Atf As Coolant?

rgray

rgray

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Just got a new to me toy. It's a Brown & Sharpe #5 plain grinder (cylindrical). So cleaning the mess up from the years of coolant and rust , got me wondering if an oil would work as a coolant rather than a water based fluid.
Being in the auto repair business I think of my valve grinder that is kinda a miniature version of this 2700lb machine. It runs atf for coolant and in 30 years I've only changed it once.

Maybe the pump won't pump it. The mist that comes off the valve grinder is enough to oil you if you don't stand to the side. It has a 4" wheel so the mist from a 14" may be enough for this to be a bad idea.

Ideas?
 
I use ATF as a cleaner/solvent. Any fluid running across a part would transfer some of the heat however some not as good as others. Amount of heat the flood can take until it combust is another consideration. ATF is kinda like using kerosene. I use both for aluminum when cutting. ATF doesn't make a very good replacement for oil in most cases.

I'm not sure about bringing with it but it would reason to me that it wouldn't be good in a grinder as sparks could combust it.
 
Let me add as to my first reply this is just random thinking & not fact.
 
kingmt01 said:
I use ATF as a cleaner/solvent. Any fluid running across a part would transfer some of the heat however some not as good as others. Amount of heat the flood can take until it combust is another consideration. ATF is kinda like using kerosene. I use both for aluminum when cutting. ATF doesn't make a very good replacement for oil in most cases.

I'm not sure about bringing with it but it would reason to me that it wouldn't be good in a grinder as sparks could combust it.
Click to expand...

Never though about it being combustible...6 gallon capacity would probably keep it's temp down where that wouldn't happen.
Doesn't seem like it would transfer heat as well.
Also I always thought atf was high detergent..keeping the particals in suspension to be picked up by a filter. Opposite of what would be wanted in a coolant I would think.
The valve grinder had compartments that the oil had to fill and run over, and these would collect the grindings detergent or not the grindings settled out in the compartments. They could be cleaned of the grindings with minimal oil loss also.
 
The theory was that the spark would combust the fluid immediately around it which would raise the temperature enough to combust the rest of it. Sounds far fetched to me & I've never been able to produce it but that is why we weren't allowed to grind or weld anywhere close to it.
 
I use to use a 50/50 mix of atf/wd40 as flood coolant in an engine valve grinder. Never had a fire, or explosion.

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker
 
Uglydog said:
Please find the link to the MSDS for ATF. Well, at least this manufactures MSDS.
http://www.viscosityoil.com/pdf/msds3/ASTEC HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION FLUID.pdf

Doesn't appear to be much risk for flammability as long as you were flooding.
Please note that as per this document you should be careful not to mist ATF as the droplets are potentially toxic.

Daryl
MN
Click to expand...

I have used Dexron as a cutting fluid for years and like it.
Coolant slinging from a 14'' wheel is another matter and the problem of toxicity when airborne also applies to many other types of coolant.
If you are familiar with atf why not use it but provide for containment of the 'mist'?
 
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