So how the heck do YOU clean your engine in situ?

DoC!

DoC!

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Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire (God's country)
On this forum there have been some great pictures of really clean engine bits recently. Bead blasting, soda cleaning, arc welding, pure elbow grease. Secret concoctions et al. But they are all performed with the engine in pieces.
I don't need to pull mine to pieces just yet, so I was wondering how y'all do it. I remember about 20 years ago reading in LVV how a mixture of Solvol Autosol and I think Ajax or something was the dog's bollocks when applied to the engine with a toothbrush. Results about 1 week later and a few broken nails. Er, no thank you!
So, I haven't given this much thought at all but this is how I am going to do it with what I've got at home.
I'm going to take my 100psi, 7 bar Karcher and use that. Yes, I know it cuts deep grooves in my Indian stone patio if I get too close, but with no alternative what's to do......
I'll take off the tank and wrap the electrics and anything else important with all the cling film Coxy keeps sending me. ::)
I'll buy some sort of chemical cleaner and suck it up with the Karcher inlet pipe to mix with the water. I'll not get to close, but of course I'll do a test bit first that is out of site. I'll start the engine but ensure it does not get too hot and I'll jet quickly over each area, ensuring the jet is generally downwards and does not point directly at any joints, connections or nuts and bolts.
I will be careful and I will start on the least setting before I pump her up and blast the living daylights out of her.
Anyone any objections or hints?
Cheers
Chris
 
Bit of TFR (comercial truckwash) lots of hot water and scrubbing, no "easy" way. Take all the bodywork, exhausts and carbs off and block the holes. If I get a really filthy one in I lay them on their side on a couple of old car tyres so I can realy get in about it. Th truckwash will dull polished alloy cases but they shine up again with a bit of Belgom Alu.


    Keith
 
Try "Muck Off" cleaner very effective spray on a wet engine leave for minutes and if necessary stiff brush before washing off you don`t need high pressure hose .

Regards
Tetley

 
a brush like you'd use to clean the barrel of a firearm works well between the fins of the cylinder.
The truck wash or some gunk cleaner do the trick if soaked in for a few minutes.
 
John B said:
Was wondering about this also - how about a steam cleaner :-\
Click to expand...

In my yoof I was standing out the back of a local shop watching a visiting racer steam clean his Manx - as you do...
The shop foreman passing by admonished me never to do this as it caused problems with condensation inside the motor.
 
GregT said:
John B said:
Was wondering about this also - how about a steam cleaner :-\
Click to expand...

In my yoof I was standing out the back of a local shop watching a visiting racer steam clean his Manx - as you do...
The shop foreman passing by admonished me never to do this as it caused problems with condensation inside the motor.
Click to expand...

shirley only a problem if you then leave it to sit for a while, I would of thought if it was taken for a run and got pretty hot that would clear any condensation ?
 
There was a video linked in this forum where some cleaned the bike with WD 40 and a brush, afterwards with some brake cleaner spray. I tried that and it really works great!! Thinking it through, it makes a lot of sense: most dirt on the bike is oil- or grease based. This mixes best with something on a similar base, like diesel, oil or spray- Oil like WD 40. Try it, you will be surprised how good it works. I was... ;)
 
D1DRL said:
I'm going to take my 100psi, 7 bar Karcher and use that. Yes, I know it cuts deep grooves in my Indian stone patio if I get too close, but with no alternative what's to do......
I'll take off the tank and wrap the electrics and anything else important with all the cling film Coxy keeps sending me. ::)
I'll buy some sort of chemical cleaner and suck it up with the Karcher inlet pipe to mix with the water. I'll not get to close, but of course I'll do a test bit first that is out of site. I'll start the engine but ensure it does not get too hot and I'll jet quickly over each area, ensuring the jet is generally downwards and does not point directly at any joints, connections or nuts and bolts.
I will be careful and I will start on the least setting before I pump her up and blast the living daylights out of her.
Anyone any objections or hints?
Cheers
Chris
Click to expand...

Hi Chris and all

Cleaning with your K?rcher is not a problem, especially with your idea to protect the electric parts (and do not forget carburettors) with the clingfilm.

But, do not put your chemical cleaner in the pipe of K?rcher, and especially not on a warm engine, a chemical cleaner must not dry

It is necessary to mix your chemical cleaner with some water and to put this solution in a typical atomizer atomizer of garden or domestic atomizer

You pulverize abundantly your parts to be cleaned, and rinse with your K?rcher, without insisting on the fragile parts (it is possible to put warm water (about 30/35 ?) by the K?rcher, it's a good help)

You can practise a cleaning of the engine in this way with no problem at all. The only attention which it is necessary to have, is the quality of the chemical cleaner. Neither too acid nor too alkaline
 
Laverdalothar said:
There was a video linked in this forum where some cleaned the bike with WD 40 and a brush, afterwards with some brake cleaner spray. I tried that and it really works great!! Thinking it through, it makes a lot of sense: most dirt on the bike is oil- or grease based. This mixes best with something on a similar base, like diesel, oil or spray- Oil like WD 40. Try it, you will be surprised how good it works. I was... ;)
Click to expand...

True Lothar,I always wipe off the chain oil off my rims with WD40 and a cloth.Quick and clean

LJ
 
John B said:
Was wondering about this also - how about a steam cleaner :-\
Click to expand...

Last week I was on a major exhibition of the piece and automotive equipment, and we received our stand a guy from Montreal who also sells steam devices on Canadian territory

(made in Korea) http://www.sjecorp.com/system/usMainpage


We discussed it, and we agree to say that the process is interesting. But the main argument of this system is that the water consumption is small.

It is anyway necessary to spend a blow of microfiber on the parts to be cleaned as carosserie (bodywork ?), with risk of microstripes (microscratches?).

I have not tried this type of system on engines yet, but I think that that has a potential of interesting result.

Nevertheless, the classic system of high-pressure wash remains in my opinion the best

 
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