Hi all, im getting a 15ltr ultrasonic cleaner tomorrow just curious what liquid solution & ratios everyone is using for cleaning of plastic or aluminium parts, either commercial or home-made. Ive read various forums & as usual theres conflicting info about what actually works, has anyone a solution thats tried & tested to make aluminium shine? Im thinking something like a diluted mag wheel cleaner, any input appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I found dishwashing detergent to work just fine ... and not much needed ... a few drops in mine https://2fiftycc.com/index.php?threads/ultrasonic-cleaning.1433/ Ultrasonic wont clean off heavy duty grime .... the benefit I see is cleaning the internal passages , especially in something like a carby
K&N filter cleaner is really strong stuff. Brake cleaner if you have any as it's basically a petrol based degreaser.
You could try Yamaha's Carburetor Cleaner Dip, 1 litre makes up about 3.5L - 4 L from memory cost about $23 from Yamaha Cleaning wise it is on par with Threebond Super Engine Conditioner Anything plastic i'd try that Earth Choice (cheap) dishwashing liquid We used to use Wurth Alloy wheel cleaner at the Land Rover wrecker's i worked at, it's good stuff for bringing alloy up like new Intercooler's and radiator's would look new in no time There's also Wurth BMF Cleaner too, doesnt damage metal alloy or plastic or rubber
I wouldnt be using anything flammable in an Ultrasonic cleaner that heats up....Mine heats to around 60 C Realistically any of the water soluble degreasers are going to do a good job of cleaning... not real sure on brightening up tarnished allow using Ultrasonics though. Most of the jewellers use cloudy ammonia, morning fresh and boiling water to make their mix...
a wee bit of citric acid can remove the tarnish for aluminium, best advice is to separate different metals into batches if possible as it can lead to darkening of some metals with others in the tank
Tried out the cleaner tonight, for the first clean I thought id go with the gentlest option & use @GreyImport detergent & water method, starting with cleanest carb i had the water still turned a blackish colour after 7 minutes, I will definately try out the citric acid & jewellers mixture @ruckusman & @Andych. Thanks @my67xr Ive been looking for something like that Yamalube, very interesting mixes with water too. Found this on Ebay today, sounds perfect for the job.
Alkaline solutions will corrode aluminium and make it blacken, detergents from oils, acids will corrode most metals, but weak acids like citric and vinegar are safer. So one trip to try is separating the tasks: use the ultrasonic cleaner to cleaner, then use a polishing substance afterwards. Make sure you thoroughly rinse off, especially that hydrofluoric acid - the rumour was it could eat through glass. With carbies, they have brass jets pressed in, don't want the acid chewing too much of that. Casings you could acid wash (not sure about magnesium and lead added alloys), but I haven't had a go with one yet, it should arrive next week. I'm planning to add metho to the water for carby cleaning. Thinking about buying a few kits to make a large ultrasonic cleaner with multiple units and 28kHz and 40kHz dual frequencies. Attach them to a kitchen/laundry sink or parts washer... But I'll start with the 6.5L on order.
Just be very careful with the Alum-Bright.... always.... and I mean always... wear gloves and if you are scrubbing stuff with it wear safety goggles... that stuff is nasty... and dont leave it on too long... I wouldnt use it in the Ultrasonic cleaner... not even a very dilute solution.. The best bet with an ultrasonic unit is to leave it on for longer with weaker solutions... I think the instructions for mine said to run it at 50 C for 12 hours with the lid on.... I think I ended up doing it with boiling water and setting the temp for 30 C and the simple green mixture worked an absolute treat... trial and error is the best way forward but less aggressive and longer time would be preferable.
Yeah that Alum-bright or hydrofluoric acid is not to be used in an ultrasonic cleaner, i enquired & it tarnishes stainless steel, & yes I have holes in clothing to prove how strong it is, I use it only for the engine cases & footpegs etc, with a wire brush straight for a few minutes then hose it off, it does need some alum polish or metal restorer afterwards to stop the salty look reappearing. For carbs (minus plastics, rubbers etc) in the ultrasonic cleaner I use a mild degreaser on a high heat works best for me.
cool keep us updated, i always wondered about buying some extra shakers for my one to give it a bit more zap, also interested in the best detergents etc. in my experience with the machine i have there's a lot more work involved than simply dropping it in the ultrasonic and leaving it off, plenty of scrubbing with toothbrushes and paintbrushes etc, blasting through the channels with compressed air and carby cleaner, the ultrasonic definitely helps things, but its not a one stop shop, certainly the one i have anyway (cheapo chinese thing) for full disassembly and cleaning it took me the entire day.
