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Engine cleaner

D

DaveMadsen

Old man riding old bike
Joined
Nov 29, 2016
Location
Pleasant Hill
Moto(s)
1979 Honda CBX
1987 BMW K100RT
1982 Yamaha XT200
Name
Dave Madse
Looking for a recommendation for an - external - aluminum engine degreaser/cleaner.
 
Depends how caked on it is. I had good luck removing some oil and gunk using the cheapo O'Reilly's foaming engine cleaner. Let it sit on the warm (not hot) engine, spray off.

If it's more baked on, you will need something stronger and need to scrub it, and do it multiple times.
 
This obviously goes without saying, but.....be very careful with that shit around
any painted surface.
 
gixxerjeff said:
This obviously goes without saying, but.....be very careful with that shit around
any painted surface.
Click to expand...

Not only that, but different engines have different coatings, from paints, clearcoats, chrome, powdercoating, bare aluminum, bare magnesium, rubbers, plastics, etc. All of which can react differently to stronger solvents.

Use the softest cleaner you can use to get the job done, like simple green, then step up to harsher solvents to spot clean difficult areas if needed.
 
Thanks for everyone's feedback. I will start with a wire brush, add some elbow grease, a bit of Simple Green, and then rinse it off. THEN I'll bring in the heavy duty stuff.
 
Spray it with cheap spray lube pb blaster or wd40, let sit, hit with nylon brush,wipe off with rag. Like dissolves like, I dont really like using strong detergents as they can mess up finish.
 
A bit of useful info / warning about degreaser.





SG_original_zps55c47a5b.jpg


PP_zpsa2e313ea.jpg


Vespa_case_zpsc1738904.jpg


Simple Green (original formula), Purple Power are highly corrosive. What it means is that if you leave them on the surface of your bike too long, it will ruin the finish of the parts.
In theory, it *should* be okay so long as it is washed off quickly and completely. There are many people calming that they have been using Simple Green (original formula) for cleaning their bikes for years without problem. And at the same time, there are plenty of people saying "Simple Green ruined my bike !! " ...

SImple Green's own faq page
http://www.simplegreen.com/solutions_faqs.php?search_query=aluminum

One example link talking about this subject
http://www.chinook-helicopter.com/maintenance/issues/cleaners/cleaners.html



Moral of the story ...


1) regardless the type / brand of degreaser you choose, don't let it dry on the surface of the parts.

2) regardless the type / brand of degreaser, rinse off completely.

Pretty simple, isn't it?

In order to follow 1 & 2,

3)use small amount of degreaser

4)Don't try to wash the entire bike at once,wash small section, rinse, then move onto next section.

5)Don't wash the bike in direct sunlight , don't wash when the surface of the parts is hot. Don't try to wash right after you come back from ride.


There are some people saying dishwashing soap or laundry detergent works (and some say those will ruin the clear coat , so don't use ...) , I don't see any point in trying to wash the motorcycle with Tide.
Some people insist to say it's okay to use regular car oil in motorcycle. I think this is the same kind of mentality. Either they are believing all "motorcycle specified" products out there are marketing hype and trying to refuse to pay any extra money for it, or they just have to make everything in life harder than it has to be.

SG_ext__zpsc6b8ea77.jpg


This is extracted from this, which I wrote some years back.

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=61782.0
 
I have never had a problem with simple green original on any surface, but I don't leave it on there.
Royal purple and other brands of purple cleaner I have found to be stronger at removing grease and oils but can also haze clearcoats and powder coats on engines (air cool ducati engines for example)

And a big NO to WIRE brushes, use only nylon

What kind of bike/engine are you cleaning?
To be honest I have used wire brushes on old air cooled hondas cooling fins that were oxidized.
 
Last edited:
Gunk foamy engine degreaser and a stiff brush for the heavy buildup.
 
Abacinator said:
Gunk foamy engine degreaser and a stiff brush for the heavy buildup.
Click to expand...

^^. This on cold engine. My Ducati did not like to be even a little warm and washed. Paint on right side of engine has some weirdness to it now. Almost like it bubbled up. It’ll also leave light marks if you use it on a warm/hot engine.
 
Wire brush??!! That's sure to screw the finishes up.

A nylon brush and S100. Otherwise you risk ruining the finish.
 
Kerosene in a spray bottle with a tooth brush if it is heavily gunked up. Don't do it in the garage next to the water heater.
 
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