What to use to clean a motor?

[Jmoozy27]

My current build requires a new top end so while it is apart I would like to clean and polish the head and cylinder. It is full of caked and cooked mud from the PO. I have soaked it in diesel fuel (coonass remedy to everything) which helped somewhat I would like to have it back to shiny cast. Any advice would be much appreciated. The motor is off of an 88 200sx quad if that helps. Thanks.

[SUPERBEAST]

i like simple green

[YamaBoss]

Simple green ^

[Jmoozy27]

Thanks, I have plenty of different solvents and chemicals at my disposal. I picked up a few wire brush attachments at a local hardware store. It working pretty good. I will see if it will be enough to get it back to near original shine.

[El Camexican]

Did these parts not come with a coat of aluminum paint from the factory? If so the only way to get them looking new would be with a fresh coat after an impeccable cleaning.

[Dave8338]

Did these parts not come with a coat of aluminum paint from the factory? If so the only way to get them looking new would be with a fresh coat after an impeccable cleaning.

Yes they did. Matching that paint is VERY difficult. Most of the silvers are too bright/shiny and don't look "correct".

[Jmoozy27]

I'm not sure what Honda did at the factory but I do know the previous owner baked a fresh coat of Louisiana bayou mud on it and I assume that is why I'm rebuilding this thing instead of just swapping into the freshly painted 2nd gen X frame hanging in the shop. How do you guys get the crud out of the cooling fins?

[86125m]

sand blasting is the most effective way. were in Louisiana to. The mud gets in everywhere. That and the dirt dobbers like to make nests in those cooling fans.

[Matt O.]

I have found S100 works great to bring the luster back on painted cast engines. It works well on red, black and silver. All you do is spray it on, let it sit for a bit and hand buff the excess off. You can find it at most motorcycle shops.

Matt

[Jmoozy27]

sand blasting is the most effective way. were in Louisiana to. The mud gets in everywhere. That and the dirt dobbers like to make nests in those cooling fans.

Blasting was my next option, I have some access to my uncle's cabinet. There were quite a few dobber nests all over the quad.

[86125m]

Dirt dobbers are the worst I hate those little buggars.

[oscarmayer]

i did a lot of research. i started to sue the "soda" blasting method on all my parts. the cool thing is it is water soluable and so once you finished blasting you jsut rince the parts with water then use an air hose and your rady to assmble. Sand can actually build up and stay itnhe oil passages and later it can work out and into the motor. Bad joo-joo for a motor. So that is why I will only use Soda blasting on parts goign forward. it will also strip paint and some surface rust. (not the big bad pitting stuff that destroys but normal surface is fine).
Hope this helps.

[Jmoozy27]

i did a lot of research. i started to sue the "soda" blasting method on all my parts. the cool thing is it is water soluable and so once you finished blasting you jsut rince the parts with water then use an air hose and your rady to assmble. Sand can actually build up and stay itnhe oil passages and later it can work out and into the motor. Bad joo-joo for a motor. So that is why I will only use Soda blasting on parts goign forward. it will also strip paint and some surface rust. (not the big bad pitting stuff that destroys but normal surface is fine).
Hope this helps.

Are they economical to purchase and own at your home shop?

[oscarmayer]

yea, you jsut get a different nozzel ($8.95 for 10 at harbor frieght) and a 50lb bag of soda from HF is $36
jsut repalce the sand or glass with this and your set.

[Jmoozy27]

Well after a lot of elbow grease and breathing suspended fine particles it looks pretty good. Maybe not quite as shiny as I would like but it should work. Now I cant decide if I should paint it or not. If so what color? I would like to avoid corrosion if possible.