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Cleaning the engine, transmission and final drive

LesCriess
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2021 1:26 pm

Re: Cleaning the engine, transmission and final drive

Post by LesCriess »

Toolman, NICE work!
SW Washington Coast, another half mile West & you're wet!
'73 R75/5, SWB, '76 'Wing, '49 Willys truck

Jim D 5112
Posts: 200
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:00 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: Cleaning the engine, transmission and final drive

Post by Jim D 5112 »

Your cases look fine but............. I know of at least two guys that tried to seal the cases really well and they both had to take the motor apart because of abrasive material that got into the motor. I have two blast cabinets with different abrasive material in them. I would not blast any unit that is still together no matter how well it is sealed. I have been working on motorcycles in my leisure time for over 50 years. I just want to advise anyone thinking about doing it to precede with caution.
Hand cleaning may take longer but I think that the results are closer to the original finish and easier to maintain. But in the end, it is your motor and your decision to make.

toolmandoug
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 2:38 pm
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Re: Cleaning the engine, transmission and final drive

Post by toolmandoug »

“Your cases look fine but............. I know of at least two guys that tried to seal the cases really well and they both had to take the motor apart because of abrasive material that got into the motor.”
I agree with you on the dangers of of the abrasive materials getting inside the engine. But I also figured if I did a perfect mock up of an assembled engine the risk would be no different than riding in mud and washing off with high pressure water. Preparation is key. The bare block was washed in a solvent tank and blown dry. I reasoned block off plates would work better to close off large open areas. Installed oil pan. Gray tape really holds up well in small openings. My air pressure for blasting was relatively low. Tried to use common sense while blasting. Vacuumed the case before and while removing plates and tape. Blew out oil passages with air. I found no evidence of contamination inside the engine block. I agree with you that anyone who goes this route to proceed with caution. Prep work is very very tedious, but I enjoy that part also. I have read that some have the cases vapor blasted with lots of time washing internal oil passages afterwards. That seemed like more of a risk to me. I truly enjoy learning and reading about how others have their own cleaning techniques. My method may work for some. Maybe more new idea's from my way.
Doug

Jim D 5112
Posts: 200
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:00 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: Cleaning the engine, transmission and final drive

Post by Jim D 5112 »

It sounds to me that you have covered your bases well when cleaning the cases. I think that you have went well beyond what a lot of guys would do. Sounds like something I would do error on the side of caution. I thought using the rubber gasket was a great idea too. The guys that I mentioned never even took the crank out until later. When they heard the grinding of the glass beads in it. I also agree that vapor blasting dose a great job but can leave abrasive behind. I have used both plastic media and walnut shells in my one cabinet. Both leave a smoother surface like the original but do not clean the stains as well.

Dover Rider
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2021 11:52 pm
Location: Port Townsend WA
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Re: Cleaning the engine, transmission and final drive

Post by Dover Rider »

I have had good success with aluminum mag wheel cleaner and a wire brush for most grime on r90. metal should be warm and dont let the cleaner dry. Short of vaporblast it works pretty well

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srankin
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:45 pm
Location: Spencerport, NY USA
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Re: Cleaning the engine, transmission and final drive

Post by srankin »

I mentioned my soda blasting nightmare. I thought I had sealed things up good and tight and was careful where I blasted. Wrong! When I went to reassemble, I found soda in places it should not have been and to make maters worse, turned gummy and was nearly impossible to flush out. The result was a complete disassembly of the engine down to bare block, a LOT of flushing to get the danged stuff out. NEVER again will I media blast anything that has not been take down to bare parts.

Glass bead is a bit easier to flush out as it doesn't gum up like soda did however, I can't imagine what a bunch of beads floating in my oil would do if not removed, the soda would be bad enough.

Anyway, that is my tale and now, I use chemical cleaners only. Brook Reams is doing a R80ST renovation and documented his cleaning methods, They look amazingly good, but then they should as they require effort on his part to get there.
St.
Owner of a 84, R80RT and 78, R100RS

halen66
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2022 1:40 am

Re: Cleaning the engine, transmission and final drive: Simple Green BBQ Cleaner

Post by halen66 »

kirkpatrick3890 wrote:
Thu Oct 22, 2020 12:23 pm
I have had great success cleaning alloy parts using
Simple Green Heavy Duty Barbecue & Grill Cleaner. It's in an aerosol can.

Don't let it sit for long, rinse it off with water, and use it on cool parts.
You are right,, I also used this product to clean mold off of my garage door and backyard wood patio. I did an exterior brick wall. I recommend spraying and let it work for about 10 minutes - wall was in the shade so no concerns with sun induced drying.

Start pressure washing from the bottom up as this allows the product to keep working on the mildew/grime. Having done this in the past with just the pressure washer, this was a night and day difference - cut the time in 1/2 easily.

kevindr
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri May 20, 2022 2:17 pm

Re: Cleaning the engine, transmission and final drive

Post by kevindr »

I degreased everything first. bought an assortment of soft brass wire brushes that I could chuck into my cordless. Dipped the brush in muthers mag aluminum cleaner and went right at it. Use a variable speed cordless, starting slow, so you dont throw the stuff all over the place. Wiped it off with a blue shop disposable then did it a second time. After the second, I sprayed brake cleaner on the disposable and wiped clean. worked great.

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