Rebuilding a Pulsator...question

[pfaubush]

I am rebuilding my Surge pulsator, and the instructions say to soak the parts in a commercial solvent. Does anyone have something more specific? I don't really know what to use. Ammonia? Oven Cleaner? I'm hoping to use something I have. Does it need to be something for dairy use?

[sammyd]

something that will cut the grease and grime. Kerosene would work. or you could spray with a penetrating oil and wipe off the gunk.

[Cheryl aka JM]

I just did a surge pulsator ~ I took it apart and stood at the sink with each piece scrubbing with dish soap and a toothbrush. Then I poked a tiny screw driver into all the holes and cleaned them out. Put it back together and the stupid thing didn't work. So I took it apart and polished all the moving pieces with the polishing wheel on the dremmel. Stupid thing still wouldn't work. I took it apart shoved the little screw driver through all the little holes again and shot canned air through all the the little holes until I could ID where all the air went in and came out so I could be sure all the passage were clear~ put it back together expecting it to not work and almost wet myself when it did! Both little carriages move back and forth~ they will feel tight inside the carriage housing and like the air pressure can't move them but if you get ALL those little holes cleaned out it can.

Good Luck!

Edit to add don't miss the little holes in the carriage housing~ the two little holes on the face of the housing exit inside the housing after turning a little. They are hard to get clean but if they are not clean air can not get behind the carriage and push it. very important and one of those is what I think was causing all my trouble.

[pfaubush]

The kerosene worked perfectly! Thank you!!! That thing was uber grungy. It hadn't been used since the 70's and had what looked like dry milk and black grease in it.

Cheryl, I know what you mean about the shock of it working! I just knew that this thing was going to give me problems. Everything gives me problems when I need it the worst. I finished putting it together this morning and it fired right up. We used it for both milkings today and I'm so excited.

I just hope I come up with a routine soon. Not having one is slowing me down to twice the time it took to hand milk...but this should prove to be less painful!