Agitation Parts Washer

[Gil Rubio]

Hey All, I’m looking for some advice on a parts washer. Does anyone here have any experience with pneumatic controlled agitation parts washers? The ones where you load parts on a tray, and they get shaken vertically through a cleaning fluid.

I was going to buy the generic 40-gallon parts washer and make some modifications to it, but I got the opportunity to get an agitation washer for about the same price.

So my question is: will the agitation one do a better job of cleaning? I will mostly be using it for automotive parts. I currently have an intake manifold and throttle body to clean with a carburetor to follow shortly.

Thanks for the help.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I have worked with an agitation parts washer. My employer had several. For my home shop use I bought an ultrasonic parts washer. The ultrasonic cleaning is much mor complete and takes less time. With ultrasonic a person can use soap and water. I use my ultrasonic to derust parts with Evaporust. Agitation parts washers, in my experience, use a petroleum solvent. This brings an expensive disposal situation.
My ultrasonic pats cleaner is a 20 liter unit.

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[scooby074]

For big items theyre great. We had one at a place I worked and could put entire diesel cyl heads weighing several hundred pounds in them. They had a tray inside that went "up and down" at a slow speed on a timer. Thing was as old as Diesel itself lol. Massive pump gave a ton of cleaning fluid flow too. Ultrasonics are good for some things but a HD tank is a different beast. Your not going to put a typical intake in an average ultrasonic.

Cleaning solvent makes a huge difference. Stuff we used was corrosive to skin. Powder that mixed with water.

 

[iamhomeless]

A couple of years ago I was in charge of dealing with the parts washer service guy at the place I worked. He talked my ear off explaining the different solvent mixes and what they are for and that if you use the right solvent for the job, you don't need agitation.

I don't remember what chemicals he specced out for each of our 4 parts washers but it was based on the primary usages in the area and I had to make signage for which washer was for greases and oil and which were for carbon deposits.

 

[F-22]

I got myself an ultrasonic cleaner just yesterday. The 3L one off of Aliexpress. I'm amazed at how well it works!
As I put it in on the left, cleaned on the right. Got everything out of every nook and cranny. I did disassemble it andalso brushed it up with a brass brush afterwards to get the shine, but that wouldn't do anything without the ultrasonic cleaner doing its magic on it.
Just used water and some generic detergent/degreaser.
Main reason why I bought it is that the carb was clogged in a hidden channel that is simply not accessible (idle jet hole is drillet straight through, but midway there's a channel to the side around the throttle slide and past the idle mixture adjustment screw and blocked off on the end where they started drilling... impossible to poke through it). It also did that, but not with detergent cause it was just completely blocked off. I just put water in the ultrasonic cleaner but put the carb in a plastic container filled with 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 acetone and 1/3 paint thinner. That worked out great for the blocked holes!









Some of the dirt was so "burnt" on, I thought it's rust (on the choke lever). Does wonders for screws too.

I contemplated getting a really large one, like 30L. Everyone says a bigger one is better. But then I figured it would be dumb to heat up and vibrate 30l of water for small parts. I might get a bigger one for large stuff, I can see this is very useful if I'd just dump engine blocks in during engine restoration... But the small one will probably get way more use.

 

[isb cornbinder]

For big items theyre great. We had one at a place I worked and could put entire diesel cyl heads weighing several hundred pounds in them. They had a tray inside that went "up and down" at a slow speed on a timer. Thing was as old as Diesel itself lol. Massive pump gave a ton of cleaning fluid flow too. Ultrasonics are good for some things but a HD tank is a different beast. Your not going to put a typical intake in an average ultrasonic.

Cleaning solvent makes a huge difference. Stuff we used was corrosive to skin. Powder that mixed with water.

Your not going to put a typical intake in an average ultrasonic.
I would 100%

 

[scooby074]

Your not going to put a typical intake in an average ultrasonic.
I would 100%

How big is your ultrasonic lol

 

[isb cornbinder]

How big is your ultrasonic lol

My ultrasonic is Internal tank dimensions: 500mm by 300mm by 200mm. (19.68in x 11.8in x 7.87in).
This is not big enough for many manifolds, but I have access to a much larger unit.
For a point of performance reference. I put a bunch of 100-year-old square head bolts in for cleaning. I used EVAPORUST in the ultrasonic. The old bolts looked like new in less than 20 minutes. The cavitation caused by the ultrasonic action gets into the smallest of spaces. Evaporust and cavitation in combination, work really well on rusted parts. Pitting is not removed.

 

[Gil Rubio]

You guys really have me wanting an ultrasonic cleaner now. I may have to pick up a smaller one for carbs and other small parts.

I still have this intake to clean out though. It's a Gen II LT1 manifold so it's fairly big. I know down the line I'll have to clean out some cylinder heads and other long parts. I just don't know if the agitation washer will actually save me time and be that much more efficient than a manual one.