System cleaning for rebuild

[Mikekitts81]

As some may no I have just got hold of a ktm lc4 640 which as been sitting in a barn literally in a barn on a farm down in ormskirk ... the guy as had it sitting for quite some time doing odds and ends on it but hasnt had the filters on it or in it so the engine i will be stripped and cleaned but my issue is the frame front tube is part of the oil system . Now as stated it hasn't had a filter on the bike and as been left in a barn on a farm so theres probably cob webs and spiders and alsorts of crap inside the frame oil resovior as it's been dry for so long without oil or filters on...So does anyone know or does anyone have any great idea how to flush the bike clean is it just a case of running some oil throu it a few times or can i get a good flush fluid to do the job for me ...or am I better just getting the karcher out and blasting down the frame and hanging it out to dry petrol maybe or just alcohol spirit ... any feedback would be great before I butcher it

[Griff097]

Put new filters and oil in it, run it for a short while and change them again, depending o how the oil looks at that drain down, either fill it up again with fresh oil, or repeat the process, you will know within a day or so wether there are any problems by the colour of the oil etc

[catcitrus]

the oil drain for the frame tube is a nasty little M6 socket head in the base--only accessed AFTER the screw on filter has been removed--do NOT overtighten! If this screw is still in place then it could still be be full of oil--about 0.6 litre from Memory--the fill is a big hex bolt on the RHS in the steering head area. If its still sealed then don't worry--just drain it and replace it for the moment--drain again when doing the oil change proper. These engines require a special routine for filling. Once all the filters are back in place (including the screw on one at the base of the downtube--put some oil in this first), then run the engine at idle with this big hex bolt OUT--as soon as it overflows (oil will be pumped INTO the downtube) kill the engine and recheck the main engine oil level--the down tube has been "primed and vented"--and seal up with the big bolt and a new copper crush washer. Once the engine is back and running clean you can do "interim" oil changes--no filters --by simply dropping the sump oil (two drain plugs)--it changes about 2/3rds of the oil and is obviously pretty quick--I used to stretch my main filter changes to about 6k this way--and my engine was perfect after 46k.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

We are just talking about the oil tank here, which is remote from the engine, are we (ie it's a dry sump engine like a Suzuki DR350/DR-Z400)?

If so, I'd wash the tank out with diesel: it has excellent detergency and reasonably good lubricating properties (it provides adequate internal lubrication for modern high-pressure injection systems). When the diesel comes out clean, rinse with a little petrol which will wash the remaining diesel out and then evaporate.

I recall, many years ago, the Dunlop Bros transported their bikes over to the Isle of Man for the TT in a fishing boat. The boat sprung a leak, and the hold filled with seawater...immersing the bikes. They dunked the engines in diesel to get the water out of them.

Not many people know this, but if you have a car with hydraulic tappets and one sticks, if you take it to a garage they will probably drain most of the oil out of the engine, top-up with diesel, run the engine until the diesel has washed away the deposits around the stuck tappet, then drain, flush with flushing oil and refill with standard oil and a new filter!

It usually works

I wouldn't recommend actually running a motorcycle engine using diesel as a lube though!

[bowber]

the oil drain for the frame tube is a nasty little M6 socket head in the base--only accessed AFTER the screw on filter has been removed--do NOT overtighten! If this screw is still in place then it could still be be full of oil--about 0.6 litre from Memory--the fill is a big hex bolt on the RHS in the steering head area. If its still sealed then don't worry--just drain it and replace it for the moment--drain again when doing the oil change proper. These engines require a special routine for filling. Once all the filters are back in place (including the screw on one at the base of the downtube--put some oil in this first), then run the engine at idle with this big hex bolt OUT--as soon as it overflows (oil will be pumped INTO the downtube) kill the engine and recheck the main engine oil level--the down tube has been "primed and vented"--and seal up with the big bolt and a new copper crush washer. Once the engine is back and running clean you can do "interim" oil changes--no filters --by simply dropping the sump oil (two drain plugs)--it changes about 2/3rds of the oil and is obviously pretty quick--I used to stretch my main filter changes to about 6k this way--and my engine was perfect after 46k.

This is how I'd do it too.

Steve

[catcitrus]

We are just talking about the oil tank here, which is remote from the engine, are we (ie it's a dry sump engine like a Suzuki DR350/DR-Z400)?

If so, I'd wash the tank out with diesel: it has excellent detergency and reasonably good lubricating properties (it provides adequate internal lubrication for modern high-pressure injection systems). When the diesel comes out clean, rinse with a little petrol which will wash the remaining diesel out and then evaporate.

I recall, many years ago, the Dunlop Bros transported their bikes over to the Isle of Man for the TT in a fishing boat. The boat sprung a leak, and the hold filled with seawater...immersing the bikes. They dunked the engines in diesel to get the water out of them.

Not many people know this, but if you have a car with hydraulic tappets and one sticks, if you take it to a garage they will probably drain most of the oil out of the engine, top-up with diesel, run the engine until the diesel has washed away the deposits around the stuck tappet, then drain, flush with flushing oil and refill with standard oil and a new filter!

It usually works

I wouldn't recommend actually running a motorcycle engine using diesel as a lube though!

I think you need to know the engine--hence my detailed advice--the 640 has about 1.7 litres in the sump and the rest in the frame tube--for capacity and cooling. It has 3 oil filters and two oil pumps, and two drains in the sump and the drain (as described) for the frame tube--its a competition engine with loads of external oil pipes etc--and in top end model related tune way back then-- 70 bhp. Its a minimalistic design as far as weight is concerned--and has only just been surpassed by the later 690 engine (i.e. Husqvarnabergervan 701) as far as power is concerned--valve gear is SOHC, 4 valve with split rockers and manual adjustment--no diesel required!

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

My point was that the diesel would be an effective cleaning agent for the tank: the OP isn't looking for a way of cleaning the engine out...that's going to be completely rebuilt anyway so he can do it all manually/properly when the engine is split.

So I'm not sure why he would want to risk taking dirt from the oiltank into the newly-rebuilt engine as your method would do.

[doberso]

Hello, I need your help, please. We have pet a cat, it's so active, chasing all the moving things it sees, so dust is everywhere now, I found such a thing as an air purifier. What do you think, is it a necessary tool nowadays? I read reviews https://cleanhomeguide.com/best-air-purifier-for-pets/ and got confused completely whether they are effective at all...

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

My hovercraft is full of eels....

[Asgard]

My nipples explode with delight