cleaning up an old motor...

Its actually not for a Acty or a minitruck, but for its a honda anyway...
Its a motor from a 2001 Honda 350 Rancher, I'm using it to power a custom project, but its been mud covered and snow drenched since new, so now its dirty and stained. I'm trying to get the thing looking brand new, i was thinking of taking emery cloth (extra fine) to it, but because its air cooled, the fins would be near impossible to clean and it would take a million years to have it look good. Everyone is telling me that I should use a engine de-greaser, buts its not really grease that is on the motor, more than just dirt/grime stained. The engine is aluminum I think, perhaps there is an aluminum stripper I could get that would strip off the dirt and expose bare aluminum again...? I was also thinking of bead blasting it, but the motor is complete, and i've heard that blasting it can damage the engine gaskets in a quick hurry...maybe I can get some larget sized beads?
Keep in mind, the engine is sitting on my workbench, but it is full and complete, I have not and am not planning on taking it apart because it runs perfect...I want to make sure that anything I do to beautify it, will not damage it or any gaskets. Any advice would be greatly apprecaited!
Thanks,
-mark

 

i've run into this problem on the harleys, the aluminum ones get oxidized and that's that. if you were rebuilding it i would say sand blast it and clean it up. but i wouldn't take the chance even with a real soft media.

 

Scrub it down with some degreaser to get the nasty spots off, then hit it with a steam cleaner.

 

Try the acid that truckers use on their alum wheels and truck sides. Works great on my alum truck wheels. ray allen

 

While chemicals may remove most or all of the dirt & grease, I find blasting to be the best for removing scale & oxidation. There are a number of non-abrasive medias available that you can use without fear of hurting the motor. Walnut shell, baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate), corn cob, and plastic are among them. You can find these by using "Google" and entering non-abrasive blast media. There are MANY shops that will do this at very reasonable price and save you the trouble. All you have to do is tape up the openings prior to taking it in (or you can have them do it). The motor will look brand new when done.

Terry

 

Trucker's Polish

Most Honda m/c engines are painted a silver color. I have had excellent results using Dupli-Color Truck and Van paint from Advance Auto and AutoZone. It is lauquer based and wears well. I would use a High-Temp black paing on the jug (head). For the main engine portion I would scuff it down with a ScotchBrite pad and then spay on the silver in light coats. This paint flows out and blends well with little or no overspray.

Here is a Truckers Polish that I ordered off the internet, think it was 4 bucks for the recipe. Anyway, I made up a batch and it does work very well.

HOMEMADE POLISH RECIPE

Ingredients needed are:

1 LARGE POLISHING COMPOUND BAR (approx 3lbs 10" long) Grey bar for Stainless Steel and other hard metals(not aluminum) Red bar for severly tarnished aluminum . GREEN BAR for aluminum that has some oxidation but fairly decent finish. WHITE BAR for aluminum that is not tarnished to badly. BLUE BAR for aluminum, stainless steel or brass that has a nice finish to start with but want to get that mirror look (this color harder to find but is my favorite) For dull stainless steel, try the black bar.These compound bars are available at bigger truck stops,truck dealers,chrome shops and even online. For better description of the different color bricks, check out CASWELLPLATING.COM. These are approx $6-$7 ea
1 gallon of mineral spirits (1st choice) or paint thinner Available at most hardware stores or Walmart for aprox $5
(optional) 1 small bottle of household ammonia. Available most stores for under $1
1 small bottle of Japan dryer( available for about $3 at most paint stores, Fleetfarm, Menards,etc)


Large metal pot with lid that will hold at least 1 gallon and stir stick

Directions:
PLEASE DO THIS OUTDOORS OR IN WELL VENTILATED AREA!!!

Pour about 3 quarts of mineral spirits or thinner in large pot. Wrap compound in a rag and break up with a hammer . Unwrap and dump contents into pot. Using a camp stove, hotplate, or side burner on your barbeque, slowly heat mixture till steaming but not boiling. If using flammable thinner be carefull of flare up in which case place lid on quickly . I have not had this happen but it could if care is not taken. Stir continuously till compound has melted and no lumps are present on stir stick. Should take about 20 minutes to melt down. Allow to cool overnight. You will notice that the compound has settled to the bottom. Add approx 4 or 5 ounces of Japan Dryer. This makes the polish dry quickly and easier to buff off. At this point you can use the polish. I use a bit of ammonia in mine to thicken up the polish and it also makes the polish less abrasive but if you want to polish very neglected items, leave ammonia out. If you find that the polish is too thin, allow to settle and pour off some of the thinner. If too thick, add more thinner. I pour mine into a bottle and adjust it after it settles so that it is about 50% thinner/50% compound. If you want to make it like the store bought kinds, add lots of thinner till it is about 25% compound and the rest mineral spirits. If you like paste polish like Wenol, pour off most of the thinner. Also if you want a more abrasive polish, omit the ammonia as it makes the polish softer. Experimenting with the amounts of each ingredient is the key. You can adjust it later to your liking by adding or subtracting some thinner. There is no way of going wrong and spoiling it.
If you are going to polish some old rims or tanks that have never seen polish before and are very rough, take some super fine emery cloth to them first or use an acid wash to remove some tarnish and brighten the aluminum. Try a small area first. I would then suggest using the green polish. as it is a bit more abrasive than the other colors. Pour some polish on a terry towel rag and rub the item you are polishing. Black sludge will appear. Keep rubbing and add some thinner to the rag if it seems to dry. After rubbing, allow to haze over and wipe with a dry cloth till the shine comes through. The white polish is not as abrasive and does not bite into the aluminum as hard but leaves a nicer finish. The blue or purple is my favorite. Once you have gotten a nice shine with the others, the purple/blue polish takes off any swirl marks and leaves a mirror finish. It has no cutting action and is meant for previous polished surfaces including stainless steel or brass. I even use on paint as a rubbing compound. After you are done polishing, applying a bit of TEFLON car wax will make the shine last much longer. Dupont Teflon Polish is quite cheap to buy at Walmart for approx $4.50 Aluminum is porous and tarnishes easily but this will help.
CAUTION please when making or using this polish. Probably not a good idea to breathe vapors or make indoors. Should wear gloves when making or using this stuff. Your wife may want to beat you for using her pot because it will never be fit for food again. Although it is safe to make or use this stuff if care is taken, I take no responsibility for any accidents, spills, fires, divorces,etc.
I am quite sure that you will never consider buying store bought polish again! Good Luck!

 

Tape off all openings you dont want anything in with duct tape .

Soak it in Engine Degreaser.

Soak it again .

Put in back of truck and take to nearest car wash. Soap / wash entire motor getting down between the fins.

Blow dry with air compressor.

Wipe down with rag soaked in mineral spirits or paint thinner.

Let dry.

Paint it "Black Wrinkle"... 1 can should do it.

Thats what I did on my 70's Hardtail Honda CB 750 Chopper motor.

Worked great.

Looks brand new.

.........my 2 cents..............