I have to replace the sump gasket on my 22hp V twin. It’s been leaking for a couple of years and the engine is absolutely filthy with oily dirt and grass residue. I have it upside down on my work bench and am severely tempted to give it a spray of engine degreaser and then hose it off but I’m really wary of water collecting in the flywheel and ruining the stator or maybe the coils. Am I being paranoid? If not then how do those of you who do this professionally get engines clean before repairing them? I’m sort of afraid to open it up for fear of contaminating the crankcase.
#2
StarTech
I usually just them as they are mounted with an engine cleaning wand and Purple Power then hose off the engine. Just make sure stay from the air cleaner intake.
I close off any open ports and use my pressure washer. Then blow it off with air. Then if it still runs start it up and let it warn up and evaporate any water that is left.
Spray on degreaser works just fine.
Even better is coupled with a stiff parts washing brush for the heavy gunk and a tooth brush for finer areas
I have a garden sprayer which I use on hand held engines
Apart from being much smaller jet, it uses a lot less water
If you have used degreasers then the water is just a rinse off ,
As it turns out the worst part was scraping off the old gasket and then trying to get all the bits out of the crankcase. Well, and the part where I lost one of the locator pins. I turnEd one from a section of threaded rod so I could close it back up. We’ll find out tomorrow if I ruined it or not. Unfortunately engines have a history of not starting after I’ve had my hands on their inside bits.
