What takes burnt oin oil off of engine?

[jimfj]

I picked up an 82 650L last night. Same old story, needs the carbs cleaned, fork seals and so on.

As I was trailering it home I stopped by the car wash and used the engine degreaser offered there to cut through the first layer of crud. Worked okay except for some really baked on layers of oil on the cooling fins of the engine. I believe the tach drive o ring is shot and it had been slowly leaking over a long time.

I have had great luck with the simple green type cleaners and the car wash stuff. Anyone got a stronger product that won't strip the engine paint and harm everything else? I thought about easy off oven cleaner or even gasoline and a plastic bristle brush but thought I would ask before I ruined something.

thanks

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

I picked up an 82 650L last night. Same old story, needs the carbs cleaned, fork seals and so on.

As I was trailering it home I stopped by the car wash and used the engine degreaser offered there to cut through the first layer of crud. Worked okay except for some really baked on layers of oil on the cooling fins of the engine. I believe the tach drive o ring is shot and it had been slowly leaking over a long time.

I have had great luck with the simple green type cleaners and the car wash stuff. Anyone got a stronger product that won't strip the engine paint and harm everything else? I thought about easy off oven cleaner or even gasoline and a plastic bristle brush but thought I would ask before I ruined something.

thanks

Do not use oven cleaner. Do a spot check for acetone and try it if it does not remove paint in the test area.
Appropriate some finger nail polish remover.

 

[FiremanBob]

In my experience, acetone removes most paint. I use degreaser and a stiff brush. WD40 might help, too.

 

[Flyboy]

Not the most enviromentally friendly or the cheapest way to do it, but I still find good old petrol and a stiff brush hard to beat.