engine cleaning

[aschrauth]

Hello everybody,

Is it safe to clean the engine bay of a scooter? I know it not reccomended for cars. Only reason why I am asking is because I noticed that my engine bay when I remove the seat is starting to get dirty. or, would it be more benificial to me to use just a rag and some windex?

[rjs987]

I don't think it would hurt. I'd use a degreaser cleaner rather than Windex. Maybe a soft brush and some Dawn with water.


Never heard that it was not recommended for cars. Just don't use a power washer or you'll get water where it doesn't belong. But riding the engine bay gets a lot of the road spray if you ride on wet streets or in the rain... which I have done a lot over the years.

[Iahawk]

yes, what RJS said! You can do a good job cleaning with minimal water..a cleaner/degreaeser and a few microfiber towels, maybe some brake cleaner sprayed on some greasy areas...will get it looking great.

[CROSSBOLT]

Done Gunk and pressure washer for years on motorcycles and aircraft engines with nary a problem. You DO have to be careful with a presure washer or you WILL force water past a seal.

[randyo]

Done Gunk and pressure washer for years on motorcycles and aircraft engines with nary a problem. You DO have to be careful with a presure washer or you WILL force water past a seal.

careful of radiator fins as well,  steam works best if you have access, my son used to be in the carpet cleaning business, I used to use his steam wand

[john grinsel]

Gunk works----last I bought at farm supply place, cut with Diesel. Works great been doing it for over 60 years.  Smells nice, too.

[CROSSBOLT]

Gunk works----last I bought at farm supply place, cut with Diesel. Works great been doing it for over 60 years.  Smells nice, too.

The original Gunk was dark like coffee, my Dad cut it with diesel, too. Love that aroma! We had some stuff at the hangar that was similar in smell....different in price!
Scoot smells good with the "new, improved" Gunk (weaker than original) and Murphy soap.

[aschrauth]

I was taught that it was not a good idea to wash under the hood of a car due to all of the sensitive electronics. Normally I just wipe the engine bay down and follow up with a spray of armor all on a microfiber towel to give the plastics a good shine. I probably will just use soap and water in a spray bottle, Just to get all of the dust and gunk off.

[rjs987]

I was taught that it was not a good idea to wash under the hood of a car due to all of the sensitive electronics. Normally I just wipe the engine bay down and follow up with a spray of armor all on a microfiber towel to give the plastics a good shine. I probably will just use soap and water in a spray bottle, Just to get all of the dust and gunk off.

Like I said above... Any electronics in the engine bay has to be weather proof enough to handle rain, road spray, and puddle splashing in every vehicle made to run outside or it's not worth having in there. So as long as you don't use a pressure washer and end up getting water forced into places that road spray normally won't go you'll be fine. If the engine bay was not supposed to handle water spray in it then it should have been weather sealed on all sides to keep that stuff out. Of course that would mean it would be a lot cleaner as well.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Surprised this stuff hasn't been mentioned.



Spray it on a "not-hot" scooter....let it soak, rinse it off. I use a little agitation with a soft paint brush to loosen grime....
A hand pumped garden sprayer provides enough gentle force to work with this stuff.
It is the only motorcycle cleaner my mega-dealer sells.
I like it.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/s100-total-cycle-cleaner?sku_id=167057

Stig
I gotta wonder where the mix of diesel laced stuff is going when it's rinsed off....down the driveway? Into the yard? 

[airshot]

I have used "Simpke Green" cleaner/ degreaser for many years on all my engines, never an issue!!  Spray everything, let it set for 10 or 15 minutes then rinse with garden hose, no high pressure needed!!  Most everyone I know uses this stuff with excellent results...

[aschrauth]

I ended up just using an old toothbrush with some simply green and brushing everything down under the engine then followed up with water from a wattering can before drying with a terry towel. Engine bay looks alot cleaner than it did before, Now lets see how long it will last