Cleaning/de-greasing fluids – Maybe the worst part of a restoration but worth doing well in the end. Gunk/Jizer, Jenolite liquid, White spirit, paint stripper & hand cleaner are all useful. The cleaning of the sprocket drive side of the two crankcase halves is a nightmare. Years of chain lube and intricate castings makes cleaning difficult. I used a stippling action of a paint brush and white spirit in an old washing up bowl. Q-tips and Fairy power spray (intended for removing burnt on grease from pans) completed the process. Use Fairy power spray with care, it causes discolouration of aluminium, OK if bead blasting afterwards. Not advisable to put cases in your dishwasher, best results would come from ultrasonic cleaning if you can afford it.
Note: Using washing up liquid, for example:- when fitting rubbers or tyres is not recommended as these detergents contain salt and we all know the effect this has on steel. Try talc or use tyre soap.
Wellseal v silicone – for the crankcase gasket. Wellseal remains liquid & does not harden with age, advantages being no need rush the re-assembly task in hand. Silicone will harden giving less chance of it seeping into the oil. Use either compound VERY sparingly – stories of blocked oil screens & oil jets wrecking engines are quite common place.Also recommended for the cylinder barrels/head gaskets, I didn’t bother and my head had a small oil leak from the cam chain area, now fixed. If not available try Hermetite red.
Compressed air – aerosol sometimes referred to as an ‘air duster’ is very useful when working on the carbs and engine oil ways.
Protection – Goggles, rubber gloves & dust masks are another must have. Petrol molecules penetrate the outer skin and can cause liver damage! Used engine oil is slightly carcinogenic. Brake pads may contain asbestos.
Aftercare – Avoid washing up liquid and abrasive polishes and you won’t go far wrong. Too many great cleaning products to list and can be found at all good autoparts stores.
Winter riding or storage – Developed for the aerospace industy ACF-50 anti-corrosion spray is reported to be the best there is, but be warned it is extremely expensive. Try to obtain the non-aerosol type, it should be less wasteful than the mousse like aerosol. As a test I applied some to a polished brass house number plaque, left outside in the British weather it has yet to discolour 3 months later.
Waste Disposal – most houshold waste sites have a tank for waste engine oil and skip for batteries. Avoid anything toxic from entering your household drains, seek local authority advice if unsure.
Gasket remover – try paint stripper, take care if case has been painted.