Where does it stop?!?!?!!!! – engine cleaning

[Andrew Vanis]

Where does it stop?!?!?!!!! – engine cleaning

So I took the head off to replace the leaking head gasket. Am considering having the head vat-ed and glass beaded while it is off (while it is off I decided to lap the valves and replace the valve seals but that's a different discussion)

Then I get the feedback to also do the base gasket since it’s taken apart this far. Well that is another gasket and cylinder o-rings and is another some $ for having that cleaned. Ok so let’s say I do that.

Then the case below the cylinders has some oil gunk…..

So I’m wondering, should I just take out the engine and have the whole thing blasted with glass beads and get the whole thing clean?

I’m a function first guy so this rabbit hole of cleaning makes me itch. It can only be justified with …well as long as its apart this far.

However, if the objective is clean, then maybe having the whole engine cleaned from the outside may be the ticket.

Grrrrr.

[Sandy]

Where does it stop? It stops when you decide it stops, it can go on forever or not. I guess it depends on the mileage whether you go for new rings while you do, and should do, the base gasket. I did my top end a while ago including new rings and now that it's broken in again I just got back from a 2,500 km trip and was pleased that I only had to add about a cup of oil to bring back to where it was when I left. Let me see here, pull the motor to clean up the rest of it and notice the frame probably looks like crap too ......and on it goes. LOL.

[tkent02]

It ends once you decide that motorcycles actually do look better with mud, bugs and blood on them. And look a Hell of a lot better when you are riding than when you are cleaning them. A bike that looks like it never left the showroom is about as uninteresting as a bike that never left the showroom.

[trevor]

It ends once you decide that motorcycles actually do look better with mud, bugs and blood on them. And look a Hell of a lot better when you are riding than when you are cleaning them. A bike that looks like it never left the showroom is about as uninteresting as a bike that never left the showroom.

Meh....I disagree. Cleaning your bike is a great way to see things going south. Just as AZR...lol

[Gorminrider]

too much dirt interferes with cooling. too much dirt holds moisture and chemicals that corrode and make dissassembly difficult. a bike with beautiful paint was meant to be seen.
even though I tend to be a (happy) sloven, I admire people that can ride their bike AND keep it clean.

[Steve]

It ends once you decide that motorcycles actually do look better with mud, bugs and blood on them. And look a Hell of a lot better when you are riding than when you are cleaning them. A bike that looks like it never left the showroom is about as uninteresting as a bike that never left the showroom.

That is pretty much my philosophy, as well.

I tell people that I keep my bike(s) clean enough to look good, but dirty enough to let you know that they DO get ridden.

.

[TxGSrider]

I like them to be clean enough that I can see if something is leaking.

[dorkburger]

Agreed with Tom and Steve. While I can appreciate a clean bike, its just not my gig. A good washing and degreasing once a year does it for me.

[trevor]

That is pretty much my philosophy, as well.

I tell people that I keep my bike(s) clean enough to look good, but dirty enough to let you know that they DO get ridden.

.

Doesn't matter to me whether or not people know I ride them...I know I do. It's funny, people see my bikes and say "you must not ride them much"?...then I tell them my yearly mileage...lol

[storm 64]

I keep my motorcycles CLEAN! Sure they get dirty from rain, bugs and road grime. But then it's bath time, which is what I'm going to do this afternoon. I have 1,400 miles of rally road grime to wash off👍

[Joe Garfield]

I got stuck in that rut (where does it stop?) and ended up with a project in my garage for over a year. I had to decide to stop - it wasn't going to on it's own. That being said, if i had the engine apart I'd probably clean the whole damn thing once and be done with it. Maybe that would work if that was all I was doing, and worrying about everything else another time. It's hard to do.

[limeex2]

too much dirt interferes with cooling. too much dirt holds moisture and chemicals that corrode and make dissassembly difficult. a bike with beautiful paint was meant to be seen.
even though I tend to be a (happy) sloven, I admire people that can ride their bike AND keep it clean.

Mine had so much oil and such on the motor, it actually preserved it. Now that its clean, its easy to see where its leaking

[Gorminrider]

hah! limeex2-there IS something to be said for that special black oily-type scum! Preserves paint too- I find some of the nicest original paint under that thin oil+dust combo ! Leads me to think a really good "winterizer" could be developed from it somehow...
But it only seems to build up around sheltered places...the bad crap attacks the rest

[Deuce]

Doesn't matter to me whether or not people know I ride them...I know I do. It's funny, people see my bikes and say "you must not ride them much"?...then I tell them my yearly mileage...lol

I keep mine clean as well and always have. I don't ride that much where I live as there's really nowhere to go and no one to go there with! It hasn't helped that it's been over 100 degrees and no end in sight till around October.

My Mustang has 70,000 miles on it, is 15 years old, and looks like it's a garage queen. Detailing can be very rewarding and is good therapy...like pulling weeds right after it rained, lol!

[limeex2]

Clean, but no queens. I suppose I put on 10k a year between the bikes.