Also posted on automotive but tractor guys seem to be here. Rebuilding a Perkins diesel. I have access to a 6L ultrasonic cleaner with heater. Anyone have experience with use on steel and aluminum parts? Have read some can etch aluminum.

I have had a lot of luck with mineral spirits as a general degreaser for metal parts. It works fast to dissolve just about any grime or grease or oil.

brake clean spray is easy, it is what we use

We always used aromatic Solvent 150, which has a high flash point, slow evaporation rate, and a solvency close to Xylene.

I've used it in dedicated parts washers and also as a wipe on.

It smells like hell, and every time I used it my wife couldn't stand to be around me.

Solvent 150 smells absolutely terrible.

Thanks, where can I find this? Guessing this would not be good on orings. I think my oil pump might have some but I will likely replace.

My father in law owned a truck repair shop for years. He always used varsol in his parts washers.

The best is drip if you can get your hands on some. Catch the Nat gas condensate out of a scrubber pot drain. Best cleaner ever.

I repair all manner of things and keep several different items for degreasing.

If my tractor needs degreasing in frame, then I use ZEP Purple. It requires multiple applications to clean and will likely require some scrubbing. It will eat aluminum and eat paint if you let it sit too long. The Perkins shouldn't have anything that will be damages except your lift pump. If I need to clean aluminum, I use Simple Green Aircraft grade cleaner. It is safe for aluminum and designed for it. If parts are off the equipment, then it goes in my snap on parts washer and that uses some naphthalene based solvent that I buy from tractor supply in 5 gallon containers. This is what I would use for carbs and caked on stuff. Once I get small parts mostly clean, then I use brake cleaners and cans of stuff. I usually buy that by the gross from rockauto or something.

AggieT said:

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Solvent 150 smells absolutely terrible.

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We use aromatic 200 for heavy industrial valves to clear out sludge build up inside the valve bodies and to wash out reactor vessels. You can smell that stuff from a mile away when we perform solvent washes on some of our big units.

Brake Cleaner

If you need to use large volumes, acetone.

I use PSC 1000 from TSC in my parts washer, it does a pretty solid job as well. Doesn't flash off as fast as brake cleaner or acetone, but it will in a relatively short time - especially with a little heat and moving air.

Agape91 said:

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Thanks, where can I find this? Guessing this would not be good on orings. I think my oil pump might have some but I will likely replace.

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In smaller quantities (5 gallons or so) I'd look up your local diesel / industrial supply / solvent guy and they'll either have it or can get it for you.

We used to buy it in 55-gallon drums from Tem-Tex Solvents in Temple. You could probably call them and ask for a local reseller.

Remember, it smells like hell, but it's stronger than mineral spirits or varsol.

As to rubber compatibility, it 'depends'. For a short amount of time, there's probably no effect. Grainger used to have a chart in the back of their catalog detailing the solvent resistance of various rubber and synthetic seal compounds, I believe to let you know which were best in their pumps.

I never used Solvent 200, but it sounds like it's even tougher to smell.

You talking about the solution for the ultrasonic tank or just cleaning random parts?

This.

Looking for recs to use in the cleaner. Was thinking the ultrasonic cleaner would help clean some parts without fully disassembling ie. pistons and rods, oiler etc. Maybe wasting time using ultrasonic cleaner?

I pour 1 Gallon of Simple Green into my pump up sprayer. Spray onto what you want to clean. Let it sit just a few minutes, then spray it off with my garden hose using a brass spray tip. If grease isn't to bad dilut with water in the sprayer. It is not a strong detergent. It is organic. This stuff smells good too.

Since we're on the subject of parts washers --

In my early 30's I attended night classes at TSTC in Waco in their millwright program. I was the oldest guy in the class, as most there were just out of high school.

At that time, TSTC was conducting a TV ad campaign all over the state which closed with the phrase "Get technical -- it pays."

One cold icy winter night I went to class and only two other guys showed up. The instructor said no way was he going to teach a 3-hour lab for just 3 guys but he would give us 'extra credit' if we would do a special project for him.

Turns out the special project wasn't so special. We were assigned to drain the parts washer of solvent and clean out the 4" of greasy muck caked in the bottom of the damn tank.

Those two kids and I were up to our elbows in that muck when I turned to them and said -- "Boys. Get technical -- it pays."

BTW, those kids who came in off the farm made some damn fine industrial mechanics.

We use Greased Lightning from Home Depot

Worthwhile imo as it's easier, cleaner and faster. Less likelihood of marring a machined surface to get the carbon off. Also will allow you to more easily see any defects or imperfections once clean. No rec on a specific solution. Seems like the ones I've used came in a 5 gal bucket and was whatever the cleaner manufacturer recommended.

If you reassembling that Perkins I'd look into a very thin coating of permatex ultra-copper on both sides of any paper gasket that touches oil.

Thanks to all for suggestions and the permatex tip. I tried the ultrasonic cleaner with a few different solutions I had, simple green (not aircraft), mineral spirits and purple degreaser. Results so far are underwhelming. Mineral spirits didn't seem to react to sound waves so no better than just soaking. Simple green did not remove carbon, varnish or deep grime (varying dilutions). Purple removes varnish a little better but also discolored my piston (had to scrub off what felt like a coating) and did not remove much grime or carbon. It's an old dirty motor (some would say it suits me) so I need something to cut thru years of build up. Will try some solvents and elbow grease now and save the cleaner till I figure out something that works in it.