Welder Dave]

The Captain shovel was brought to its knees when a hyd. oil leak caught on fire from an electrical spark. I think maybe from the the slip rings for the swivel.

 

[Tenwheeler]

Gas can light on a hot exhaust manifold. I know someone who had their motorcyle catch on fire when filling it with gas right after riding it. There have been other M/C's and equipment that have also caught on fire. On one of the biker build off shows a Billy Lane bike caught on fire from a leaking gas tank made by a noted metal fabricator not him.

Well while we are sharing I once had a 4000 Ford gas tractor. I was the 3rd in the family to own it and at was bought at auction in Sikeston Mo. It was bored out to the max and no telling how many times the head had been shaved.
It would gas rattle bad under load and had a storage tank of high octane so it would not. We were running it a lot. Pulled in the field with a square baler and noticed something looked odd? Little no seeum gnats, some thing in my eye? No a hole had rusted in the gas tank. Gas was dripping on the glass pack muffler under the hood and little puffs of smoke were coming up next to the hood.

 

[pushbroom]

I thought to get a Walter Bio Circle system you have to lease the system and they come and replace the fluid when required. I don't think you can just buy the machines, just the fluid. Maybe it has changed though?

Nah you can buy machines and fluid outright. Think I was quoted north of 3g for the Bio circle parts washer. Bought one used from someone who had no idea what it was for 300$

 

[Welder Dave]

I know they aren't cheap.

 

[chidog]

Gas in an overfilled start engine gas tank on an old 46A nose down pushing and gas dripping all over the hot exhaust manifold just steaming off. Then when the nice old style non recalled fix for the lift cylinders or the middle divider blow a hose and spray hydraulic when your out in the woods on the same machine instant fire on and around the exhaust manifold. Thats how I know.
Then theres the ex wife.,, gas spraying everywhere under the hood, on the way home, lucky the plug wires didn't flash over, things were soaked, exhaust manifold all all.

Octane means something, it resists hot spot ignition, Cetane means it loves hot air to ignite. In very simple terms.