FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

After years of washing parts in old ice cream containers, cake pans etc ::) I have finally got around to assembling a Parts Washer I got as a gift a few years ago.

So, I need to know what everyone else uses to fill it with, I use petrol at the moment but I don't like the idea of it sitting around the shed & possible sparks when switching it on :o

The instructions say to use water & detergent, but will that do the job?

Ta, Gary

Kero works well and is cheap.

You can also buy degreaser in drums.

Hi Gary,

We use Turps in our one at work, as it air drys and leaves no residue as with Kero, sorry Craig.

Cheers
John

I went and  bought Kero  last week try 4 liters $16. I don't know about cheep .....FC427.......

You need to find a servo with a kero bowser.  Caltex at corner of coreen ave at penrith has it if you are in the area about a 1.60 a litre.  about 18 months ago

We had a local Servo selling kero till last year and then no more :( :( I guess not many people use kero heaters any more ......The good old day's getting a gut full of fumes trying to get warm......FC427.......

Thanks for the input you blokes, I already had 4 lts of Kero left over from the last time we used the caravan so decided to go that way, but it barley covered the bottom, so I went to the servo that FX1975 went to.

Took a 25 lt drum :o $2.09 cents a lt :o so it's gone up a bit, but not as bad as what you paid Mark.

Maybe I should have priced the Turps or Degreaser 1st like John & Craig suggested, anyway, I'll see how it goes.

Cheers, Gary

We use a 50/50 mix of kero & diesel which is 20L of each.

i was looking at one from supercheap and it had a big warning about not using flammable liquids. 

Is this an issue ?  kero / diesel safe to use ?

They have to put the warning on and its also a way for them to sell other cleaning products to use in it.  Plenty of people across different industries have been using kero/diesel for years with no drama's and up until a few years ago kero was the only thing they used in the washed bays in the army etc

Have you tryed buying 15ltrs concentrated from your local Bunnings store, they are heaps cheaper and "concentrated" should fill it up :)

Have tried a couple of different cleaning agents from auto wholesalers and found that they dont work as well as kero/diesel.  They also dont have the same repeat life so in the long run works out more expensive IMO

castrol sell parts washer fluid for arround $100 20lts last along time in parts washer

Gary

How did you go with your parts washer.
Just got one from SuperCheap.. And states water-based only.
Prefer to use Kero, but worried I will get a fire or electrocute myself.

John

Stash, I've had no probs with the kero, and have used it a lot since my post, it's due for a changeover clean out so I may try the mixture of kero / diesel this time round

Cheers, Gary

The reason most use the kero/diesel combo is because they both have a low flash point which means it would take a solid flame and heat source to make it combust. There is little or no risk involved in a parts washer as there is no naked flame and a spark from the pump would just drown. I learnt all about flamable liquids when I was with the SES.
Hope this helps you all, Jim  

Jim, helpful as usual !  :)

Why kero/Diesel mix  and not just straight Kero ?

Kero has been used for a long, long time as parts washer fluid, but it needs due care.

Most of the time a spark dropped into kero will go out, as the flashpoint of kero is around 39 Celcius. On a bloody hot day, out in the sun or locked up in a hot tin shed, the parts washer can readily go above 39C (...maybe not in Hobart  ;D). In that case, a spark will easily ignite the kero. Splashing kero around can generate a kero/air aerosol which can also ignite. Kero wicked up in old rags can also ignite much more readily than straight kero. I would not be too comfortable with kero sitting around in the shed in an open parts washer - needs a lid with a decent seal. Diesel has a much higher flashpoint (minimum of 60C) which makes it harder to ignite (unless you live in the Pilbarra, where it seems to be constantly hotter than that  ;D).

Some insurance companies also limit the amount of hydrocarbon you can store (often to 20L) - worth checking your policy.

Keros does have an aromatic content that can be absorbed through the skin. Hobby use may well be OK, but a lot of labelling on parts washers also takes into account long term use.

Cheers,
Harv.

G'day Forum, A bit more info,petrol has an extremely low flashpoint(0.2dc-2.0dc)this is why it will ignite from static electricity!+can disolve glues & perish rubbers. Diesel on the other hand has a flashpoint of somewhere between (60dc-79dc)so a lot safer to use & a very good & cheap PARTS WASHER FLUID.that want harm glues etc.Kero lies in between but closer to the diesel side. Hope this helps a bit.cheers Rummy

thanks Guys..

I suppose my question was around why go a mix versus a straight solution..?  ???
is it because of price, odour or something i missed?

Gary

Look at white spirits as an option as well.

In my old Air Force days the electricians used white spirits to clean all the parts as it did not leave any residue.

It used to be used or may still be used as dry cleaning fluid.

I'd keep my hands off the unleaded petrol as there are nasties that can be absorbed through the skin.

Hope this helps

Craig D

good point Craig.
I always wash my fishing reel parts (bearings etc) out with White Spirits, as it leaves them perfectly clean.