Cleaning RA4 print processor - help and ideas needed?

[Lazar92]

Hi,

recenlty I bought used Thermaphot ACP505. I am using AC200 for some time now so I am familiar with the system. ACP505 came, I knew from previous owner that it had not been used for 10 yaers or even more. Condition looked pretty nasty, yet all worked well. Engine all the rollers in 5 tanks as well as the dryer. I cleaned the circulation pump so it works as well now. Replenishment does not really work but I suspect it's because of dirt in pipes. Yet the question is how to properly clean the processor?

I suspect processor was used with different proccess for color prints than RA4, don't really know the name but as I heard before RA4 there was process which was really dirty. Looking on the tar on rollers and edges on tanks it was something diffeent that modern RA4.

I used whole bottle of Tetenal Chem Cleaner (1L). It works pretty well, in one second it dissolves the outer layer of tar. But the tar seems to have no end.
In my local shot they offer as well Chem-Kwik Cleaner - anyone has any exprerience? Will it be better than Tetenal Chem Cleaner.

I just wonder what's the best chem out there to fill the processor with water add cleaner and run it to wash the mashine as good as possible. Now the best result I get after spraying Tetenal Chem Cleaner over the racks, wait around half of minute so the chem does not dry and wash racks with warm water. The thicker layers of tar was erased with sponge and chem but I realized sponge cleaning is not that efficent because chem looses strenghts fast when it starts to dissolve the tar. So just chem spray, wait and rinse.

I add some images, the last it after some cleaning, it might not show the results properly but it's way better that it was in the begining. Still need more... Thanks!!

 

[Kino]

Scotchbrite pads, very hot water and a lot of scrubbing will be your best bet. Keep filling it with hot water, recirculating and scrubbing the rollers; dump and repeat.

One of those rollers looks pretty bad; you might have to find a replacement for it.

I would pull the racks, disassemble them and scrub everything in hot water.

It may seem a hopeless task but it should clean up.

You MUST keep the machine rollers clean to have good prints, so carefully clean it after each use when you get it going. If you do clean the machine properly now, it should not be terribly difficult to keep it clean with minimal maintenance.

 

[EdSawyer]

I've heard diluted toilet-bowl cleaner can work well (the type designed to dissolve scale/rust/lime). Also there's a spray-on cleaner called "Tile Magic" that seems to dissolve developer tar, I use it to clean C-41 stuff and it works well. Jobo also used to make something called "Processor Clean" - not sure if it's still available but it was designed for the purpose as well, it's a powdered concentrate. The process prior to RA4 was EP2 and it did generate more tar than RA4 does.

 

[gordrob]

I used Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner to remove the tar build up on my RCP40 when I got it. It had a heavy build up of tar and the Lysol was able to remove it from the tanks and rollers. You will have to flush the pump system thoroughly to make sure all the tar is removed from the system. Do not use the Magic Erasers with the Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner.

 

[foc]

As has been mentioned, one of the rollers looks bad. It will get worse by expanding, usually at the ends and will cause slippage of the paper transporting or cause a paper jam. Replacement is best.
For tar, I have found spraying methylated spirits (denatured spirit), leave then wash with a soft cloth, then rinse, has worked for me. Test it first on a small portion of the roller.
RA4 dev only gets dirty where the chemical meets the air at the top of the tank. The blix will crystallize at the same area in its tank. Just use water and a plastic kitchen spatula.
What size are your rep pipes? I have used fish tank air line tubing as replacement in a Fuji FP363 processor.
Does the processor have crossover tracks that fit on top of the tanks? If so then they should to be soaked in water overnight after every use.
For cleaning roller insitu you can use water from a squeeze bottle, like this.

 

[lts]

You should just try the cleaning products from Colenta: https://www.colenta.at/easy_clean/easy.php

 

[btaylor]

I got a Durst table top print processor with a darkroom lot once- it appeared someone has just left the chemistry in it until it dried. Using the techniques above, toilet bowl cleaner, hot water and a lot of elbow grease I got the thing working again, even the rollers that looked trashed but eventually cleaned up mostly. Good luck!

 

[Lazar92]

Thank you for all advices. I managed to repair by myself the circulation pump and bought Tetenal Chem Cleaner - which works very well for this kind of tar. I also managed to find an old guy who repaired old processors. He told me it was not EP2 but Agfa Chemistry used in RA4 which caused way more tar than Kodak Chemistry. I cleaned pretty well the machine by dissolving Tetenal with water and running the machine for 8-10 hours in few intervals. Now i send it over to the old repair guy who will repair it and replace some of the rollers if necessary.
Thanks for all the advice!