Author Topic: shining her up? (Read 4088 times)

mythos · **on:** February 14, 2009, 01:48:50 am

what do you use to shine up your engine? just regular stove & iron polish?

dogbone · **Reply #1 on:** February 14, 2009, 03:13:13 pm

elbow grease

on the aluminum, simichrome
on the jug, high heat semi gloss enamel

Chasfield · **Reply #2 on:** February 14, 2009, 04:34:02 pm

Solvol Autosol is great for shining up primary, gearbox and timing covers. It will also polish chrome up brilliantly, but since it has an abrasive action, you shouldn't use it frequently on plated parts.

Flyfifer · **Reply #3 on:** February 14, 2009, 06:19:01 pm

Autosol for me and plenty elbow grease.

mythos · **Reply #4 on:** February 14, 2009, 06:33:29 pm

well what i mean here is the actual engine. how do i clean in between them fins?

Cabo Cruz · **Reply #5 on:** February 14, 2009, 11:10:28 pm

A rag sprayed with WD-40.

Kruiser · **Reply #6 on:** February 15, 2009, 12:12:33 am

Quote from: Cabo Cruz on February 14, 2009, 11:10:28 pm

A rag sprayed with WD-40.

That's what I use too. Seems to work pretty good.

Sag Harbor~Bullet · **Reply #7 on:** February 15, 2009, 12:41:20 am

Ditto on the oil rub down.

Glad to know I'm not nuts.

It works great.

Chasfield · **Reply #8 on:** February 15, 2009, 07:57:03 am

WD40 is good on black engine paint. I had a wee Honda around 1980, with the engine finished in black from top to bottom. That always shined up nicely with WD40.

Cabo Cruz · **Reply #9 on:** February 15, 2009, 10:45:40 am

"WD40 is good on black engine paint. I had a wee Honda around 1980, with the engine finished in black from top to bottom. That always shined up nicely with WD40." Chasfield

Amen, Brother Chas!

deejay · **Reply #10 on:** February 15, 2009, 01:01:31 pm

the oil from my head gasket leak keeps the barrel nice and shiny.

redcat · **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2009, 01:37:25 pm

Somebody on here recommended using WD 40 on everything. I was sceptical at first but after I tried it, I was sold. It is easy to do and the bike cleans up great. Just be sure you lay the used rags out flat or hang them on a hook.

Cabo Cruz · **Reply #12 on:** February 15, 2009, 04:26:05 pm

Brother Cat, it was yours truly who initiated the WD-40 gig! I am glad you're getting those WD-40 satisfactory results!

redcat · **Reply #13 on:** February 15, 2009, 08:28:01 pm

Thanx Cabo, It really is cool,the way it shines up the bike. I think it helps to for the winter rides also keeping the fenders from dissolving like fizzies with all the road salt up here in Massachusetts.

Cabo Cruz · **Reply #14 on:** February 15, 2009, 10:58:01 pm

Amen, Brother Cat. In addition, I never use soap and water to wash my bike. I do this with, you guessed it, WD-40 to keep the rust off the old girl!!!

luoma · **Reply #15 on:** February 15, 2009, 11:03:33 pm

One thing I have had good luck with is Simple Green. It is a concentrated cleaner that comes in a spray bottle. I spray some water on the bike, spritz it with Simple Green, wait about 15 minutes, then rinse. Even the engine cases come out shiney. It is also a good degreaser.

stnewbie · **Reply #16 on:** February 16, 2009, 12:56:14 am

Quote from: Cabo Cruz on February 15, 2009, 10:58:01 pm

Amen, Brother Cat. In addition, I never use soap and water to wash my bike. I do this with, you guessed it, WD-40 to keep the rust off the old girl!!!

Cabo,

You sayin you use wd40 on your paint?! And it's okay?! I tried it on the metal parts after reading this thread and it really does clean and shine very well. An old sock doubled over works like dental floss through the fins.

Cabo Cruz · **Reply #17 on:** February 16, 2009, 04:33:26 am

Yes, I use WD-40 on the entire bike. I do a section at a time. For example, I do the front fender and wipe off all the WD-40 before moving to, say, the tank and I repeat the process -- clean and wipe off the tank. And, so on, and so on...

Ofcalipka · **Reply #18 on:** February 16, 2009, 06:43:44 am

I just cleaned mine for a motorcycle show she is entered in this coming Saturday.

1) Spray engine, rims, and drive chain with Simple Green wait a few minutes then go back and forth with an old toothbrush and a couple of rags to clean the chain and engine/trans as much as possible. Every inch of it too underside, backside under the coil just everything. Then I use Westleys Bleche-white on the tires scrubbing them lightly with a plastic bristle scrub brush. Then hose the whole thing down and wash the bike with car wash soap and dry it as much as possible with a shammi (Don't get the hand controls wet from the hose or soap water while doing this. Then I immediately re-lube the chain with Motul chain lube after drying the bike.

2) Use Mother's Mag/aluminium polish on all polished aluminium bits until I achieve a chrome like finish, I even do this to the carb. Yes it will shine like chrome if you polish it long enough.

3) I use the chain oil on the cooling fins of the block as well because it lasts a lot longer than WD-40 does. But don't spray it on to thick just enough to keep a coat of oil there to stop corrosion. I use a very small amount of WD-40 on my lock cylinders for the key so they don't rust up on the inside.

4) Spay 100% silicone spray on all exposed wiring harness' and other rubber bits then rub it in to clean the rubber. I also use this on the black plastic hand controls to clean them and keep them looking fresh.

5) Maguiars chrome polish on the chrome bits. If I see pitting starting I also use a SOS scrubbing pad before I use the polish. Make sure you clean each spoke individually and watch out for the polish to clump up where they cross each other.

6) Turtle Wax polishing compound then Zymoil liquid car wax for the painted surfaces

7) Saddle soap to clean the leather

Once I'm done polishing everything I take a slightly damp microfiber cloth and wipe everything down then wipe it again with a dry microfiber cloth. This usually gets rid of any polish you may have missed and leaves your bike with a brilliant shine.

That's about it. Usually a 6 pack of your favorite beer and a good radio make this a pretty nice way to spend a day. I know it's a bit much but this is how I give it a show shine. Normal cleaning is the same just not as thourough.

clamp · **Reply #19 on:** February 16, 2009, 01:21:49 pm

Yup WD 40 or any old oil. Yup I even wipe it down with cooking oil after spraying it with one of those cheap spray bottles. I usually use this if im leaving it for a while. Tends to attract dust but no rust.

Then wash off with washing up liquid and a toilet brush for the spokes. Then WD again,--or ATF or diesel or Automatic tranmission fluid !!!

ATF is a high detergent oil it will clean your hands up great.

Oh by the way the cooking oil is cholesterol free I don't want her putting on weight.

The original method was paraffin. My dad tought me to polish my bike with paraffin, great stuff.

redcat · **Reply #20 on:** February 16, 2009, 01:55:51 pm

Hey Clamp, did you melt the paraffin or just rub it on in solid form?

bob bezin · **Reply #21 on:** February 16, 2009, 03:25:17 pm

i think paraffin means two different things in british and american.

redcat · **Reply #22 on:** February 16, 2009, 03:50:01 pm

You might be right about that, Bob although there is an Army Surplus store near here that sells chunks of white paraffin, which I assume is akin to candle wax.

The Garbone · **Reply #23 on:** February 16, 2009, 04:01:51 pm

note to self: buy some WD-40

clamp · **Reply #24 on:** February 17, 2009, 01:22:56 am

I have heard of paraffin wax ,but to me it is a blue clean heating fluid that a lot of people used to heat with. It stunk the house out and it was available at vending machines around the country or a the back of petrol stations.

I would be poor persons way of heating.

I remember the Ad on TV,---- bum bum bum Esso blue.

I suppose solid wax would be great.

Ofcalipka · **Reply #25 on:** February 17, 2009, 02:34:43 am

bob bezin · **Reply #26 on:** February 17, 2009, 02:18:01 pm

could parriffin be what we call kerosein?

Slarsonroy · **Reply #27 on:** February 18, 2009, 12:31:46 am

Parrafin is the same as Kerosene.

I use diesel fuel for parts cleaning, especially road grime and oil grease/oil. Its pretty stinky though and stays with you for a couple days if you get it on you.

WD40 for shining up.

clamp · **Reply #28 on:** February 18, 2009, 01:01:06 am

If your really have to,-- diesel can be used as a mosquito repelant. Yup stinky stuff but you get used to it.

ace.cafe · **Reply #29 on:** February 18, 2009, 01:06:21 am

In the US, paraffin is typically called Kerosene.

Author Topic: shining her up? (Read 4088 times)

deejay