Ultrasonic Parts Cleaners - High-Tech Clean

Most cleaning chores in racing can be handled by a bucket of soapy water and a brush, or maybe a can of brake cleaner for tougher jobs. But some of the more intricate components on the race car must be dealt with using a more delicate touch. Some parts, such as carburetor metering blocks, occasionally need to be cleaned but there isn't a good way to get into all the tight spaces where contaminants can hide.

Speedway Motors has recently introduced a new product that has many uses in a racing shop. Ultrasonic cleaners have been around for years, but their expense has kept them in the domain of labs and jewelers' shops. Here is a description of how the cleaner works: The part to be cleaned is submerged in some type of liquid, and ultrasonic vibrations are sent through the liquid to shake off dirt and other contaminants. Some ultrasonic cleaners use heat to warm the liquid bath and help loosen or dissolve the contaminants. The ultrasonic vibrations the machine creates are not harmful, and it is safe to put your hands into the liquid when the cleaner is running.

The neat thing about using an ultrasonic cleaner for racing is that it can clean areas you cannot normally access. Previously, to clean the passageways inside a carburetor's metering block, or even the interior of a lifter, you soaked the part in solvent and then cleaned it as best you could by blowing air into the holes. An ultrasonic cleaner can knock off any buildup or trash lodged inside a component, and then the waves break down the material until it floats into the liquid bath.

Speedway Motors' new ultrasonic parts cleaner is relatively small, but it will hold most of the parts you will find most useful for ultrasonic cleaning. The cleaning tank is 6.6 by 5.4 by 2.5 inches deep, which is big enough for a metering block, Heim joints, approximately eight lifters, or even a set of spark plugs. Any number of non-flammable liquids can be used, but Speedway's representatives say they have found distilled white vinegar works best for most applications. Surprisingly, the cleaner even includes a heating element to warm the bath and improve the cleaning action.

Operating Speedway's cleaner is a simple two-button process. One button turns the cleaner on and off, while the other button allows you to set the timer. The cleaner can be set to automatically shut off in 5-minute increments, with a maximum of 30 minutes per session. A backlit readout tracks how much time is left.

In our testing, we found that using the recommended distilled vinegar actually worked best. (It may remind you of dying Easter eggs as a kid.) Clean water also works well. We tested solvent, but it did not seem to clean better than the vinegar and also fogged up the clear plastic lid, so this probably isn't recommended. Finally, we have heard that the acid in Coke may work well as the liquid bath in an ultrasonic cleaner, but we did not test it. What does seem to work, however, is using just enough liquid to cover the part to be cleaned. The smaller volume of liquid seemed to work more quickly.

Overall, Speedway Motors' new ultrasonic parts cleaner seems like a very useful tool to have in your racing shop, especially if you maintain your own engines. Currently, Speedway is selling the cleaner for just under $80, and its value for a busy racing shop is quite high.