Cleaning Base Gasket - debris in engine

I am ready to start reassembly of my motor and was wondering if anyone has any good tips for cleaning the base gasket sealing surface and how to keep the debris out of the bottom end. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Post edited by: 79MKII, at: 2006/08/05 23:35

I think you can keep most of it out, but some always seems to find it's way in, at least that's what always happens to me.

I do my best to keep it out, then flush the case with kerosene.

It's probably nothing you haven't thought of already, but I usually just wrap clean shop rags around the connecting rods blocking all entry to the cases. When I'm done, carefully pull out each one to minimize what falls into the cases (but a little bit always seems to, like steell said).

I was thinking of rags, but I figured I'd dump most of the debris into the cases when I remove them. It would be great if there were little round plastic plugs that stayed flush with the case top and had a rubber center that stretched over the rod end. Then it could be vacuumed before removing the plugs. That what I see in my crazy head anyway :side:

Steell - when you flush the cases with kerosene, do you have the oil pan off? I have thought about trying to clean them out afterward but I'm not sure how it would work.

By the way, how bad is that gasket material for the engine? I'd hate to have anything in there, but maybe it really wouldn't hurt that bad??

I don't know about the 1000's, but on the 750 twins and fours it's really difficult to get all the kerosene out without removing the oil pan, some stays trapped.

I noticed this the first time I drained the oil and removed the filter and laid the motor on it's side, another 1/2 quart of oil drained out