Ultrasonic cleaners

[Mike Hughes]

I saw on American Chopper that Jay Leno was using ultrasonic cleaners in his shop. Does anyone have any experiance with these? I have been thinking of getting a 2 quart sized one. What are the pros and cons? Is the size an issue? What does it clean or what does it not?

Thanks

Mike

 

[Propjockey]

I have a jewelry cleaner that I use on small stuff...carbs and other engine parts mostly. Works decent for getting crud out of recesses. If the crud is baked on though, forget about it.

 

[GTR]

Hi Guys

These are great little jiggers - I used to have access to one but I haven't got around to getting my own. Trick is to find one with a stainless steel tray so you can use it with solvents. True it will not remove backed on grime but it would be perfect for those dirty 'new' K&B engines they're shipping. You really don't realise how much crud is in your engines until you try one of these.

This really is reminding me that I need to get off my butt and buy one for myself.

GT B)

 

[boaterbill]

I believe Microtools sells one with a metal tub.

Bill

 

[Russell Bear]

Would these be good to use on props before you sharpen and balance?

 

[crrcboatz]

If you want to clean a dirty engine do what the aero guys do and use a small inexpensive crock pot for $10 from wal mart , fill it 2/3-3/4 full of antifreeze, :blink: turn it on high for about 45 minutes, put the engine in the pot assembled or disassembled , leave it for 6 hrs or more and you will not believe how it will look.

I did not believe it myself but findly decided to try it on a couple of old motors and it is amazing. Be sure to rinse it of after taking it out with lots of warm water and dispose of the water properly since this stuff will kill animals. You can use the antifreeze over and over until it gets gritty at the bottom. Also dispose of it properly at that point too. Use the regular antifreeze not the new stuff.

Regards Curt

 

[rcboats1]

You do realize that antifreeze is flammable, right?

Kelly.

 

[crrcboatz]

I do and there is no problem, the crock pot doesnot get THAT hot. Try it you will be a believer.

Regards Curt

 

[rcboatlover]

"You do realize that antifreeze is flammable, right?"

What??? Really??? It's made to put in a cooling system that runs over 200*. That's over the boiling point. The only reason it doesn't boil in your car is because the cooling system is under pressure.

A crock pot won't get hot enough to boil anything, even if it did I'm pretty sure the stuff is not flammable. I try it tonight.

The crock pot trick has been done for years and does work well. Make sure you don't use it for food after you put antifreeze in it. To take it a step further you can buy an antifreeze made for keeping your cooling system cleen. It contains some type of cleaning agent and will help bring back the shine to your engine.

Give it a try you will like the results!

Dale P.

 

[Joe_Knesek]

I have a jewelry cleaner that I use on small stuff...carbs and other engine parts mostly. Works decent for getting crud out of recesses. If the crud is baked on though, forget about it.

I've used one for years that I got from Harbor Freight. It cost under $20.00 and works like a champ. I use Scrub Free cut 50% with water. You have to be carefull to relube everything as soon as you take it out becuase it will rust in a matter of minutes because it strips everything off.

 

[rcboats1]

"You do realize that antifreeze is flammable, right?"

What??? Really??? It's made to put in a cooling system that runs over 200*. That's over the boiling point. The only reason it doesn't boil in your car is because the cooling system is under pressure.

A crock pot won't get hot enough to boil anything, even if it did I'm pretty sure the stuff is not flammable. I try it tonight.

The crock pot trick has been done for years and does work well. Make sure you don't use it for food after you put antifreeze in it. To take it a step further you can buy an antifreeze made for keeping your cooling system cleen. It contains some type of cleaning agent and will help bring back the shine to your engine.

Give it a try you will like the results!

Dale P.

Yes, really. I'm not trying to be a smart a$$ here. Your cooling system does not provide an ignition source, but with an ignition source you can cause a big fire. Most car BQ's on the side of the road are caused by coolant leaks not gas. I have seen several right ups on using antifreeze as a cleaner in a crock-pot, but I have also read about people burning their kitchen down. PLEASE be careful if you try this method of cleaning.

Kelly.

 

[rcboatlover]

Must be a different type of antifreeze than I use. I tried to get the stuff to burn and I had no luck. Yes, I had too much time on my hands tonight! :lol:

So I looked around on the web and checked the MSDS for PEAK Antifreeze. It said that the ignition temperature for ethylene glycol is 398°C (748°F)! Probably have to boil off all the water in it, and then it can burn. Flamability was rated 1 on a scale of 1 to 5. 5 being the worst.

The cases you were talking about must have used a different type of antifreeze. I guess we should all watch the label when we buy the stuff to make sure it has a low flammablity rate.

Dale

 

[Mike Hughes]

I wasn't really tinking about it for motors, but hey, added bonus. I was really just looking for something that I can throw all my product parts in after the machining is done. Being bent off the sink cleaning each individual part before assembly sucks.

Thanks

Mike