06/12/2026
Cheap Auction Parts Washer Restoration!
I picked this old Graymills parts washer up at auction a while back for like $80 plus fees. It didn't work initially, but I replaced the power cord, and that did the trick. It had some seriously caked on crud in the bottom as well as some gooey sludge buildup, and it had been sitting for years. Similar new industrial solvent-based parts washers run like 5 grand, so this one was worth a little elbow grease! Once it was scraped/chiseled out, I ran a gallon of Harbor Freight green HD degreaser and a tank of water in it, cycling it off and on for two days. I drained it, sandblasted and wire wheeled the loose surface rust off, then hosed it down with brake cleaner thoroughly. I brushed a coat of heavy duty Rust Shield paint on, and it's looking respectable again. I'll be adding a base with locking caster wheels and painting the underside tomorrow, then filling it up. As parts washer solvent is quite expensive and I have some older diesel already, I'll be mixing 70% diesel, 20% ATF, and a 10% mix of naptha and acetone. It makes an effective cleaning solution with a high enough flashpoint to alleviate concerns. It's still gonna live on the covered back porch, though.
I also put a fuel pump in my 2005 Crown Vic today to get it running again. Ethanol kills fuel pumps, and this one was no exception. Next, some basic maintenance, an aluminum racing radiator swap, new battery, and to gut it for an eventual roll cage..
