How To Clean A Dirt Bike Engine? [A Complete Guide]


how to clean a dirt bike engine

Cleaning a dirt bike engine is a piece of cake if you know how to clean it. Many people find it difficult to clean their dirt bike engines. That’s why a common question often arises, how to clean a dirt bike engine?

Most dirt bike riders don’t know how to clean their dirt bike engines. If the engine isn’t cleaned regularly, it becomes dead and unusable. So, you can either hire a professional or do it yourself. Hiring a professional is a rip off while doing it yourself (DIY) can tighten your budget. 

In this article, I’ll tell you the easiest ways that will help you learn to clean your dirt bike engine by yourself, and I will share some tips and maintenance on cleaning your dirt bike engine. 

6 Simple Steps To Clean A Dirt Bike Engine: The Best Way

The dirtiest part of a dirt bike is its engine that comprises two parts: the inside part, and the outside part. It’s quite challenging to keep both parts of the engine clean. The following paragraphs will explain the cleaning process precisely to give you a complete guide on cleaning dirt bike’s engine procedures. Let’s dive in!

1. Assemble The Things That You Require For Cleaning A Dirt Bike Engine:

Before jumping into the cleaning dirt bike’s engine, you need to make sure of the following things. The equipment will make your cleaning process dynamic and effective. Let’s take a look at the things that you require to get started with the engine cleaning process. 

  • Simple Green
  • Aluminum Wheel Cleaner 
  • Mag Wheel Cleaner
  • Scotch Brite Pads
  • Power Washer
  • Air Tool
  • Rubber Pad
  • Toothbrush
  • Plastic bags Or Tape 
  • Pump
  • Parts Washer
  • Water Hose
  • Soda Blast

2. Cleaning Inside Of The Dirt Bike Engine:

Cleaning the outer parts of a dirt bike engine can be quite easy but the inside parts can be a bit troublesome, right?  The inside part of the dirt bike engine can be stained with oil and make your engine dirt. 

With a few effective cleaning ways, your dirt bike engine can become an absolute stunner like a new dirt bike engine. The following points will guide you to the inside cleaning process. So here we go!

  • Tear The Engine Down Into Cases:

After tearing down the engine parts into pieces, you would be able to clean each part or case of the dirt bike engine. Otherwise, rinsing out the engine would be difficult. 

  • Get The Cases Soak Into The Water:

Once the engine is torn down into pieces, you need to soak all the cases into a parts washer.  The parts washer comes with a pump that adds a water hose flowing brush at the end of the line. While the parts are soaking in the parts washer, you can scrub the small cases of the dirt bike engine. 

  • Apply Degreaser:

You need to mix three gallons of degreaser with seven gallons of water in a big tank. Then turn on the pump that is attached to the parts washer. The pump with a water hose flowing brush is into action once the pump is on. 

Now you can rinse out each engine case that is stained with oil. A degreaser like simple green or mag wheel cleaner can be used. But be mindful of the fact, you can lose your dirt bike engine’s color a bit if you use a mag wheel cleaner to clean dust, dirt, and grime from your dirt bike engine.

3. Cleaning Outside Of The Dirt Bike Engine:

Having a dirt bike can always cause dirt on its engine’s surface. So, you need to get away from the dirt that covers the outside part of your dirt bike engine. The following things will guide you through the cleaning outer parts of your dirt bike engine. Let’s take a quick look:

  • Spray Out Dust With Compressed Air:

To do away with dust, grime, and dirt from your dirt bike engine, firstly you need to spray the dirt bike engine’s outer part with compressed air that would help you clean the engine. 

  • Cover Sensitive Parts: 

With duct tape, you need to block your dirt bike engine’s sensitive holes so that the water can’t get into the engine. Besides, you can use plastic bags as well to block sensitive areas. 

  • Apply Degreaser To Engine Area:

Grease is a kind of substance that sticks to hard surfaces, especially dirt bike engine surfaces. To get rid of grease and oil from the surface of your engine, you need a cleaner. Experts highly recommend using a degreaser. You can spray a degreaser on your dirt bike engine and let it soak for 30 minutes. 

  • Apply Simple Green:

Get some simple green and put it in a parts washer with some water while spraying the engine with a water hose and use black magic aluminum wheel cleaner. Use different brushes and scotch brites.

Brush everything off with the simple green mixed soap water, and at the end apply a pressure washer to clean the dirt and dust. Thus simple green works on the dirt. 

  • Rinse Away Degreaser:

Now, you need a water hose that comes with a nozzle to enforce pressure by spraying the dirt engine bike to clean dust, dirt, grime, grease, and oil. By washing the inside of the dirt bike engine with a water hose, you should make sure that all grease and dirt are cleaned. 

  • Scrub To Clean Areas:

You need to scrub your dirt bike engine with soap-warmed water and a brush to get rid of oil stains. Once you are done scrubbing the engine surfaces, you need to rinse out the engine once again. 

  • Dry Engine Surface:

Compressed air sprays the dirt bike engine with water. Thereafter, dry the wet engine with rags or towels. Once you are done with drying the dirt bike engine’s surface, apply air dry for around thirty minutes. 

  • Rubber Seal Protectant:

Using rubber seal protectant to your water hose or engine’s fittings will make your dirt engine clean while making your dirt bike engine extremely durable and lifesaver. 

  • Remove Plastic Bags And Duct Tapes:

Once you are done with washing your dirt bike engine, you can remove the tapes and plastic bags that you used while blocking the areas of the engine to protect its inside from water. 

5 Tips To Make Your Dirt Bike Engine Clean Easier:

Dirt bike engine cleaning can be a cinch with a few exclusive tips. Let’s take a look at the following tips:

Tip-1: Spray simple green and let the cleaner penetrate the engine’s body for three to five minutes to clean the surface of the engine.

Tip-2:  Use a brush that is non-metallic to agitate the grime and grease of the dirt bike engine so that you can easily do away with the grime and dust.

Tip-3:  Use a water hose spray while brushing off the engine’s parts thoroughly so that the dirt bike engine stays dust and grime-free. 

Tip-4: Once washing is done, remove the tapes or plastic bags carefully. You need a clean and dry napkin to wipe out the wet places.

Tip-5: Finally, you need to dry the engine with compressed air and a towel so that there is no water left in the engine parts.

5 Things That You Need To Consider While Cleaning A Dirt Bike Engine:

You should be careful about the following 5 things to clean your dirt bike engine that will make your dirt bike engine extremely durable. Let’s take a look at a glance:

1. Cool Engine Body:

While washing your dirt bike engine, you need to make sure the engine’s body is cool. If the engine is hot while washing, it can cause damage to your engine parts. So, it’s highly recommended to wash the dirt bike engine parts when the temperature of the engine is normal. 

2. Scrub Carefully:

While soaking the parts in a parts washer, don’t scrub the parts hard even if the dirt is still left because rubbing hard can scratch your dirt bike engine’s body and coating areas. If the cleaners that you apply to the engine don’t work for your dirt bike engine’s parts, you can try with other cleaners. 

3. Apply Certain Cleaner:

To wash your dirt bike engine, you don’t have to use all cleaners, rather apply a specific one. Applying all cleaners together for washing your dirt bike engine can be vulnerable to your engine’s body. So, you should consider the thing while washing your dirt bike engine. 

4. Clean Your Dirt Bike Engine After Every Ride:

You need to clean your dirt bike engine after a long ride. Otherwise, the engine’s parts can be damaged in the long run. It’s recommended that you should wash your dirt bike engine twice a month.

5. Dry Your Dirt Bike Engine After Washing:

Once the dirt engine is washed, you need to dry the dirt bike engine with compressed air, and then it will look like a new dirt bike engine. If a dirt bike engine holds any water, it can be vulnerable to the engine parts. So, you need to be sure that the dirt bike engine is dried properly after washing. 

Related Questions:

What Can You Use As A DIY Engine Cleaner For Your Dirt Bike?

You can use soda blast, diesel, and kerosene as a DIY engine cleaner to clean your dirt bike engine.  Let’s have a look at their usage below to clean dirt bike engines:

Soda Blast: 

You can apply soda blast as well with air compression that helps you clean your dirt bike engine parts hands down. It works like magic without harming your dirt bike engine’s parts. 

Diegel:

You can spray diesel all over the engine body as well. Diesel can absorb grease or any oil from the engine’s surface. Once you are done with spraying the engine, grease or oil will accumulate in a place together with the diesel to make cleaning hands down. After spraying the Diegel, you can wash the engine with a brush and cleaner. 

Kerosene: 

You can also apply kerosine as a cleaner. But applying kerosene isn’t as effective as cleaners. But you may give it a go if it works for your dirt bike engine cleaner. Kerosene doesn’t harm your dirt bike engine’s parts either. 

Although aforementioned processes are not as effective as simple green, aluminum wheel, and mag wheel cleaners. But they are still handy enough if you want to do it yourself (DIY). 

Though kerosene and diesel can’t be a permanent solution. I recommend using soda blast as a cleaner for your dirt bike engine apart from simple green, aluminum wheel cleaners. 

What Are The Things You Need To Clean Your Dirt Bike Engine Parts?

You can use a degreaser to clean your dirt bike engine’s parts. You can use simple green, aluminum wheel cleaner, and mag wheel cleaner. You can use any of them to clean your dirt bike engine’s dirt.  It’s highly recommended that you should use a parts washer to clean dirt bike engines. 

Can Gasoline Be Used To Clean Your Dirt Bike Engine Parts?

Gasoline is quite good as a cleaner but it can damage your dirt bike engine’s parts because it is flammable and toxic. So, you should use a degreaser to clean your dirt bike engine. There are some degreasers like simple green and aluminum wheel cleaners that experts suggest for your dirt bike engine cleaning. 

What’s The Best Way To Clean A Dirt Bike Engine?

Among all methods, the best and shortest way to clean your dirt bike engine is using a parts washer. Cleaning a dirt bike engine is a lengthy process but If you can set up a parts washer properly, It will save you time. With a parts washer, you can clean aluminum, honda, and engine parts

How Do You Clean The Parts On A Dirt Bike Engine?

Firstly, you need to tear off the parts that will enable you to reach all parts of the dirt bike engine to clean the dirt and grease. With the degreaser, you need to spray on the engine’s surface and brush off the parts to clean your dirt bike engine. 

How Do You Polish A Dirt Bike Engine?

Once you’re done with cleaning, you can now polish your dirt bike engine to make it glitter two times more with 320 grit abrasive wheels. You can polish your dirt bike engine to fix the damaged areas while making it great to look at. 

Can You Use Engine Degreaser On A Dirt Bike?

You can spray degreaser or apply cleaners on the dirty areas of your dirt bike engine. A degreaser will help you remove the grease and stained oil from your engine parts. 

Can You Hose Off A Dirt Bike?

With a power washer, you can hose off your dirt bike engine to clean grime and dirt. After washing the dirt bike engine, you need to dry the engine with a rag or towel. 

How Do You Clean A Dirt Bike Engine Casing?

With a parts washer, you can clean your dirt bike engine casing. You can also use a brake cleaner. But In both cases, you will need a nylon brush to clean your dirt bike engine parts. With a Scotch Brite pad, you can sand the engine to make it bright. 

Should You Clean Your Dirt Bike Engine After Every Ride?

How often you need to clean a dirt bike engine entirely depends on the use of a dirt bike. Experts suggest cleaning or servicing dirt bike engines every 100 hours. Cleaning a dirt bike engine makes your dirt bike lifesaving.  

How Do You Deep Clean A Dirt Bike?

With a hose, you can spray the dirt bike engine for deep cleaning. Then, you need to let the engine soak which results in softening the stained oil or grime on the engine.

How Do You Clean Dirt Bike Engine Fins? 

With 120 grit sandpaper, you need to sand dirt bike engine fins using your elbow grease. Then with 500 grit, you can sand the fins and move to 800 grits to polish the fins. Finally, you can use chrome polish to get a shiny look to your engine. 

How Long Does It Take To Clean A Dirt Bike Engine? 

While cleaning a dirt bike engine, you need to take into account the inside and outside of the engine.  Outside of the engine takes less time to wash than the inside parts of the engine. 

After cleaning the dirt bike engine, you need to dry the engine with a rag or compressed air. Overall, experts take a couple of hours to clean a dirt bike engine but if you do it yourself, it will take a little more time. 

How Much Does It Cost To Clean A Dirt Bike Engine?

Professionals charge $100 to $400 to clean a dirt bike engine. If you do it yourself (DIY), it will charge $50-70$. So, you can hire a professional to do it for you or you can do it yourself within your budget. 

How Often Should You Clean Your Dirt Bike? 

Experts recommend cleaning a dirt bike engine every hundred hours of use. Cleaning a dirt bike engine timely will increase your dirt bike’s durability while keeping your engine dynamic. Otherwise, the dirt bike engine’s parts will be damaged.  

Final Verdict

The article above demonstrates the procedures of cleaning a dirt bike engine while illustrating some features of a dirt bike engine. If you are interested in getting more insight into this, you can go through our site.

If you have any questions about your dirt bike engine, you can leave me your valuable consent in the comment box down. I’ll go through your quest soon. 

You may also want to read: 

How to clean dirt bike chain

How To Tighten Spokes On A Dirt Bike

How To Register A Dirt Bike Without A Title

Md. Saifur Rahman

Dirt bike riding was a fascination for Saifur since he was a child. Later that fascination turned into a passion and his profession. Apparently, it may seem that tips and tricks are useless for bike riding sometimes, but you may find them really useful after reading his blogs. Saifur is a regular rider.

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