It may seem as though we harp on cleaning here in the tech department, but cleaning is the first step to a high quality machining job. The accumulated grease, carbon and other gunk (that’s a technical term, you know) makes it almost impossible to machine parts without excessive wear on machines and tooling.
Most ferrous (iron or steel) parts may be cleaned in a hot soak tank, but never aluminum or zinc parts. Carburetors, fuel pumps and cam bearings should, likewise, never be put in a hot tank. Goodson’s D-CI25 Cast Iron Cleaning Detergent is a strong, alkaline that removes dirt, heavy oil and grease, carbon and paint.
Remember that hot tanks are designed primarily to remove organic and carbon deposits, and it helps to steam clean parts ahead of time to remove most of the grease and oil. Pre-cleaning parts really extends the life of the tank chemicals and reduces sludge at the bottom of the tank.
Also, be sure to steam clean or rinse the parts immediately after you remove them from the tanks. If parts aren’t rinsed off right away, a thin, caustic film will dry on their surface. Once this film dries, it is very tough to remove and promotes rusting in the presence of any humidity. After you’ve cleaned off the film, it’s time to treat the parts with a rust retardant such as our RPO-10 Rust Proofing Oil or RS-16 and RS-16-OD Rust Shield Sprays.