[alfa] Advice on parts washers and solvents for Alfa trans rebuild

[AlfaNeely@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 9/8/2003 4:03:15 PM Central Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

> Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 13:13:49 -0500
> From: "Jason Hagen" <hagen_jason1@domain.elided>
> Subject: [alfa] Advice on parts washers and solvents for Alfa trans rebuild
> 
> I am looking to acquire a parts washer (20 gallon) to start a trans rebuild.
> 
> Does anyone have suggestions on solvents?  Is there a risk to using mineral 
> spirits/ paint thinner in terms of fire, etc.?  I am planning on setting 
> this thing up in the garage and don't want to do anything stupid that would 
> put my house, family or Alfas at risk.
> 
> Any advice is greatly appreciated.
> 
> - -Jason Hagen
> '73 Spider
> '95 164Q
> 
> 

       I used to buy the parts solvent sold by the people who sell parts 
washers.  I now take the pail to a local oil distributor and get bulk solvent.  
They call it mineral spirits.  It works much better than the water based stuff, 
but do wear rubber gloves if your hands will be in it for an extended period.  
The stuff will make your arms tingle if you wash parts bare handed for 20 
minutes or more.
       For a parts washer, I have a junk sink with two drain boards molded 
in.  I bought the sink at a plumbing junk yard.  It is plumbed into a five 
gallon bucket with a sealed lid.  I used steel plumbing parts as the plastic ones 
will melt.
       For power, I use an old electric fuel pump powered by a battery 
charger.  It works great.
       Plus it only holds a maximum of five gallons of solvent.  I normally 
fill it half full.  The solvent gets dirty quicker, but I can wash parts during 
the tear down stage.  Then I change to clean solvent to wash the parts again 
during final assembly.
       To get rid of the stuff, I have mixed it with used motor oil and taken 
it to the local auto parts store.  But living and working in the oil patch, I 
normally give the used solvent to one of the field guys where I work.  The 
used solvent thus disappears back into the oil patch from whence in came.  <grin>


Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City
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