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Cleaning Equipment and Methods

Chapter 10

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

Objectives• Use cleaning tools and equipment safely and

properly• Describe the best cleaning method to use for a

particular application

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Introduction• Different types of materials require different

cleaning methods– One-third of a shop's expenses attributed to

cleaning the engine• Internal combustion engines

– Produce many bi-products• Blowby gases• Sludge• Carbon build-up

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General Shop Housekeeping Practices

• Essential when cleaning automotive parts– Clean shop is vital – Slippery floors are dangerous

• Spills often occur when an engine block is turned upside down

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Cleaning Methods• Cleaning methods

– Wet, abrasive, and thermal cleaning• Chemical cleaning

– Main types: alkaline, acid, and solvents– Soaps and chemicals

• For a chemical to be able to clean soils, it must be able to wet them first

• Soap is a wetting agent– Organic soils include petroleum by-products, gasket

sealers, paints, carbon, etc.• Cannot be effectively cleaned with water

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Cleaning Methods (cont'd.)• Cleaning with bases

– Alkaline materials cut grease very well and work best when heated

• Cleaning with acids– Acids are useful in removing rust and scale– Acid will not cut grease

• Cleaning with solvents– Types: water-based, mineral spirits, and

chlorinated hydrocarbons

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Cleaning the Outside of the Engine

• Engine or transmission cleaned prior to removal– Sewer drain must capture hazardous

contaminants– Manual cleaning methods are labor intensive

• Air blowguns – Can be used to blow off parts– Types: safety and rubber-tipped– Always blow down and away from yourself

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

Environmental Concerns with Engine Cleaning

• Inside of a dirty engine – Can harbor hazardous waste– Disposal of toxic waste is costly– Many methods of disposal have been developed– Biodegradable materials become hazardous

when they pick up materials during use

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Cleaning Internal Parts• Many methods for cleaning parts

– Chemical cleaning– Abrasive cleaning– Thermal cleaning

• Cleaning methods– Must all keep contaminants contained for proper

toxic waste handling

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Chemical Cleaning• Chemical cleaning includes:

– Hot and cold solvent tanks – Chemical soak tanks– Spray washers and jet washers– Ultrasonic cleaners– Salt baths

• Solvents include mineral spirits, Stoddard solvent, carburetor cleaner, and water-based solvent– Hazardous once used

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Chemical Cleaning (cont'd.)• Solvent tank

– Used to clean grease off smaller parts• Solvents clean better when hot

• Caustic cleaning– Water and lye heated to 190°F cleans ferrous

materials• Lubricate iron and steel immediately after cleaning

• Hot tanks– Clean parts in a hot tank by soaking for one to

eight hours

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© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

Chemical Cleaning (cont'd.)• Spray washers

– Operate like a dishwasher• Cleaning solution heated to 180°F sprayed from

heads mounted in a long pipe• Cleaning tanks and hazardous waste

– Engine bearings must be removed before block is put into caustic

• Scale removal– Chemical cooling system cleanser removes scale

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

Chemical Cleaning (cont'd.)• Manual cleaning methods

– Wire wheel removes carbon• Abrasive cleaning

– Materials must be free of grease

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Chemical Cleaning (cont'd.)• Glass bead blasting

– Very effective in removing carbon

• Soda blasting – Similar to bead

blasting but uses baking soda

• Airless blasters– Scatter steel shot

at a part

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

Thermal Cleaning• Pyrolytic oven cooks oil and grease and turns it

to ash• Types of thermal ovens

– Convection and open flame• Advantages of thermal cleaning

– Lower cost– Lower volume of hazardous waste– Oil galleries thoroughly cleaned– Turns rust and scale to powder

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Vibratory Parts Cleaners• Vibrating tube that uses large beads

– Ceramic, aluminum, or plastic• Beads combined with a cleaning solvent• Does not require a machine operator• Should be installed in a soundproof room

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© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

Other Cleaning Methods and Marking Clean Parts

• Other cleaning methods – Used in larger and nonautomotive applications

• Salt bath• Ultrasonic cleaning

• Marking clean parts– Clean parts can be marked

• Number or letter stamps• Colored paint marker

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning