I recently purchased a 30 gallon drum-type parts washer from Sam's Club. It
cost about $200 and was similar to ones I have seen for about twice that
amount. It has a large wash basin mounted on top of the drum. The pump is
suspended in the tank about 8" off the bottom. It came with an accessory
parts washing brush that connects to the washer nozzle. Although relatively
new, its initial performance seems excellent.
This type of parts washer has a major safety advantage over the home-made
type. It includes a metal lid with a fusible link that is designed to melt
at 165 degrees F. If the parts washer fluid catches on fire, the link is
supposed to melt, drop the lid, and snuff out the blaze.
I purchased "parts cleaning fluid" from a local distributor of industrial
solvents. They recommended Solvent 140 (Naphtha, Solvent, 3, UNI256, PGIII
was listed on my invoice). It is similar to other parts cleaning solvents
yet it has a flash point of 140 degrees F. Mineral oil and the parts
cleaning fluid sold by NAPA has a flash point of 105 degrees F. The Solvent
140 provides additional safety against fire with its high flash point. It
cost me $6.90 per gallon when purchased in a 15 gallon drum.
I use stainless steel colanders (the type you use in the kitchen) in the
parts washer to hold smaller parts while washing. Since they have drain
holes throughout, they make an excellent parts container. I bought mine
from Target. They sell 3 sizes, 6", 8" and 12" across. They cost about $6,
$9 and $12, respectively.
Gil Fuqua,Jr.
Nashville
'27 RR PI
'30 RR 20/25
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