My motor for my 125 build has 0 hours top to bottom, everything's a bit dingey so I would like to get it nice and clean without splitting cases. Anyone got any tips? Not looking for a mirror finish or anything but something relatively good and clean.

Mag wheel cleaner, toothbrushes and the sponges with brillo pad on one side. Also some simple green. I did my yz250 engine on the bike best i could before i sold it.

i know you can vapor blast them but have the valves good.

Go to the hardware store, or a marine place and get some expanding plugs, or rubber stoppers.

Put the stoppers in your intake & exhaust ports. Then put plug your tranny and PV vent hoses.

You can use some kind of caustic cleaner like the purple zep degreaser and either scotch-brite, or a stainless wire brush on the aluminum cases. On the cylinder casting (rough cast) use a nylon brush, the wire brush and scotch-brite mess up the dull finish.

Without disassembling the engine you can have it sodablasted and be OK. My local vapor blasting guy told me that blasting an assembled motor isnt a good idea. Honestly i dont know why soda is OK and vapor isnt since vapor is less abrasive. Just wanted to throw that info i got from my local experts.

I appreciate the responses fellas.

kb228 wrote:

Without disassembling the ...more

kb228 wrote:

Without disassembling the engine you can have it sodablasted and be OK. My local vapor blasting guy told me that blasting an assembled motor isnt a good idea. Honestly i dont know why soda is OK and vapor isnt since vapor is less abrasive. Just wanted to throw that info i got from my local experts.

I would assume he doesnt like the idea of blasting the gaskets with high pressure water.