I posted a while back asking questions about vibratory tumblers, who uses them, how do they work, results, yada, yada, yada. Most of the posts I read were neutral to negative, so I kept thinking how I could best clean all of those boxes and boxes (one is a banana box, lol) of Y block hardware. Some of the hardware has the usually buildup of surface rust, and still most of the nuts, bolts, washers, and do-dads have a load of grease/grime... especially in the threads.

Two weeks ago I pulled the trigger on an Ultrasonic Cleaner at china freight after a couple of guys I knew swore by the results when I asked about it. The price was pretty good when it was on sale and a 20% off coupon. Check out the before and after photos. The unit has a "heat" function, and then it has a few increments you could select from. To be frank, I was amazed at what it did. I've never seen something like this (that had no caustic solution or wasn't a dishwasher, ) that could get the grease and crud out of those threads on the bolts and nuts. After a couple of cycles, I could literally just about take and rinse off any residue that remained (minus rust, of course).

Here's the unit...



I use a bottle of "Awesome" cleaner purchased at the local dollar store. Basically, I empty the whole bottle into the tank, and then fill up the rest to the Max line with lukewarm water. Maybe your wife uses this cleaner... here is a photo of it:



You turn the heat function on, wait several minutes for the unit to make the water hot (about 125 degrees or so), and then simply place your hardware in the tank. There is a hard plastic screen/tray at the bottom to keep materials off the bottom of the tank of itself (something about a transducer). I actually fashioned a handle for either side so that retrieval would be much easier. That solution gets FILTHY!



The photo above is representative of what I dump into the tank, only this is HALF THE PILE. I do not pre-wash or anything, just put them in as you see them, grime and all. (I would probably not have to do 2 time cycles if I only used a pile this size)

They come out like the photo below and I let them dry out for an hour or two.



Maybe the only thing that I have to do is simply rinse them in a washt tub with water for a few seconds... the ultrasonic cleaner basically loosends and lifts all the grime off th threads. All that's left is clean metal and rust of course...



You can see a couple of Y block oil pan bolts (you know, the ones that have that recess on the head where grime likes to collect?)... the ultrasonic cleaner also lifts the gunk off of those. The washers work best when strung on a bailing wire and suspended in the tank...



I was stoked on the Ultrasonic Cleaner and the results, but the best is yet to come... next post!

Daniel Jessup

Loveland, Ohio

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

While the hardware cleans up nice using that ultrasonic cleaner (man, it was work just going one by one in my parts cleaner tank!), I still had the ideas about a vibratory tumbler, etc. I had a thought that if I could find a better way to use my bead blast cabinet, that would be the most efficient and cheapest way I could get the job done on all of this vintage hardware. I really was not a fan of the mesh buckets like TP tools carries, so I kept racking my brain from something that could hold the hardware, but let the media sift through. Check this out... it's a cricket tube!



I took a load of bolts, nuts, hardware like this...



popped the cap on the mesh cricket tube and blasted away for a couple of minutes. Why I like the tube over the buckets and colanders I have seen/used is that nothing can fall out of the tube no matter how you turn it, you can "roll" the tube in your hand to get every part in there, and you can turn it at any angle. It is very QUICK!



No muss, no fuss. The irony here? That cricket tube is made in the USA, but I bought it at Wal-mart this morning!!!

Daniel Jessup

Loveland, Ohio

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

I keep hoping to find out what I need to buy to add transducers to my existing parts washer. I can't help but think transducers could be added to an existing metal parts cleaner to add sonic on top of the solvent. The available solvent today really sucks! I've never found one that would hold a candle to the old, EPA bad, stuff. I loved the ZEP cleaner but you had to be careful with aluminum parts as it would eat them if left in too long. Has anyone found an available parts cleaner solvent that really works?

The next thing I'm thinking about is adding an over the side heat element to heat up the solvent. Any thoughts? Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Chuck you are right on. With weaker solvents (or just a cleaner that is not caustic), you gotta have so much mechanical action to clean parts that "Harry Homeowner" is left with few options. The big stuff is always fun, but I've got the hardware figured out anyway. how do you handle rust?

Daniel Jessup

Loveland, Ohio

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

I blast the he:: out of it! I have a decent sized blast cabinet and a pressure blaster for the big stuff. By the way I mentioned the Cricket device to my wife. Asked her to pick me one up next trip to Wally World. Thanks for that tip.

Hopefully someone on the forum will know what it will take to do the sonic adaption. I see the transducers for sale at varying prices but I know nothing about them as far as size etc. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Daniel, have you ever tried CLR. When I did my my first vehicle I came across it and found that with a 50/50 solution of CLR and water a lot of rust would be removed with just an over night soaking. Unfortunately I have a sinking suspicion that the current makeup of CLR has been changed (for environmental reasons) and is now weaker. I also found that certain wood sun deck cleaning products will remove rust. You have to experiment because some make it worse.

Mark

1956 Mercury M100
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan
Delta, British Columbia

There are chemical coating to neutralize rust like Navel Jelly and Eastwoods products. They work by applying them directly to rusty surfaces usually prior to any serious cleanup. I guess they need the rust particles to activate? I've used it on my 28 frame and it seems pretty permanent. You can put body filler, primer and/or paint on top of it. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Seems I remember this idea about soaking rusted parts in molasses and water mix? I wonder how that would do in the ultrasonic cleaner with some heat applied... anyone out there ever try that one?

Also, the other day I was surfing the internet and found a couple of videos where guys were putting seriously rusted parts in a tub, wiring one end of a battery charger to the part(s) and the other end to piece of rebar or something similar to act as one of the poles. I believe they were using some type of a borax?

Daniel Jessup

Loveland, Ohio

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Do a search for Caustic soda. The formulas and instructions are online. You can buy the powder at your local hardware store. This stuff has to be mixed in a plastic tub. Definately attacks metal. But the fall out is that it is an acid. That mean elbow length rubber gloves and eye protection. A rubber apron wouldn't hurt. I don't want to scare you off but when you have a bunch of small parts to do it mayrbe worth making some up. As far as disposal thats up to you, I don't know the EPA requirements for it. I've seen the reverse chrome setup with the electrodes and it seems to work. I don't know anyone who has tried it. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

You can also soak small parts in vinegar but it is slower than CLR in IMO. You then have to brush the parts if you use vinigar whereas CLR disolves the rust and gives the part a phosphate like surface. I also saw the video on the electrolysis process. It looks hard core.

Mark

1956 Mercury M100
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan
Delta, British Columbia