Car Parts in dishwasher

I'm considering buying an additional 2nd hand machine

or smell I might take the plunge and use our main

I've been putting scuba gear in the dishwasher for years. However that's nice stainless or heavy chrome to be seawater proof. I suspect ordinary steel will come out brown with oxide.

Try it on something old and tatty.

nigelH

Like a Landie?

I was thinking of putting my v8 cylinder heads in so alloy rather than steel. My concern is that the dishwasher will end up oily or smelling of oil.

P

Normal dishwasher detergent will corrode aluminium, although a single run will probably not do too much damage. Any anodising will be ruined by a single run.

JD

I've done it before, the parts came up ok, but the dishwasher smelt of oil for weeks. I reckon a 2nd hand machine is a good idea, but with engine cleaner rather than 3 in 1 dishwashing tablets. I would be curious to know how that works.

If my ally saucepans are owt to go by I would be inclined to avoid ally and shiny, its likely not to remain so. dishwasher chemicals are pretty harsh, to get dishes clean with no scouring action.

I did wash some very greasy overalls in a washing machine using Gunk. The overalls came out fine but the machine stank for weeks!!

Jeff

Hi All,

Our Dishwashers (I will not mention the brand) can often be seen in garages and the like for cleaning components.

1) Dishwasher only push (very soft) hot water about 2) The chemicals that you put in do damage ! 3) You are unlikely to Bugger up a dishwasher (especialy an all stainless one ) with vehicle parts, unless,small bits (ball bearings)etc are not catered for properly. 4) Service the dishwasher regularly and it will last a life time ! 5) Dishwasher used in the motor trade tend to last longer than in the home because they get a regular cleaner through them. 6) The dishwashers in the home are sadly neglected. 7) REMEMBER there is a chamber full of SALT, leave the lid off and you will do damage to your parts. 8) REMEMBER there is a chamber full of Sylicate crystels, don,t chuck heavy things into the tub ,PLACE them in the tub. 9) careful choice of powder/tablets used will be OK,there are several non toxic "detergents " on the market. 10) Preferably do not use rinse aid,it leaves a "finish" on items that can cause probs on matting surfaces. 11) The problem with after smells are the waste pipe and out flow. If the out flow is into the sink U bend you will not clear the system properly and accumilations occur in the waste pipe and leave a smell. This holds good for domestic machiens as well, that why you see all the different anti smell things on the supermarket shelves, these would be unnessesary if the machines were plumbed in properly. The parts used in a dishwasher are impervious to smell/absorbsion

Hope this helps

John

Define 'life time', yours, mine, the machine? REMEMBER if the latter that's the same as saying 'untill it fails'

Doesn't this annoy the cleaner?

I put my V8 cylinder heads in the dishwasher a few years ago and they came out great. Most of the oil was cleaned off to start with and the dishwasher didnt smell after.

Richard

Following advice on here, I did get hold of a 2nd hand d/w from freecycle.org and plumbed it into my garage. I can confirm it does clean alloy stuff very well, and leaves a brown residue on steel parts. Overall, very impressed although it does smell quite bad and I wouldn't want to put the household crocks in it for a few weeks.

Thanks