Engine Deep Clean- Add your two cents.

[jadeasker]

Hey Fellas,
I have got some really good ideas from ya'll on cleaning the exterior of the engine with the engine in place. But I have a different situation. I have removed my dirty engine from the frame and have started pulling the cylinder heads and other parts. I plan using some degreaser to knock off the big chunks along with my buddies solvent booth for a good deep clean. In the process of pulling the heads, I have noticed some dirt has fallen into the crankcase opening. OOPS. Is there a way to flush that stuff out? Do I use engine oil? Or is there any substitutes to that? Also, I want to clean some gunk off the exterior crankcase. I have access to a great high-powered pressure washer- do I dare spray the crankcase with the heads off and the crankcase exposed?

The final idea is to paint the entire engine black and do a super good clean with new gaskets.
Wish me luck.

Any advice is welcome. I really enjoy hearing what you guys have to say.
Thanks

 

[Texas Don]

I'm pretty much at the same place as you. I decided in for a penny, in for a pound. The head, cylinders and all of the associated parts cleaned up just like factory new. In my case, I used bead blasting first, then into a solvent booth. For the crankcases, I don't really see an option other than splitting them and cleaning them thoroughly inside and out. It's the only way that I can assure myself that the cases are completely free of grime on the outside and foreign matter on the inside. I have put in way too much work getting to this point to wimp out on splitting the cases. You don't want to have to redo it later, perhaps with the addition of very expensive parts do you?

 

[ddaniels]

Seems like an awful lot of work, time and trouble just to clean.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Hind sight is 20/20 but you should have cleaned it before taking it apart. Now that you have grime fallen into the crankcase I am at a loss for many options. If you have a solvent tank you could remove the drain plug and put the fluid in the top and let it wash for a long time. I do not know enough on the internals of these bikes yet, but on my GL1100 the clutch is lubricated with the engine oil and any other type of lube / solvent is not good on the friction plates. But on these the clutch has it's own oil so this may not be an issue... right?

 

[Adler]

Hind sight is 20/20 but you should have cleaned it before taking it apart. Now that you have grime fallen into the crankcase I am at a loss for many options. If you have a solvent tank you could remove the drain plug and put the fluid in the top and let it wash for a long time. I do not know enough on the internals of these bikes yet, but on my GL1100 the clutch is lubricated with the engine oil and any other type of lube / solvent is not good on the friction plates. But on these the clutch has it's own oil so this may not be an issue... right?

I think this is not true...

 

[jadeasker]

I agree with Hoosier, cleaning the exterior BEFORE teardown is a good idea. The engine was too heavy for me to move to the solvent booth so I decided to take it apart for easier cleaning. I think I will use the solvent booth and then air compressor for a quick and complete dry. Hopefully I can get some of that dirt to flush out of the crank opening. I will keep you updated. Any more advice welcome. Thanks!

 

[lti_57]

Hey Fellas,
I have got some really good ideas from ya'll on cleaning the exterior of the engine with the engine in place. But I have a different situation. I have removed my dirty engine from the frame and have started pulling the cylinder heads and other parts. I plan using some degreaser to knock off the big chunks along with my buddies solvent booth for a good deep clean. In the process of pulling the heads, I have noticed some dirt has fallen into the crankcase opening. OOPS. Is there a way to flush that stuff out? Do I use engine oil? Or is there any substitutes to that? Also, I want to clean some gunk off the exterior crankcase. I have access to a great high-powered pressure washer- do I dare spray the crankcase with the heads off and the crankcase exposed?

The final idea is to paint the entire engine black and do a super good clean with new gaskets.
Wish me luck.

Any advice is welcome. I really enjoy hearing what you guys have to say.
Thanks

My Opinion is split the case really not all that hard to do.
get some yamabond #5 or Honda equivalent.
once all the bolts are out turn it upside down a coffee can work good to prop the ass end up of the motor and carefully split the case
now you can see what dirt is in your motor all the important stuff stays in the case
In order to do this you need to pull the clutch basket and oil pump .
ect ect.
I know I bought my 850 with the heads off.
So I went ahead and split the cases might add a day to your efforts.
Also the clutch does run in engine oil
if you have a shafty the bevel gears for the drive units in the motor run in its own fluid gear Lube

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

I think this is not true...

Ya see, that's exactly why I ended it with "...right? ". I am not sure at this new found engine.
Consulting the service manual for my TSCC I agree, but when I look my engine I drained the oil from the bottom plug at the center of the oil pan.
Then I saw another drain plug on the right side, the same as the sight glass and the clutch plates that is directly under the igniton cpick-ups. When I removed that plug more oil drained out. I assumed it was two sepperate systems.
Sorry to muddy the waters.