How to clean/maintain metal parts?

paintedfrogfish

Hi, I don't know what this is called (see picture). It is the oxygen injector at the end of the hose from the oxygen cylinder regulator and it plugs into the solenoid on the Megalodon head. There is obvious oxidation or rusting.

How best to clean it? I have Caig's Deoxit cleaner but my instructor told me not to use it becuase the residues could get injected with the oxygen into the system and could be toxic. He suggested just using a damp cloth. Any advice? Thanks.

Attached Images

O2injectorreduced.jpg (41.8 KB, 268 views)

Skipbreather

I'd clean it w/ a very fine (gray) grade of Scotch Brite Pad while keeping it oriented down (to keep shredded pad from falling in), wipe it down w/ a clean lint free cloth, then pressurize it and blow any errant bits of pad out w/ O2 by depressing the tip w/ a clean screwdriver tip. Blow it clean thoroughly or you risk bits of Scotch Brite eventually jamming your solenoid.

Just my $0.02

__________________
"Entropy RULES! Enjoy the interim."

divingabe

Skipbreather's suggestion is right on. I experienced the same situation with mine last July and being a kind of do, then think about it type. I just rubbed it with a fine piece of steel wool I had available. Mistake!!! a few weeks later I had the misfortune of finding out why, the solonoid stuck open on my dive. A couple of days later I disassembled the solenoid just to find a piece of the steel wool. The use of the scotch pad is a great idea.
Gabe

Philippe GERIN

If you have access to it: Dip it in a sonic bath full of 7up for a couple hours, then again in fresh water for another hour.
I used to routinely do that on these very Swagelok QDs (QC4 and 6) used in industry to continuously inject CO2 in yogurt in order to get a longer shelf life.
For what it's worth, this method has been cleared by my Organic, Kosher and FDA inspectors as well !! In case you'd worry about any toxic residues.
Best
Philippe

paintedfrogfish

Thanks guys, for all your suggestions
Keep 'em coming!
Marcus

Meng_Tze

I clean all parts in a sonic bath. If it needs to be O2 clean, I use Blue Gold (diluted). For those 'hard and stubborn' items, I soak in 50-50 warm vinegar solution for 20-30 mins, tooth brush things off and then in the sonic bath.

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Homo Bonae Voluntatis

Lab Rat

100% white vinegar has cleaned a bunch of stuff for me...then use blue gold/whatever to O2 clean and rinse in distilled h2o from walgreens and blow out with pressurized gas.

Last resort is to use abraisive and risk bits in solenoid or flamible synthetics in the O2 loop (though it is low pressure at this point).

Richard