What are you using for solution?

 

First paragraph of the original post.
Real solvent, available from Tractor Supply. Good stuff, and very little odor. I use it in a basement garage, and cannot smell it.
It takes two cans to fill the parts washer. It's advertised as a 20 gallon, but only holds 10 gallons of solvent. It costs $40 for a 5 gallon can.

 

Nice!

 

I can't imagine that filter will "live" very long. I always wanted to build a filter, a LONG time ago what was called a "luberfiner" filter was the object of my attention. These are a HUGE cartridge filter, used to be on the fender of many trucks, and was NOT expensive to buy. My recollection is that these cartridges were over a foot tall and maybe? 8" in dia?

 

I have a Clark pneumatic cleaner. I wonder if I can rig it up with a filter. My solvent gets pretty dirty, fairly fast.

 

I have one of the old safety clean wash tanks. They sit on a drum. I am not sure about that solution from tractor supply but I have used odorless mineral spirits and what works really well is to lift the pump up off the bottom raising it about 5-6 inches. Then fill those first few inches with water. The mineral spirits float on water and the dirt and grit settle into the water keeping the mineral spirits pretty clean and also eliminating the need to use allot of it.
Hard to do with the tub style tanks.

Going to give that tractor supply stuff a try. Mineral spirits have gotten outrageous.

 

Hard to do with the tub style tanks.

Going to give that tractor supply stuff a try. Mineral spirits have gotten outrageous.

I'm thinking about a tub underneath mine, with some sort of floating pump pickup. Frankly, most the time I just use gasoline. You can gasp if you want but the first time you use it for say, a pair of front wheel bearings, there's enough oil in there that the flash point is down a ways.

 

I'd read the health warning on the trans fluid bottles.

 

I have a washer built from an old sink and a little giant pump. I use a fram hp1 filter, it works great. Sink empties into a 5 gallon bucket underneath. Other side of the sink empties into used VP1 can, during disassembly parts are placed on this side, oil runs off into sink, and into can.

 

I might try this. I have the same washer and the pump is weak and the filter they include seems marginal at best. I'm assuming the SBF filter will need replaced fairly often?

Also, I used mineral spirits from Lowes (can't remember the brand) and it turned into a milky, nasty liquid that separates badly. So I'll give the solvent you posted a shot

Thanks for posting

 

good info here, thanks. my buddy bought one of those pieces of crap from harbor freight knowing it was a piece of crap but just needed something quick and cheap in a pinch. well he gets one use out of it then the pump quits, on his 3rd pump in 2 months, maybe the upgraded one you are showing would be worth buying.

 

I have the same parts-washer for 5 years using the same pump and also use tractor supply solvent ,its the real deal

I added a cheap inline fuel filter into the hose which lastsfor a while till it collapses but at 50 cents a filter its not a bad deal
so I but them by the dozen on ebay..I do like your new pump and filter arrangement though,I may upgrade also

These partswashers work OK for the home DIY mechanic ,its too bad there is nothing a step up unless you spend big bucks

 

In case you're looking for one, the fitting bolted to the side of the tank is a Showerhead fitting for PEX tubing. The 3/8" fuel line slid firmly over it, and didn't even require a hose clamp. The threaded end is 1/2" NPT.

 

Post up after you've used it 3/4 times. I'm curious how long it's gona take that filter to get stopped up.

 

Found this. Guy says he gets about 6 months out of a filter.
Of course, a person SHOULD scrape the excess crud off an item before putting in the tank.

 

How well does the brush stay attached to the nozzle, It looks like it's just a slip fit?

 

Brush is firm slip fit. Have never had it fall off. Works great, and isn't hard to install or remove.

 

I use a hydraulic filter set up from a log splitter. change out filter once a year

 

It would be cool if you could set up some kind of sediment tank where the cleaner sets for a few mins, to let the hevy shit sink to the bottom and the light shit float to the top. Then have the pump pickup somewhere in the middle.

 

Pump picks up a couple inches from the bottom.

 

Really nice! Great work!

 

We did this to our parts washer several years ago. The filter lasts several months and it's cheap to replace. We need a better pump so i may look into this we have 2 tanks at the shop and i have one at home.

 

Bookmark

 

Good timing for this thread. My pump crapped out and I've been meaning to look for a suitable replacement.

 

30 gallon barrel coated with epoxy on the inside after welding bracket to the inside of the barrel to hold the pump. Water in the bottom for sediment fall out. Same pump that came with the unit (Harbor Freight) and I welded legs on the bottom of the sump to hold it in place on the barrel.

The whole mess sits on an angle iron stand with wheels so it can be moved and I've been using a System One filter on it for years with no problems. The System One can of course be cleaned and reused.

 

guess it is time to upgrade when the mineral spirits run out....

 

http://www.crystal-clean.com/main/products/ProductDetails.aspx?Product_ID= md1602
I bought this one, they come and replace the fluid with virgin solvent. no contract, I own it, they come when I call and get rid of the old solvent. I've had it over 15 years with no problems and no upgrades.

 

Changed the filter today... As a matter of fact, this is the 2nd time I've changed it! The first one looked just like this one! DEFINITELY doing it's job, and keeps the solvent looking MUCH better than without the filtration!!!

 

Nice!

 

Put an Oberg on it!
http://obergfilters.com/img/Oberg Filter Catalog Complete.pdf