Clean debris from crankcase

[Guest]

I took my head and cylinders off two days ago, and I think a fair amount of the dirt and grime that was around the base of the cylinders fell into the crank case. I'm not positive, but some aluminum shards may have gotten in there as well from where my dad accidentally drilled into the side of the old head. Whats the best way to get this out? I read a thread on here about using Varsol, but I don't know anywhere where I could still get that. I just spent ~ $130 on gaskets and O rings, so I was hoping I wouldn't need any more, but I think i might need to drop the oil pan to get all of this out.

[Nessism]

Dropping the oil pan is a good idea.

As for the crud, I'd try to scoop out as much as you can before any attempt at flushing. Don't rotate the engine either unless absolutely necessary until you remove everything you can see and reach. As for what to use to flush, common stoddard solvent or similar will work. Mineral spirits works well.

[John Park]

I had the same problem only 450 motor when I tore the topend down. Crap gets stuck on the inner studs and falls down when you pull the jug. Not any way to avoid it that I can see. There are two plates down the cam chain tunnel that collect a lot of it, and I've managed to clean that off with q tips and needle nose pliers. Some solvent in a spray bottle works nicely to shower everything off. Then slosh the block around and pull the pan.

There are two big holes near the front of the pan. These are dump wells for the filter chamber for filtered bits to go to die. You might as well clean the crud out of them. They're under full oil pressure which is why the gasket goes over them, and why you shouldn't reuse a pan gasket, unless you feel lucky and it came off really clean. Just because it isn't leaking externally under gravity doesn't mean that it's holding 50 psi internally. Also check the pickup screen. It's hard to resist the idea of just slapping the pan back on with some RTV, but any excess will have a direct trip to the screen.

I think that it's good practice after a teardown to spin the motor with the plugs out [and grounded!] until the oil light goes out before giving it gas and spark. There's a lot of cavity in there to fill before you get oil all the way to the top.

[chuck hahn]

Drop the pan and set the engine on a 5 gallon bucket and brace it or lean it against a wall for stability reasons. Get a few gallons of diesel fuel and pour it down each of the holes for the con rods. it will flush the crud right out the bottom and into the bucket. Then pour a quart or two of reasonably cheap new oil all over the crank and this will slick the bearings and crank up again...and flush more crap out the bottom.

[tkent02]

I had the same problem only 450 motor when I tore the topend down. Crap gets stuck on the inner studs and falls down when you pull the jug. Not any way to avoid it that I can see.

What I do it turn the engine over onto it's front when the cylinders come off. All of the crap between the studs will fall out the front instead of going down into the cases. Takes a little creativity and an assistant to stand the engine on its front and still be able to pull the cylinders but it's worth the effort.

But yeah this time do what Chuck says.

[tkent02]

I'm not positive, but some aluminum shards may have gotten in there as well from where my dad accidentally drilled into the side of the old head.

I'd be interested in hearing the rest of this story.

[John Park]

What I do it turn the engine over onto it's front when the cylinders come off. All of the crap between the studs will fall out the front instead of going down into the cases. Takes a little creativity and an assistant to stand the engine on its front and still be able to pull the cylinders but it's worth the effort.

But yeah this time do what Chuck says.

Brilliant; and yet so obvious. I'm hoping to not have to do it again for a long while, but you know how that works out. The diesel and motor oil system sounds very effective, but what do you do with the remains? Plus, I detest the smell of diesel. Re oiling the rods is perhaps more important with the roller/ball bearing motors than a plain bearing twin, but a good idea if you've really drowned it.

I had got to the point of thinking that I never had this problem on the old Aermacchi horizontal motors or BMWs but hadn't finished the reasoning process.

[chuck hahn]

I just put it all in the used oil bucket that ends up at Orielleys in the recycle tank.

[JRHemmen]

Just ordered my oil pan gasket.

I'd be interested in hearing the rest of this story.

One of the screws on the intake boots snapped off in the head. When we wanted to drill the screw out (left hand bits and extractors), either my dad or myself majorly missed the center of the screw with the centerpunch. So when we drilled, the hole was about 20% screw and 80% head. There's a picture on my build thread.

[chuck hahn]

Get the rest of the bolt out and have a welding shop fill the hole. Set a manifold on and center it with the intake port of the head. Use a transfer punch to mark center of the bolt hole and drill / retap. Use anti seize on the bolts when resinstalling manifolds.

[JRHemmen]

Get the rest of the bolt out and have a welding shop fill the hole. Set a manifold on and center it with the intake port of the head. Use a transfer punch to mark center of the bolt hole and drill / retap. Use anti seize on the bolts when resinstalling manifolds.

Thanks for the advice, but the local auto machine shop said they don't touch motorcycle engines. There were also two exhaust bolts snapped off in it from the PO. I managed to snag a new head for $30 + shipping.