Best overall engine cleaner : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

Dad's Bike · 07-22-2009, 08:57 AM

I'm in the process of restoring my bike. It has the stock grey painted engine and it is a little grimey.... Looking at getting a good overall engine cleaner that can be rinsed off after a good scrub. Can I use the same orange scented foam stuff i use on my car?? Any product suggestions?

Jshuster · 07-22-2009, 10:03 AM

I use Simple Green or Jungle Jake with a scrub brush and a tooth brush in the tight areas, then I use S100 Engine Brightener and have HUGE success with both black and silver.

nightrob · 07-22-2009, 10:09 AM

Yep on the simple green and a bottle/toilet brush.

MadCity · 07-22-2009, 10:59 AM

I agree it's great stuff for getting oil and grease off of engine components, but I would recommend using a product called Extreme Simple Green (I think it's actually blue, not green). It's the company's aircraft-grade product. I don't know whether regular Simple Green would do any damage to certain surfaces, but Extreme Simple Green won't. My local Home Depot carries it. I've never used S100 Engine Brightener, but I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Rmohd · 07-22-2009, 01:23 PM

s100 products

well lets just say they work,,, IMO...

Phat117 · 07-27-2009, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadCity

I agree it's great stuff for getting oil and grease off of engine components, but I would recommend using a product called Extreme Simple Green (I think it's actually blue, not green). It's the company's aircraft-grade product. I don't know whether regular Simple Green would do any damage to certain surfaces, but Extreme Simple Green won't. My local Home Depot carries it. I've never used S100 Engine Brightener, but I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Much safer on aluminum!!

Gulfstream · 07-28-2009, 03:22 AM

Good ol' Gunk has worked great for me...their "Foamy Engine Brite" seems to work the best for my silver engine. Available at most auto parts stores and Wally World too. Be careful with some of the more agressive cleaners, they can and will etch some aluminum surfaces...the aircraft Simple Green is okay though.

claydbal · 07-28-2009, 09:44 AM

be careful with s-100. the local HD pushes it and when i get the bikes in here that have used s-100, the bolts are corroded and the threads are really bad. rinse with low pressure, rinse, rinse, rinse, if you must use the stuff.

my thought is that most loyal HD customers will spray their bikes with the s-100, let it sit awhile, the blast it off with a high pressure stream, which forces the s-100 into the threads of the fasteners and into the axle. have had to drive out many axles that were white and chalky. i ask the customer if they use s-100, and the ask "how did you know"?

ReRoll · 07-28-2009, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadCity

I agree it's great stuff for getting oil and grease off of engine components, but I would recommend using a product called Extreme Simple Green (I think it's actually blue, not green). It's the company's aircraft-grade product. I don't know whether regular Simple Green would do any damage to certain surfaces, but Extreme Simple Green won't. My local Home Depot carries it. I've never used S100 Engine Brightener, but I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Be careful with (original) Simple Green, it's a great cleaner, so great that it has been banned by the DoD. Armed services were using Simple Green on planes and helicopters, etc and rivets and bolts were shearing over time. A detailed evaluation showed that SG has a caustic nature - which is why it cleans so well. Anyway, the DoD sent out a notice banning the use of SG.

I now use it around the house but not on anything with mating parts.

I didn't know they had a (blue) aircraft grade product - I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

Cliff

nightrob · 07-28-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReRoll

Be careful with (original) Simple Green, it's a great cleaner, so great that it has been banned by the DoD. Armed services were using Simple Green on planes and helicopters, etc and rivets and bolts were shearing over time. A detailed evaluation showed that SG has a caustic nature - which is why it cleans so well. Anyway, the DoD sent out a notice banning the use of SG.

I now use it around the house but not on anything with mating parts.

I didn't know they had a (blue) aircraft grade product - I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

Cliff

Its just a diluted form I think cut with something like windex. Its not too much different than glass plus!

delray48209 · 08-22-2009, 11:10 AM

Scrubbing Bubbles - Bathroom Cleaner.