Cleaning Equipment and Methods

1. Cleaning Equipment and Methods Chapter 10

2. Objectives • Use cleaning tools and equipment safely and properly • Describe the best cleaning method to use for a particular application

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

14. 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

16. Chemical Cleaning (cont'd.) • Manual cleaning methods • Wire wheel removes carbon • Abrasive cleaning • Materials must be free of grease

17. 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

21. 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

22. 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

24. 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