Good tips. I've been meaning to add a magnet to the bottom of the tank.

No problem. I looked high and low to find a drain valve that would work. Figured I would help save someone the time. Thanks for watching!

Awesome, really glad to hear the video was helpful. Thanks for watching!

Awesome, glad the video was helpful! Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!

A parts washer is a great addition to your shop. Once you have it setup, you'll find lots of opportunities to use. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching! And very glad to hear they are useful tips for folks!

Happy to share my experience. Thanks for watching!

Happy to share and glad the links are helpful. Nothing worse than seeing something you might want to do, but then having to spend hours searching for the parts. I looked around forever to find a drain valve that would fit. Hopefully it saves other people some time. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks! I'm still a small channel so every "sub" is really appreciated. And I hope you found the videos useful too!

Awesome, glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching.

Just thought this could be something you might want to consider doing. Here is the link to it kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nL50gdaYlq3dgXU.html.

Thanks for watching. Glad to hear it was helpful!

Happy to share. I highly recommend the weatherstripping. I get zero smell from the solvent in my garage. I also recommend the rollers and the drain valve. I moved to a new house last summer and it made draining the tank and moving everything super easy.

my guess is that the particles coming out of the washer are smaller than the filter material and therefore pass through it and end up laying in the bottom of the part washer

Thanks for the kind words and for sub'ing. I honestly put a lot of effort into making the videos. Very happy to hear they are enjoyed and are helpful!

So during the past year I was rebuilding an engine, so I used the parts washer on a pretty regular basis. As you can see by the amount of sludge in the bottom of the tank, I used it quite a bit. The filter could easily have gone another year of normal use I think. It wasn't slowing down the solvent flow at all. I would change it whenever you need to drain the tank to clean the sludge out of the bottom.

Thanks for the feedback. I agree, the audio can be tricky when using just a GoPro for filming. I'm definitely just a novice at this. I have a new appreciation for the "professional" videos and how much work goes into lighting and audio and filming. Thanks for watching!!

Thanks for the sub! And happy to hear the video was helpful!

Awesome! I think you're really going to enjoy the new parts washer. I found it very handy to have.

that and you really don't have to tighten it THAT tight, he was really leaning on it!

Some folks just lower the shelf a couple of inches from the bottom of the legs. Only have to drill a few holes, same nuts and bolts.

I like the creative thinking and encourage everyone to tweak the setup to find what works best for them. My method certainly isn't the only approach, rather it's just a single data point. Others have asked about running the fluid through the filter before the pump. My first concern is if the pump can handle the additional restriction on the suction side of the filter. (for example, your car's oil filter is after the oil pump). I can't say for sure since I didn't try that setup, but it might reduce the pumps efficiency? (if you try it, definitely let the group know how it works). As a data point, I'll add that my pump is still functioning as normal after 2.5 yrs with my setup, so the lack of pre-filtration doesn't seem to have hurt the pump so far. As for drawing fluid through the drain valve, one concern would be that the thick sludge seems to settle on the bottom of the tank, so drawing from the lowest point may? suck this into the filter and would likely clog it pretty quickly. Even when draining the tank, sometimes gunk would want to clog the drain valve. In the "stock" configuration, the pump doesn't draw from the absolute bottom, so it doesn't seem to suck the sludge into the pump (in my experience). Also, it does not siphon the tank when changing the filter, so no worries there. Best of luck as you set up your solvent tank. Regardless of what configuration you decide to go with, I'm sure you'll enjoy having a solvent tank as I have found mine to be very handy.

Sounds like a good idea but how would you connect the filter out to the pump intake? The intake is submerged and just collects fluid from the bottom... doesn't have a nipple or anything to connect to

Edward Demas - click on his “info” arrow at right bottom of video screen. It has info on parts used. Oop. Just a generic amazon hose link. Your question stands!!

Happy to share. Thanks for watching!

I haven't personally used kerosene, though many people have. One thing to keep in mind is the flash point (temp at which the solvent becomes a flammable vapor). The flash point on kerosene is 100F, while the PSC1000 is 141F. Congrats on the new parts washer; it's a great tool to have in your shop.

The goal with the prefilters (Scotch pad, and include white filter pump) was to keep the big chunks out of the pump. However, it seems like most of the thick heavy gunk settled to the bottom fairly well. But the 5cent Scotch pad certainly didn't hurt. The oil filter however has the ability to filter a much much smaller micron rating, far beyond what the prefilters could do. Is it required? Not really, but it does help extend the life of the solvent but removing any suspended particles. Especially since I was cleaning a lot of internal engine parts, I liked the extra level of filtration. But it definitely falls into the "nice to have" category rather than "must have." So it largely depends on your intended usage for the solvent tank. Good luck with yours and thanks for watching!

Good observation on the tray, but actually it hasn't been an issue. It's large enough the most parts sit on there without any issue, and sometimes it's nice that it doesn't cover the entire area as sometimes I don't need to turn on the pump, I'll just dip the parts into the solvent and then scrub, or I'll submerge them and let them soak a bit. Thanks for watching the build!

I bought two 5 gallon jugs of the solvent. I probably poured in 8-9 gallons to get the fluid level I liked in the tank. But it would definitely hold all 10 gallons if you just wanted to pour all of it in.

cmbass88 its all personal preference. The magnet will help grab ferrous metals but not non-ferrous (like aluminum). The extra pad before the pickup helps strain out any large chunks of junk. The oil filter helps remove smaller particles that are suspended in the solvent. So each plays a role. At the end of the day it’s just a solvent tank, so don’t stress about it too much. Just look at what projects you intend to use the tank for and then decide what features you might benefit from adding.

@@ScrufsGarage Depends on what you're cleaning. If I was getting ready to put a motor together I would definitely have an external filter. Up in our Alaska shop we have the same type tank. We use a dual canister Racor diesel fuel filter with a sediment trap drain. It's set up to run through both at once or one at a time for changing filters independently. I welded in a bracket on the bottom of the tank for the spigot. Nearly the same location as original and isn't always slumping over like they like to do coming in the side.

I've had good success without a heater, but that's not to say a heater wouldn't be helpful at times. One thing to consider is the time required to warm the solvent before you can start cleaning parts. The solvent I'm using is the PSC1000 from tractor supply. Also keep in mind it has a flash point of 140*, so if you did use a heater, you would definitely want to stay below the flash point of whatever solvent you decide to use.

I also have been using psc1000 from tractor supply and I really like it because it doesn't evaporate, it doesn't leave a residue on your parts after blowing off with air hose, and it cleans really really well. Heat just doesn't seem like it is needed.

I like the magnet idea! Might have to try that.

What ferrous metal would be in there? Steel shavings? People don’t use steel woo or wire brushes in these things. And if there were for some reason, wouldn’t the two pre filters catch it?

Get drum of PSC1000 is 5 gallons. I bought 2 drums, but I didn't use all of the second one. So maybe 7-8 gallons total?

@@ScrufsGarage thank you for the reply there Scruff I'm going to go out and go get the harbor freight parts washer and then get two 5 gallons of that cleaner so thank you very much for that help .

Thanks for watching; glad it was helpful. Sorry I didn't show a test run, though it's really not that exciting. The unit still puts out excellent pressure and volume, even with the filter inline.

Yes I think it probably would, though I didn't try it, so I can't say for sure. Though be careful with what chemical solvent you are using; I'm not sure if it might damage the intake in any way? I cleaned my LS6 intake with Dawn dish detergent I believe. I let it soak in warm soapy water and then used a soft scrub brush for the intake runners. I used one of the big plastic tubs you can get at HF or Lowes. It worked pretty well.

Good tip!

Yep

Honestly very little. I think having the gasket on the lid helps. And I never leave the lid open when not in use, so limited time for evaporation.

Extremely well. As long as you aren’t splashing solvent on it and not wiping it off, it does great. I still have the original weather stripping on mine.

You can get a fuel filter and everything you need at tractor supply. You may have to get some fittings at a hardware store in order to step it down to the size hose you are using. Personally, I don't see the point of putting a filter on it because it's going to be filtering everything after it's already gone through the pump.

Apply thin layer of wd40 or similar Lubrication to the metal. You could also use assembly lube, but it is a bit more expensive.

Does it make a "massive" difference? I guess that depends on what goal you're trying to achieve. It does help keep the solvent cleaner and remove debris suspended in the fluid. I was using the solvent tank during an engine rebuild, so filtering the solvent was worthwhile. Your usage may differ.

Fair enough for sure! I was trying to think of ways ro filter the fluid before it even gets to the pump, but overall that doesn't seem super worth it since the pump is reliable with the filtration you have. Thanks for the reply and good videos.

Filtering the fluid before the pump could also be beneficial. A consideration though is that the pump is designed to push fluid. I am not sure if the pump would have enough suction power to pull the fluid through the oil filter??

Yeah I was thinking of using a fuel filter and a strainer leading to the pump, but the style of pump already in the unit doesn't have a hose inlet. So I considered swapping it out for a fuel pump, but then I'd have to step down to 12V too. In the end all the solutions for pre pump filtration seem either a bit pricey or complicated for the benefit. Know what I mean? I don't think the pump would have any issue as soon as it was primed, it's just not convenient, hah.

haha, yea I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes the fun of engineering a solution ends up over-complicating the project.

I’m using the PSC1000 solvent from Tractor Supply.

No it doesn't. You have it backwards. The center is the return.

Haha.... I'm too poor to not take care of my stuff. Can't afford to replace it. :) Thanks for watching!

Filter was 1 year old. During that year I used it fairly often because I was rebuilding an engine. Certainly not used every day like a commercial shop, but fairly heavy use for a home garage. You can get an idea of usage based on how much gunk was in the bottom.

Scruf's Garage I’m assuming the heavier bits settled on the bottom of the tank and not much was suspended. Did you see evidence of globs of grease? I’m going to try it on mine. Thanks.

Yea, once it settles overnight, most of the heavier stuff typically drops to the bottom. Kinda the same with some of the thick coagulated gunk; it tends to settle to the bottom. Even the basic screen filter in front of the pump should catch stuff like that before it goes through the pump. The extra filter is more for the suspended particles in the solvent, particularly when the tank is running and the solvent is stirred up. Overall adding the extra filter didn't cost much and wasn't to much work. I've been very happy with it.

At the time I did not. But I don't see why you couldn't, so long as you can find an adapter plate to match the filter.

When I originally put this parts washer together, I was rebuilding the engine in my Corvette. So I added the filter to help capture any small particles that might be suspended in the solvent. For just daily scrubbing of dirty parts that aren't that sensitive, then the filter might offer less benefit. As for the other mods, I highly recommend them for everyone. The seal on the lid is still working perfectly (it's the original seal). The drain valve is very convenient. We moved houses last summer, so I needed to drain the tank for the move. Super easy. And the wheels on the bottom are handy too.

Noah Sowell I’m not sure if the pump would have the suction power to draw the fluid through the filter vs pushing the fluid. Give it a try and post the results!

Mine has been running for over 10 years using nothing but PSC Solvent which is definitely hydrocarbon based. Just sayin...

@@bscott433 How many hours? Fishpond pumps have cheap nitrile seals, which will certainly fail far quicker using solvents which damage the seals. That of course is the reason sellers such as HF suggest water based solvents only for use in fishpond pump parts washers.

That’s what I’m thinking. Really glad he took the time to actually open it up and show us. Most people would be more than happy to “feel” like it’s doing a lot of work and not check to be sure.

If you really wanted to, I'm sure you could make it work, but one challenge is the needed vertical space. Otherwise the filter is sitting in the solvent depending on how much you fill up the tank.

@@ScrufsGarage Not that it would matter much. Found a filter mount with 1/4"NPT coming out the top. Greatly simplifying all the plumbing connections. I was probably going to mount filter horizontally anyway. Initially thinking of less fuss/mess changing filters. Looks like they will be changed seldom if at all. Yours is one of the better videos on this by the way.

It's actually a fairly common tool. Especially on a new engine build (or an engine you think might have an issue), cutting up the filter to see what debris is in there can give you an idea of what's happening inside the motor. It would be along the same lines as sending off a used oil sample for lab analysis.

@@ScrufsGarage I'm an aircraft mechanic and our standard practice doing an oil change is to cut open the filter and then use a utility knife to cut out the media. and inspect each pleat of the media for metal shavings. A magnet helps to determine what type of metal shaving. Many aircraft owners also have us send out an oil sample for analysis so any wear trends can be noted..

good thing he bought the cheap filters that don't have a nut welded on the end. he might have had to bust out the 3 foot breaker bar

The two filters serve different purposes. The filter before the pump is more of a strainer to keep large pieces of debris from getting sucked into the pump. The other filter is to get out smaller particles that may be suspended in the fluid. It is similar to a car engine... there is a strainer on the oil pickup tube in the oil pan before the oil goes through the oil pump; after the oil pump the oil goes through your main oil filter to get out much smaller particles before the oil goes to the rest of the engine.

@@ScrufsGarage I get that, but I wonder what the benefit is, seeing that your just squirting it on oily, dirty engine parts.

I thought that too. Wow, he's straining awfully hard to seal against basically 1-2 PSI pressure flow.

The parts washer would certainly work fine even without the filter. It just depends on what you are using it for. So for me, I was rebuilding an engine and was cleaning a lot of engine parts, etc. So the extra filtration helped capture any tiny debris suspended in the solvent. The big heavy chunks naturally settle to the bottom on their own. If you're just using the parts washer for less sensitive items, then the extra filter may not be of much benefit. I do highly recommend the lid seal and mounting the unit on the dolly to make it easier to move around. (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/esmCZZx7ks2WmZs.html)

@@ScrufsGarage Ok , it makes sense.I only have axles and gaerbox parts , so i wont install a filter i think.

Early in my career I worked at an off-road and 4x4 shop. We had two solvent tanks, a "dirty" one for the nasty stuff, and a "clean" one for the more sensitive parts. But most home garages don't have room or a need for that; I certainly don't. So adding the extra filter is just an option if you have parts to clean that would need it. Any ways, congrats on the new parts washer!

For me, my goal was to filter the solvent coming out, because I was cleaning engine parts and didn't want to risk any metal particles being suspended in the dirty solvent. For the pump, I added the green scrub pad to catch any big chunks, and it also comes with a basic gauze type filter before the pump. So I think for general usage that's probably sufficient for keeping the pump alive. I'm not sure if the pump has enough suction to pull the solvent through the can filter before the pump? I didn't try it that way, so I can't say for sure.

The filter is only filtering when the pump is running. The "dirt" holding capacity of an automotive oil filter is significantly greater than what may be required for filtering a solvent tank. Thus the filter could be used for longer periods of time. I didn't really anticipate the filter being very "dirty" but I also wanted to see how the media and internal structure of the filter was holding up to the solvent. Also keep in mind that the human eye can only see down to about 100 microns, while an oil filter can easily filter down to 20 microns. So just because you can't see any "dirt" in the media doesn't mean it is not filtering. You'll have to make a personal determination as to whether or not the extra filtration adds value for how you intend to use your solvent tank. Best of luck on your project! Thanks for watching.