A 15 liter heated 40kHz ultrasonic tank that pulls varnish and clutch debris out of valve body bores, separator plates, and solenoids before reassembly.
Most valve body comebacks are not bad parts, they are dirty bores. A spool valve that free-strokes on a dry bench can still hang once it is back in the case if a ring of varnish or a sliver of clutch material is left in the bore or under a check ball. This 15 liter (4 gallon) heated ultrasonic tank is sized for the hard parts an automatic transmission rebuild produces, including a full-size GM valve body casting laid flat, so the drilled passages a brush never reaches get cleaned before reassembly.
A 40kHz transducer array (360W) creates cavitation, millions of tiny bubbles collapsing against every wetted surface, including blind bores, cross-drilled passages and checkball pockets. A separate 300W heater holds the bath anywhere from 70 to 175 degrees F. Heat matters here: baked varnish barely moves in a cold bath and comes off far faster at roughly 140 to 160 degrees F with a mild alkaline cleaner. The inside of the tank is about 13 x 9.5 x 6 inches, enough for a 4L60E or 4L80E valve body, a 6L80 separator plate, pump halves, solenoid screens, and a basket of springs and check balls. The timer runs 1 to 30 minutes, the tank and basket are 304 stainless, and it runs on standard 110V shop power.
Cleaning fixes contamination, not wear. Strip the valve body completely, clean it, then inspect and vacuum-test each circuit. Our valve body cleaning and inspection guide covers teardown and what to look for, and model guides such as 4L80E valve body problems and testing and 6L80 valve body testing explain how to separate a dirty bore from a worn one. If a circuit still fails after cleaning, the bore is worn and needs a repair sleeve or a replacement casting.
The cleaner is universal, not tied to one transmission. It is a good match for rear-wheel-drive GM, Ford and Chrysler valve bodies, separator plates, pump bodies and accumulator hardware, and for front-wheel-drive and CVT valve body sections, which are smaller. Anything that will not fit flat in a 13 x 9.5 inch footprint, such as a full case or large drum, belongs in a spray cabinet instead.
Remove every solenoid, sensor, harness and electrical part before the casting goes in, because cavitation damages solenoid windings. Pull the valves and springs and keep them in order in the basket or a divided tray. Run about 15 minutes hot, check for orange or brown varnish staining in the passages, and repeat if it is still there. Rinse with clean water and blow every passage dry with shop air right away so no solution sits in the bores. Change the bath between jobs. When the clean casting goes back together, pair it with fresh electrical parts such as a 4L80E master solenoid kit with harness and filter or a new 4L60E separator plate, and change the fluid and filter so debris from the old unit is not pumped straight back through it.
| Tank capacity | |
| Ultrasonic frequency | |
| Ultrasonic power | |
| Heater power | |
| Temperature range | |
| Timer | |
| Tank material | |
| Weight |
No. Cavitation can damage solenoid windings and electrical connectors. Remove all solenoids, sensors and the harness first, and clean those parts separately with a suitable spray cleaner.
The inside of the tank is roughly 13 x 9.5 x 6 inches, which lets a full-size rear-wheel-drive valve body such as a 4L60E or 4L80E lie flat. Larger parts like cases and drums are better cleaned in a spray cabinet.
A common starting point is about 15 minutes at roughly 140 to 160 degrees F in a mild alkaline parts cleaner, then a rinse and immediate blow-dry with shop air. Repeat the cycle if varnish staining remains in the passages.
No. Cleaning removes varnish, clutch material and metal debris, but it cannot restore worn bores. Vacuum-test each circuit after cleaning; a failing circuit means the bore needs a repair sleeve or the valve body needs replacing.
It runs on standard 110V shop power and is rated at about 760W total, 360W for the ultrasonic transducers and 300W for the heater.
