I have a pile of greasy road grime cover parts which need to be made clean enough to paint.

The small bench mounted parts washers are going for about £40 which seems rather excessive for what they are. A big deep washing up bowl (or a bucket) and a washing machine drum to give up it's life to make a drainer basket will cost nothing.

But I'm stuck for a locost source of submersible pumps that are relatively low pressure, but will take solvents being pumped through them.

Thoughts are for aquarium water pumps, or windscreen washers, but I'm concerned about the duty cycle of the later and tolerance of degreasers for both.

Anyone got any good ideas, any places selling replacement parts for parts washers for sensible money?

what about a cheap fish pond pump

i tell you:
there is no suchs thing as a cheap pump wich will pump everything you throw at it.

in work we needed to pump arround warm termic oil (in a heat exchanger)

they guys i asked came up with pumps costing as much as 1300euro...with ceramic bearings etc.. etc..

i holded strong and we used at the end a CV pump because of the Empeller melting i drawed it up in cad and we let them mill out of alloy tot kost 350euro and the pump hasn't broken down anymore..

every manual will tell you that its only for water use but the best thing is to try your self..

i would again use a CV pump they are cheap and very durable....

Tks

What about a used electric fuel pump?

A small pond pump is an option, a drill mounted pump, as available at MachineMart.

Or just a bucket and brush.

I have a small bench cleaner, a tub and brush is just as good.

I would vote for a brush (and some parifin)... Simple and locost...

[Edited on 15/3/07 by Bluemoon]

I have an old tin bath, a brush and a gallon of Jizer. I have a pond and I can't see any of the pumps I've ever had being up to the job and they weren't cheap either.

I have used a bath of caustic soda and an old loo brush on steel and iron parts

The parts are left to soak overnight, pulled out given a quick rub with the brush and put back for longer if required. It will take alot of paint off as well.

You need to make it quite consentrated and if you scratch paint first it comes off quicker.

Always wear eye protection and thick rubber gloves.

Dishwasher..

I made my own from an old washing machine and a stainless catering sink. For the pump I use a drill mounted pump from machine mart. About £15 it cost mounted on an old electric drill, It has the trigger fixed open and then the power is switched on bu a string pull. Any pond pump will usually not be up to shifting parafin.

I know there not likely to be much good, but the do those drill mounted pumps in the pound shop... Gotta be worth a try

Maybe just leave it sat in some solvent overnight to see what happens before trying to pump and put pressure through it.

Definately lo-cost

Ive used central heating pumps to pump coolant on a cylindrical grinder in the past.They are low pressure but quite high flow and should stand up to mild solvents ok .
Paul.

CV= Central Heating





Tks

If you are raiding a washing machine use its pump! If you only use diesel or paraffin you should be OK with most plastics for a while at least.

I use the paraffin spray gun that came with my compressor for most jobs followed by Mr Muscle oven cleaner and the water pressure washer, most of this is done on a total loss basis Finally anything that still won't budge is treated using brake or carb cleaner whatever I picked up at the last autojumble at £1 a can and the offending object is treated to an overnight stay in the electrolysis bath if it is rusty.

If I am feeling lazy it is straight on with the silver or black hammerite if i care then it is sprayed with red oxide primer first. This seems to be working pretty well ATM

Caber

In a garage I used to work for, they had a big drum of very nasty cleaning fluid that would clean anything.
The active fluid was kep under a layer of water to prevent fumes getting out. The stuff was considered quite dangerous.
Any idea what this was

Do you have a compressor?

Honestly one of the best ways of cleaning stuff I have found is a compressor and a parrafin gun, coupled with a stiff brush. You can stand whatever you are washing in a drum and pressure wash it with parrafin/petrol/whatever. Then drain the liquid back off and recycle it.

David

I wash stuff in paraffin (in a normal off-the-shelf parts washer) and then for ally stuff like cylinder heads, stand it on a clean wooden table outside and blast it with gunwash celly thinners at 100psi through an old spray gun.

This works a treat

model airplane refueling pump???
My guess.....