What do you use to clean the outside of your motor?

I've seen a lot of pictures of bikes on here and the motors look mint. Just wondering what everyone uses to clean them up because it has a huge impact on the overall look of the bike. I'm not looking to completely refinish it, just clean it up a little.

I was thinking Simple Green but I've heard it isnt good on aluminum and I figure that's what most of the engine case is made of.

 

No one has any secrets? Mine is looking awfully drab after quite a few years of neglect. Im curious aswell. C'mon guys give us the knowledge! Puh-lease! We all know a clean shiny engine adds like 10a HP

 

I've tried all kinds of things. Gunk, Simple Green, Citrus cleaners, WD-40, once I took headers off to clean the front. Most of it is fairly clean, but I've never found any way to clean the stuff I can't reach. Between the exhausts, down in recesses for spark plugs, etc.

I'm with you, I want some cleaning product that I spray on, then hose off and gives me a clean engine. If such a thing exists, I don't know what it is. Maybe some kind of steam cleaner would work....

 

I use degreaser and a pressure washer. Keeps them looking reasonable.
I had the engine hydroblasted for my current XJ750, which is undergoing a renovation atm.... made it real clean

 

i use S100 Total Cycle Cleaner... " I put that $%*! on everything! " Stuff is awsome, but u have to follow the directions and rinse thoroughly.

 

You mean so it looks like this? (Forgive the arrows, those indicate the YICS passage, the pic was used elsewhere previously.)




Different parts of the motor require different cleaning methods/products.

For the rough finished castings like the head, I use a lightly abrasive household cleaner, like Comet or Ajax in liquid form.

For the truly grimy "underpinnings" and built-up grease, oil, dirt, etc., I use a citris-based engine cleaner from the auto parts, like Gunk's EngineBrite. It comes in different varieties; be sure you get one that specifies for use on COLD engines. You spray it on, work it in with a stiff brush, and wait. Then hose off with copious amounts of low-pressure water.

Since my bikes are chain driven, I use either mineral spirits or 'Tarminator' (solvent-based bug-n-tar remover) to break chain lube dirt loose.

For less grimy areas, I use Simple Green.

Cases get stripped, sanded and polished. Once shiny, I maintain with Mother's Billet Metal Polish.

Oh, and pressure washing is NOT recommended. You can drive water in past seals that were meant to keep oil in, not high-pressure, non-compressible water out. Be careful; I just don't do it.

 

Why you gotta put the rest of us to shame like that Fitz... Now I gotta go out in the cold and start polishing...

 

Tried the various autoparts store cleaners and a garden hose with fair results...so

I picked up 'marine clean' from the Por-15 folks, prepped the bike by spraying WD-40 on anything I didn't plan on cleaning and didn't want to get wet like the coils etc. Saturated with the M.C. brushed it in where I could, waited 15min and rinsed with high pressure. I know where to spray the high pressure H2O and where not to, and you can step away and release the handle some to lower the psi while you rinse. It worked wonders on the gunk, bugs, tar or whatever the hell that stuff was that I couldn't get off any other way. Lastly complete chain clean and re-lube and same for anything else that is hydrophobic.

In order to get it as clean as I did would have required dis-assembly of at least some major parts as the bike was caked or gunked up pretty bad in spots.

Of course anything I 'could' reach I just cleaned the old fashioned way, use the proper cleaner for the job and elbow grease. You would be surprised how well some things with 31 years of oxidation will come clean with effort. On the plus side if the bike were to develop any leaks I will know now right away.

I swear the bike ran better immediately :wink:

It's even a little cleaner and nicer now than it was here, but here it had come miles from what it looked like when I picked it up. Should have take a pic then but I was too eager to clean and fix.