Degreasing Cranes

Pat Norman

Pat Norman

New member
We've been washing interiors for a large recycling company and while in each location we've also been washing / degreasing their cranes. All locations we did were real happy until last weekend. We spent about 5 hours washing four cranes and four skid steers. They were not happy with the cranes and want them re-washed.
Our method has been to first power wash with hot water to remove the heavy grease, then we direct apply apply Purple Power at 50 percent dilution to all the engine components with a pump up sprayer. Then we downstream more butyl with hot caustic soda / potash and soap then hot rinse the engines and bodies. Dang I don't know what else to use to cut the heavy grease. Any tips?
 
Find out exactly what they were unhappy with so you know, sometimes the mechanic wants one thing and the supervisor wants another and sometimes the operator wants something totally different.

I would get all three of them together and make sure that you are on the same page so you know exactly what they want.

Chances are you are doing a good job but they might have wanted something in particular but did not tell you, I would find out what it is.

Whenever I wash heavy equipment I ask exactly what they want done so we are on the same page as some mechanics want different things.
 
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Don't give out all the secrets Ron.
 
Pat Norman said:
We've been washing interiors for a large recycling company and while in each location we've also been washing / degreasing their cranes. All locations we did were real happy until last weekend. We spent about 5 hours washing four cranes and four skid steers. They were not happy with the cranes and want them re-washed.
Our method has been to first power wash with hot water to remove the heavy grease, then we direct apply apply Purple Power at 50 percent dilution to all the engine components with a pump up sprayer. Then we downstream more butyl with hot caustic soda / potash and soap then hot rinse the engines and bodies. Dang I don't know what else to use to cut the heavy grease. Any tips?
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fyi: if your are mixing caustic soda from dry form to liquid (Kids, don't do this at home) and then mixing it while HOT with your degreaser it will break down the surfactants and you wont get the dwell time needed.
 
Purple power for cranes and grease mmm I clean for a recycling center every month and you can do like The others suggested and get some panel bright or you could just make your on degreaser.I have really found that butyl and pottasium hydroxide with some caustic beads makes short work of grease.I used it on dumpster pad grease yesterday that grease turned from black to yellow and then blasted it with hot water wow it was great.Just get some panel bright that would be fine for cranes its got plenty of caustic already.Make sure you tell them to let you wash the scales thats fun but it has to be done.
 
He doesnt wanna waste the soap as it flyes out of the gun at warp speed.He has heat that will speed the moleclular structure of the soap enough.Lol just kidding i think he has the just of it now.If purple power would clean it then they probably would need him they would do it there self.
 
Thanks all, I'm not setup for fleet washing and two stepping. The Purple Power was only a pre treatment. We also washed after that with a strong caustic mix of Caustic soda and potash with some TSP. It made all the other yards happy, just not this last one.
 
Steam would but it will also break down the chemical as well.After about a true 160 degrees the chemical is done.Pat did that not discolor the paint on the heavy equipment.
 
Kiloman said:
Steam would but it will also break down the chemical as well.After about a true 160 degrees the chemical is done.Pat did that not discolor the paint on the heavy equipment.
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What paint? 50 percent was already gone. was'nt like I was hurting any clear coat. No I did not notice any discoloration other than the dirt coming off. One looked like it was drove off in a swamp before we washed it.
 
What were they unhappy about exactly?
 
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