Cleaning the Motor (cast)

[Harvo]

I've had my bike a year now and I have managed to keep it looking pretty good.  The only part I have trouble with is the area around and including the cooling fins.  I think it's cast steel?  Anyway.... after I clean and scrub that area, it still looks brownish / grayish.  It stands out from the rest of the motor.  Does anyone have something effective they use for getting rid of that stain (for lack of a better word) on that part of the motor?

 

Thanks

[MetricMuscle]

I've had my bike a year now and I have managed to keep it looking pretty good.  The only part I have trouble with is the area around and including the cooling fins.  I think it's cast steel?  Anyway.... after I clean and scrub that area, it still looks brownish / grayish.  It stands out from the rest of the motor.  Does anyone have something effective they use for getting rid of that stain (for lack of a better word) on that part of the motor?

 

Thanks

 

The cylinder and head are cast aluminum.

Bare cast aluminum responds well to mild acids.

Simple Green, Purple Power, vinegar etc.

 

I just washed my bike with Dawn liquid dish detergent, turned out great except for the bare aluminum parts on the engine.  Still orangish-brown clay colored.  I'll need to hit it with one of the above and a soft brush to get'er done.

Edited January 1, 2015 by MetricMuscle

[adnohguy]

"Honda Bright" works good for me.

Used to be sold as "S 100" originally.

Also you can use "Easy off" oven cleaner but don't leave it on long because it's very hard on aluminum.

(Yellow can) the "blue can" is milder/easier on aluminum.

[mossman77]

"Soft brush" meaning nylon or other non-metal brush?

[MetricMuscle]

"Soft brush" meaning nylon or other non-metal brush?

Correct.

[ar2stroke]

The cylinder and head are cast aluminum.

Bare cast aluminum responds well to mild acids.

Simple Green, Purple Power, vinegar etc.

 

I just washed my bike with Dawn liquid dish detergent, turned out great except for the bare aluminum parts on the engine.  Still orangish-brown clay colored.  I'll need to hit it with one of the above and a soft brush to get'er done.

Big fan of Dawn soap it is the best!

[Shhhh]

Soda blaster!!

I built one in 15 minutes today, and the results speak for themselves.

The first picture is after scrubbing the part with degreaser and a wire brush, The second is after 10 minutes with my soda blaster. The best part is the baking soda won't hurt anything, and you don't have to use chemicals. I have about 30 dollars wrapped up in making it, much cheaper than a lot of other options.

It works wonders on dirty carbs too

All the parts are from a 96 CR 250 that needed some love.

Edited January 2, 2015 by poldies4

[ar2stroke]

Soda blaster!!

I built one in 15 minutes today, and the results speak for themselves.

The first picture is after scrubbing the part with degreaser and a wire brush, The second is after 10 minutes with my soda blaster. The best part is the baking soda won't hurt anything, and you don't have to use chemicals. I have about 30 dollars wrapped up in making it, much cheaper than a lot of other options.

It works wonders on dirty carbs too

All the parts are from a 96 CR 250 that needed some love.

 

Do you got some details on how you built it.

 

The part looks great after cleaning!

[Shhhh]

Do you got some details on how you built it.

 

The part looks great after cleaning!

Thanks!

It might be easier if I snap a few pics...I'll do that when I get home tonight...

[Shhhh]

Do you got some details on how you built it.

 

The part looks great after cleaning!

It's winter here and I needed to be able to do this in my barn, so I needed to make a box. Normally I would do this outside as it would be easier to see what I was doing, and have an easier time manipulating the parts as I blasted them.

I bought a bin on sale at Menards for around 6 bucks, then adapted it for my needs. There are a lot of videos on youtube that show how to make the gun itself, which was the way I was planning on going until I found a prebuilt sandblaster gun with a hose for 15 bucks. It's a higher tech version of the home made stuff on youtube. The parts to build the gun would have been about 12 bucks so I figured a pre built gun for 15 was a better way to go.

This is the customized bin. The plexi window works ok, not super easy to see through though. I wanted to tape the top of the bin and all the holes going in since the soda goes everywhere. I used self adhesive velcro strips to attatch the plexi so I could pull that off and switch parts instead of removing the tape and redoing it every time. I added some rubber gloves, and taped them as well. I'm going to be assembling a CR 250 motor soon and plan to see how it will do on the cases and cylinder as well.

What I like about the bin is it allows me to reclaim the soda and reuse it. I use a clean 1 gallon paint can for the soda, when its empty I pull the plug on the end of the bin and sift it through an old window screen so it's clean when I run it again. I've recycled the soda 5 times now, and lose about 10% or so each time.

I'm using a pretty standard construction grade air compressor at around 80psi. I also added an inline water/oil filter to keep the air as dry as possible. If your compressor starts blowing a little water it will cake up the soda and not work.

[adnohguy]

Nice tool! I like it! Good job.

[SteveThe Snakes]

I use Dawn and a little Oxy clean when I like em to look new again. Works wonders when they are not already too stained up. Also cleans your finger nails while washing your bike.

[Shhhh]

I use Dawn and a little Oxy clean when I like em to look new again. Works wonders when they are not already too stained up. Also cleans your finger nails while washing your bike.

How much staining will this remove? Is it safe for aluminum?

I haven't tried this yet, but I'm going to in the spring. My cylinder is starting to have a little staining that the dish soap doesn't quite get rid of it. I wasn't planning on pulling it this winter, so no soda blaster on that one.

[SteveThe Snakes]

It doesn't seem to hurt aluminum at all. It just makes everything look new. Try it.

[ar2stroke]

Likin that cleaner you made, that is just plain ole baking soda from the store correct?

[Shhhh]

Likin that cleaner you made, that is just plain ole baking soda from the store correct?

Yep, I bought 15 small boxes at Menards for 50 cents each. They filled the 1 gallon can to the top. Apparently you can get a 50lb bag at Harbor Freight for 40 bucks, but at the rate I'm using it that would have been way to much.

[DR.billZ]

Purple is all you need to know

[teamrude]

Use soda blaster a lot. The Extra large grain at Harbor freight is way to go. Print off 20% coupon and it is great deal. Last longer at lower pressures. When gets beat down to talcum powder size I dump it and since I live in country I use it to kill weeds like blackberries etc

[Shhhh]

Use soda blaster a lot. The Extra large grain at Harbor freight is way to go. Print off 20% coupon and it is great deal. Last longer at lower pressures. When gets beat down to talcum powder size I dump it and since I live in country I use it to kill weeds like blackberries etc

Blackberries are weeds and you kill them? lol...

We eat them around here.

That's good info, never thought about grain size and it getting "softer" the more you use it.

I'll try the Harbor Freight stuff. The CR 250 motor is next on the list of parts to clean and it's dirty!

[teamrude]

Around here they are. I usually pick about 20 gallons a year on property as keep them trimmed for easy picking. The Marion variety here will take over a whold hillside if given a chance