Pentosin Degreaser -Castrol Degreaser

[Dan Cordon]

Tom Wrote:
> I have been looking for something to use indoors in a parts cleaning machine. 
> Flammability concerns me, along with odor. How is Castrol Degreaser in those 
> areas?

First off, thanks to those that replied to my initial question. I have 
been using purple castrol....does great on most things, but I suppose 
pentosin is just hard to clean. And Larry was dead on...it can/will etch 
aluminum. Pentosin may be tough enough that I'll have do to those parts 
with a brush, not the wand. Or try some of the chemicals other list 
members recommended (kerosene, simple green, parafin).

As for Castrol and odor...it's really bad with my air wand. In fact, if 
it's a non-windy day, I have to hold my breath when applying it. I apply 
the degreaser at a pretty low pressure (just enough to get suction on 
the hose). I let it sit, then clean it off with hot water at higher 
pressures. In a parts washer the smell wouldn't be as bad though. You 
may just buy a bottle and leave it open in the garage for a day. See if 
it bothers you at all.

For my parts washer at work, a few people on this list recommended Super 
Agitene. It's *very* mild on skin, works excellent for cleaning (not as 
good as gasoline, but still very respectable), and I haven't had any 
evaporation to speak of. Also, no chemical smells (headaches), and it's 
not flammable like kerosene mixes.

The down side is that it's a bit spendy. I bought two 5-gallon buckets 
from MSC for ~$9/gallon. I like it so much, at this point it's the best 
overall degreaser I've used.

-- 
Dan Cordon
Mechanical Engineer
University of Idaho - Engine Research Facility