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

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 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

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 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

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 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

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 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

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 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 190F 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 180F 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

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 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

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 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

 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning