Cleaning engine fins and cases.

For cleaning the fins what about Eagle One mag wheel cleaner? I've never tried it but it's tough stuff. Should clean it very well.

There's quite a lot of useful info in the archives about this, and over a year ago ltdrider posted a thread about an eraser like cleaning tool which reaches right in to the tight spots between the fins for cleaning them out. I haven't tried it but it seemed like a great idea.
kzrider.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=20351

I have Dupli color high heat ceramic on a lot of my engine surfaces. It is well cured after a season of riding. When cleaning between the fins this spring I was using Castrol degreaser, the kind in the lever/hand pump dispenser. It was eating off the paint. I finnished off with Gunk engine degreaser and didn't experience the same issue. However, I didn't let the Gunk sit on there very long and cleaned it off with a wet rag. It states that the Gunk can streak paint if left on too long also.

Post edited by: KZ_Rage, at: 2006/05/16 11:53

wireman wrote:

kx_125_pilot wrote:

ltdrider wrote:

The fins and engine case are cast aluminum, so they'll never shine like chrome, but you can brighten them up alot.

I thought the cases were magnesium

ive seen a lot of older dirtbikes with magnesium cases,but 900-1000 cases have always been aluminum as far as i know.

ah, I stand corrected:lol:

KZ_Rage wrote:

ltdrider wrote:

The fins and engine case are cast aluminum, so they'll never shine like chrome, but you can brighten them up alot.

You can get real close to chrome finish with buffer wheels and compounds. I will take some shots of the cast aluminum stator side cover that I'm polishing on the wifes Honda Rebel. It looks as near to chrome as you can get with aluminum.

I had to "fix" some gouges in the surface from when the bike was dropped. So I'll show you the before and after shots.

Yeah I have a friend who just finishing polishing the frame on his 'Busa. It's pretty close to the chrome parts he has on it I'll say that. Lot's of wet sanding with staged grits then a final hit with a polishing wheel and some compounds. I plan on doing the same to my 650 aluminum parts when I get the bike road worthy.

Can an engine be "too shiney"?
I like a clean engine, I'll admit, but that's because clean runs cooler (that's my story, I'm sticking to it). My aim was to get it looking like it looked when it was new. Once it's clean, it's pretty easy to keep it that way. Polished aluminum is harder to keep up with... it oxidizes pretty fast.

Where the fins are, wouldn't it be better if it is not polished smooth? The idea is to dissapate heat. An extremely smooth surface does not dissapate as well as a slightly course one.

hows this? I think it looks awesome....

lets see if this will work...

Indeed. That does look good.

kx_125_pilot wrote:

hows this? I think it looks awesome....

KX- that is an incredible shine you've got there. I can even see a reflection of your feet. Any guess as to how many hours you have spent on the bike? You should post a photo of the whole bike too. I would be afraid to ride that around here unless I had vaccumed the road first!