# Parts Washer  "bubbler"



## alloy (May 21, 2016)

Has anyone here built their own "bubbler"style parts washer?

I modify transmission tail housings and usually I can take them to work and put them in the automatic Cuda  hot parts washer, but more frequently I get housings in at the end of the week and have to wait til Monday to take them to work.  I got 4 in yesterday and just can't wait til next week to clean them.  I need to get them modified and sent back out out to the customer.

I picked up a nice parts washer about a month ago for $75 and it works pretty well.  I can get a small 5 spd in it to knock most of the grease off it, but it's labor intensive.  Most of the time I just get the tail housings and need them to be clean before I bead blast them.

A 5 gallon bucket would almost be big enough to do it.  I could put a tail housing in and then flip it over.     I'm using Zep 505 and it works pretty well. Easy to get ahold of and not too expensive.

Here is a pic of the parts washer I got.  Maybe it could be converted to a bubbler.


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## JimDawson (May 21, 2016)

A nice little project.  Take a piece of 1/4 inch copper tubing, crimp off one end, drill a few 1/16 holes in it.  Shape it into a coil that will fit the bottom bucket and put some air to it.  Use a ball valve to control the airflow.


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## alloy (May 21, 2016)

I was thinking along those lines.   

Was hoping someone had an nifty one they built and I could steal their design


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## JimDawson (May 21, 2016)

Well...... that's what I built the last time I needed one.    Not too nifty, but it worked.


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## alloy (May 21, 2016)

I guess I'm getting lazy in my old age.  I'd rather do something else instead of stand at a parts washer.


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## barnett (May 31, 2016)

Hi Alloy, 

Does the bubbler in your parts cleaner work well ? I've never used one, kinda curious. I end up degreasing a lot of engine parts and things. 

Tom


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## alloy (May 31, 2016)

I don't have one yet.   I'm exploring the possibility of making one.    

We have an automatic heated parts washer at work and it's really slick.  But the $10k price tag isn't so slick.

A bubbler style is a lot cheaper, but not sure how well they work.  But even if I have to leave a part in for hours to get it clean, it's better than standing there with a brush.

For now I can take parts into work, but more and more often parts come in on a Friday and I need to turn them around and ship on Monday so I need something to use at home.   I'm still trying to see what will be best for me.  I'm keeping an eye on Craigslist hoping to get lucky.


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## TommyD (Jun 1, 2016)

One place I worked at had a big heated tank for our mold plates that also had an ultrasonic unit in it for good measure.

I assume it's an aqueous solution you are using for a degreaser?

How about heating your soak tank? You can take something like an electric griddle and attach it to the outside, underside of your tank and use the different heat settings to fine tune for optimal cleaning.

A nice ultrasonic unit would make it outstanding.


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## fixit (Jun 1, 2016)

I have a old steam cabinet used in a hospital with a foot operated lid & rising basket. The steam inlet is a perforated "S" shaped pipe in the bottom. I feed compressed air to the steam inlet with a regulator. Works well with one exception, the air bubbles stirs up the fluid along with the dirt & crud. I have not come up with a good way to remove the crap from the fluid. I have been using diesel fuel to keep the cost down, the overall cleaning operation works well.

fixit


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## Andre (Jun 1, 2016)

Can you use a stone type fish tank bubbler? Might need to change the hose to HDPE for more solvent resistance.

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk


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## kvt (Jun 2, 2016)

I like the pipe with small holes idea,   PUt it up about a ways off the bottom,  With a screen or plate with holes below it,   That way the gunk could go down below and not get pushed back up as easy in the bubbles.  Almost like a separator of some sort.


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## kd4gij (Jun 2, 2016)

I had a friend that used an old dish washer for a parts cleaner. An before some one ask,, he bought a new one for is better half and took the old one to the shop.


 In my younger days I rebuilt a lot of carbs. Had a 5 gallon bucket of carb cleaner with the basket. I took one of the old back massagers that had the springs to hold it on your hand and strapped it to the side of the bucket and it worked well.


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## JimDawson (Jun 2, 2016)

kd4gij said:


> I had a friend that used an old dish washer for a parts cleaner.



I have used the one in my kitchen for parts washing  It actually works pretty good, but you want to have the water temp up to 125 or above.


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## turnitupper (Jun 2, 2016)

JimDawson said:


> I have used the one in my kitchen for parts washing  It actually works pretty good, but you want to have the water temp up to 125 or above.


How DID that divorce settlement go anyway Jim?.
John.


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## kvt (Jun 3, 2016)

He is not the only one that did that.   First time I did it was when in HighSchool.   Overhauled an automatic trans for my father,   well I needed to clean parts so I put them In my mothers dish washer ( I did take the dishes out first)  Boy did I catch hell.    
Then  few years ago did that in my wife's dishwasher,   Eventually purchased her a new one.   Still married.


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## T Bredehoft (Jun 3, 2016)

JimDawson said:


> Take a piece of 1/4 inch copper tubing, crimp off one end, drill a few 1/16 holes in it.



The shop I worked in in the early '70s did that, with the petroleum based cleanser.  Osha came by, told us we could use it if the air above it was moving over 125 MPH, otherwise forget it. We disconnected the air.


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