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Engine cleaning tips?
- Thread starter PeteH
- Start date
Errmmm....Tricky one this. If you want to do it properly then follow the below.
1/ Remove all covers.
2/ Cover seats with heavy duty bin bags, cover dash etc with towels.
3/ soak at low pressure.
4/ Soak entire engine with Megs Super degreaser.
5/Aggitate with brushes, both hard and soft.
6/ leave for 5mins
7/Wash at pressure @ 60deg's. (Prepare to get a little wet)
8/ Sponge wash the bulkheads watch out for snags and sharp bits.
9/ Blow dry with compressed air and run the engine till dry
10/ Refit all parts etc, inevitably there will be water/spray, but consider it an excuse to clean the inside! 404 Aerospace is a good sealing products for plastics btw.
1/ Remove all covers.
2/ Cover seats with heavy duty bin bags, cover dash etc with towels.
3/ soak at low pressure.
4/ Soak entire engine with Megs Super degreaser.
5/Aggitate with brushes, both hard and soft.
6/ leave for 5mins
7/Wash at pressure @ 60deg's. (Prepare to get a little wet)
8/ Sponge wash the bulkheads watch out for snags and sharp bits.
9/ Blow dry with compressed air and run the engine till dry
10/ Refit all parts etc, inevitably there will be water/spray, but consider it an excuse to clean the inside! 404 Aerospace is a good sealing products for plastics btw.
thunderstarter
New Member
awesome tips Ali.... could be another one for the 'How to' guides 
Roll up 6 bits of plastersine into donut shapes and seal the coil and spark plug recesses up. If you dry certain products/cleaning agents with engine heat, you can run the risk of seizing the spark plugs or injectors in.
A small steam cleaner works a treat. Stuborn engine grime comes off really well with Nitromorse on a soft small paint brush.
A small steam cleaner works a treat. Stuborn engine grime comes off really well with Nitromorse on a soft small paint brush.
:rofl:
I'm doing my engine bay at the the moment, I've taken all the engine covers/panels off ect and have been using a set of decorating brushes ( with the metal on the brushes wraped in duct tape, so not too scratch painted surfaces ect ) and a dyson to remove dust first, this has made a huge difference, then cleaned all the rubbers/ electics / plastic connectors using silicon on a cloth and small brushes
also swan lighter fluid helps shift harder deposits or petrol ( remove/disconnect battery and make sure car is in a well vented area, dont pour it on just put a little on a rag or brush and wear plastic gloves and try to keep away from any rubber items in there )Do alittle bit at a time, its not the 4th bridge
IMHO I would stay away from steam cleaners / powerwashers, they just seem to blow dirt in places where its not wanted :s great for cleaning your drive or making an old motor cleaner to sell ect ect.
go in gentle mate, ive had to many racers say why are your bikes so reliable and clean! well they use powerwashers and I spend more time slowly cleaning/going through mine.....which = more ride time and its worked on the cars too
to many vintage race cars and bikes in my time My clio has 60+ thou on the clock and surprisingly clean and original with very little oxidiation on Aluminum parts and shes coming up a treat....a little elbow grease and time
O yeah dont drop the engine out :rofl:
After 30 years of cleaning old junk up a couple of things i have found useful:
Kettle descaler is good for getting the corrosion off the ally castings, this is very gentle but you need quite a lot. another is brick cleaning acid but i would not recommend on a complete engine or at high strengths, it does eat aluminium.
Also, Cillit bang, the lime cleaner product, this works very well in confined areas as it is easily sprayed and does seem to remove the oxidation, i do use this after using degreaser.
Another good idea is to use a hand steamer, i think these are still available, i use an adapted wallpaper stripper with a nozzle adapted to fit, this is very delicate and will remove most gunge but beware, it will also remove skin!
Try soaking the motor in traffic film remover first, this is dirt cheap and softens most gunge. its dirt cheap at about ten quid for 25 litres of the stuff, i use it 50/50 with hot water and work in with a brush.
I hope these comments are helpful.
Kettle descaler is good for getting the corrosion off the ally castings, this is very gentle but you need quite a lot. another is brick cleaning acid but i would not recommend on a complete engine or at high strengths, it does eat aluminium.
Also, Cillit bang, the lime cleaner product, this works very well in confined areas as it is easily sprayed and does seem to remove the oxidation, i do use this after using degreaser.
Another good idea is to use a hand steamer, i think these are still available, i use an adapted wallpaper stripper with a nozzle adapted to fit, this is very delicate and will remove most gunge but beware, it will also remove skin!
Try soaking the motor in traffic film remover first, this is dirt cheap and softens most gunge. its dirt cheap at about ten quid for 25 litres of the stuff, i use it 50/50 with hot water and work in with a brush.
I hope these comments are helpful.
Ali":37g3mfxr said:
Deffinatly extreme if you do it once in a blue moon. Its not if your the type that does it on a regular basis like a friend of mine who constantly details his Civic Type R with stupidly expensive products. He had to helicoil 2 of the 4 spark plugs because the ally corroded around them.
I'm with spike on this. I wouldn't waste my money on chemicals that maguires, autoglym etc etc add nice smells and colours to. As long as your carefull, there are some great everyday household bits that work wonders.
Alpineandy
New Member
Retromx":2z51scgu said:
CRMC?
Absolutley Andy
completley addicted to the classic racing bike scene :race: that smilie got no handlebars I have a few works factory bikes locked away, Have a nice open class Maico in the lounge that was used in the 1982 world championships, always been a fan and purchased and restored bikes from an early age...I purchased the Maico in 1984 when I was 14 year old, when no one except myself wanted these old bangers
Theres some real lovely bikes on the CRMC site :salut:
heres a pic that you might like of an old Kawasaki twinshock KX that Ive nearly finished restoring, using Fox/Simons suspension and other 70s period goodies, hope you like this offroad racer
Steve-V6-D61
New Member
go the whole hog
