The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop solvent

What is the best solvent to use to degrease cylinder head etc in a pump driven power washer? Regular solvent or is the new water based, non flammable stuff any good? If it would do the job it would be nicer ofcourse.

Mineral spirits! I answered this on the tool forum, check it out!

Paint thinner (mineral spirits) works wonders for general cleaning/degreasing. The mineral spirits "dries" some rubber parts like some brake system dust boots, etc. Remove or replace them if they get saturated. I would see if my parts washer pump says anything about using mineral spirits, to prevent pump seal damage. It should be OK, though.

Mineral Spirits won't eat most paints once they dry. For example, I just painted my 235 oil pan, but I left the inside coated in machine oil to prevent rust. When I'm ready to use it, I can clean the light oil & dust out with paint thinner, and it won't eat the paint on the outside.

In my experience, mineral spirits is less explosive and corrosive than kerosene or other solvents. Thats why I use it. But if you try some non-flammable stuff, let us know how it does. Most petroleum-based cleaners (mineral spirits, gas, kero, acetone, etc) are not eco-friendly. (Did I just say that?)

chip

Oh, so paint thinner and mineral spirits are the same thing? Then what is solvent? From the smell of the can I bought it smells like mineral spirits and the can says it has naptha. There sure seem to be a lot of names for the same stuff.

My pump says, if mineral spirits are used the pump may not last as long. But it doesn't say not to use it.

Either way the $30 I spent on this 5 gallon can of solvent from Napa seems like a ripoff. I guess from what you say I will just take the empty can to the paint store and have it refilled with paint thinner. This should be around $1 per gallon I would expect. I still thought mineral spirits and paint thinner were not quite the same, but what do I know.

P.S. Will the stuff also harm the rubber of my valve seals? I plan to clean my head today and am not planning to disassemble the valves. It looks to me like this head is fresh.

Yeah, that whole paint thinner/mineral spirits/naptha thing kinda confuses me too... I think they are related, but are chemically different.

Paint thinner is mostly mineral spirits mixed with some other chemicals in small amounts. Its like 1.50 a gallon at walmart. Virgin mineral spirits is much more pure, but its like 1.19 a quart. Naptha is the main ingredient in Zippo fluid, and its also used in some camping stoves and lanterns. Its more flammable than paint thinner or virgin mineral spirits, and may evaporate faster.

Can't really say about what to use on valve stem seals. Maybe somebody else can?

Chiphead

Stoddard Solvent, which is kerosene based, works well. It doesn't attack the rubber or lift the paint. It can be run through a fine mesh filter and reused until it's too thick to strain. It doesn't evaporate as fast as thinner, so it will set and work on the really crusty stuff. You can also dip parts in it overnight without worrying about the paint and it won't fade the paint either.

This is the stuff you used to see in parts washers until Safety-Kleen scared everyone. Ask for it at the auto paint store or machine shop supply house.

By the way, Safety-Kleen solvent may save the planet, but it won't save your time cleaning a part.

Tony
Naptha is basicly lighter fluid.The juice ya use in Zippo lighters
-----------------
37 Chevy 1/2 Ton

Solvent is just a generic term. Water is often called the universal solvent because so many things dissolve in it . Most are from the fractional distillation of petroleum I think. Kersoene naptha are low grade and less volatile Things like toluene are more volatile ( flammable ) Some are mixtures of different stuff. I always start with the weakest and work up til I find one that removes what I want removed without destroying what I want to save. EG Alcohol to mineral spirit to enamel reducer to lacquer thinner etc.

Here's something that you might try. Simple Green! Before it came out into the retail market, we use to get it in five gallon buckets, on the tugs I worked, and used it as general engine room degreaser and solvent. Now, I use it to remove pitch from the sawblades in my woodshop, where it does as good a job as commercial blade cleaners. It has a real plus in that it is biodegradable! I don't think it will bother the rubber, but you might give it a test, first, on something less expensive than your presure washer...