Cleaning/Degreasing an engine while in the bike

My bike's had an oil leak from the old valve cover gasket (has since been replaced) and I'd like to clean the engine up a bit without having to do a complete teardown.

Anyone ever clean the engine while still in the bike before?

How well do the off-the shelf spray cleaners work for this? (spray on, let soak, hose off...)

 

That's a great question, because I've got some oil that's just been hanging around down underside of my engine on my XJ900. I've been thinking about heading over to the carwash and spraying it down. I know you're not suppose to use degreaser at those places but that oil has to go. I'll be keeping an eye on this post.
Take care,
IB

 

You might try steam cleaning, keeping it well away from your electrics.

 

Well, I just tried it using a can of the stuff from O'reilly Auto Parts and wasn;t terribly impressed. It took off the very light surface stuff, but anything else will pretty much require a scrubbing as well.

Ah well. For $3 a can, I thought I'd give it a go.

 

The problem with a pressure washer removing caked on and nasty grease from underneath and the swingarm area is, it just re-locates some of that grease to your under seat area, under your gauge cluster, and other hidden places that didn't have nasty grease and sand. Then later you have to de-grease everything else.

So the solution would be to pack towels, plastic bags, cardboard ETC and spray carefully just the really bad areas.

You also remove paint with a pressure washer, and blow water into swingarm bearings, alternators, electrical connectors, light fixtures. . .

 

I'm interested in a solution to this as well. My bike has oil all over it (various leaky gaskets in the past).

 

Try mixing up Simple Green 50/50 with water in a spray bottle. With engine warm, not hot, spray the bejeebers out of the greasy areas. Get it dripping soaking wet. Keep the area wet with the solution for 10 or 15 minutes and hose off. This should help a lot. You may have to repeat. Also, go to a hardware store and look at the brushes in the housewares section to find brushes to fit the nooks and crannies. This should fix you right up.

 

I second the Simple Green method!

 

kerosene and a small paint brush for the tough stuff then simple green

 

Actually, I spoke a little too soon. It ended up taking off more than I thought (helps if the engine has dried before making the observation... ). The really caked on stuff would still need a scrubbing while it's wet to get it removed though. For a quick clean to help determine if there's any fresh oil leaks, it actually worked pretty well.

Course, I did go through 3/4 of the can in the process spray on, let soak, hose off - repeat 2 more times...

I also found out that mt tach cable connection is stripped, so it may not have been the valve cover after all...

 

Diluted PineSol has worked well for me.

 

I've used aerosol degreasers lots of times - and they're OK but you need to scrub the stubborn / caked on areas (it even says that on the can).

And some of the more aggressive ones can remove frame paint, so be wary....

 

Using a Siphon Mixer like this .... (Mine is a MiracleGro Brand) ... it's EASY to keep the Engine and undercarriage nice and clean.

The Siphon Pick-up concentrate and Mixes it at a Ratio of 16:1 with the hose water.

Dump a whole bottle of Dawn Pot and Pan Degreaser in a Gallon Bucket and add a half quart of water.
Turn on the Hose and Clean.
Until you run-out of concentrate ... your hose is putting-out a degreasing stream of soapy water that cuts through the grime right down to the bone.

I think MiracleGro sold the design to some other company.
Search: Brass Siphon Mixer

 

I've had good luck with CITRIS-based engine cleaners; make sure it says it works on cold motors. Mineral spirits and a stiff brush work wonders on chain-lube encrusted parts; Tarminator brand bug & tar remover will help loosen grease and dirt encrustations too.

I use a 3:1 diluted Simple Green spray for road spray residue.

Another tip: Once your bike is clean, polished and waxed and then gets grubby again DON'T wash it with dish soap, you'll strip all your wax and protectants. Pick up a jug of "car wash" soap at the auto parts, I like Meguires but any brand will do. It will get things nice and clean without stripping your wax.