Tricks To Cleaning Dirt Bike Engine Cases

[@CameronNiemela]

Bout time to put this engine together?

[@XxMrBishopxX]

Can't wait!

[@regardtdressel5958]

Cameron Niemela you are awesome

[@Aut251]

Cameron Niemela The 250 will be better then it left the factory.

[@josephwilliams2650]

Dont forget to replace your clutch actuator arm bearings in the left side crankcase. I dont think the wrench rabbit kit includes them. At least they didnt when i bought mine for my 98 250. Cant wait to see the build complete.

[@stevenwilliams5282]

Yeah it’s time to get my head re built on my 02 crf 450.

[@pauloconnor7951]

Cameron is probably the tidiest , cleanest , most professional mechanic I know of. We could all learn from Cameron and raise our standards !.

[@marcmcvay4573]

I ordered my first polishing wheel and let me say this is the BEST thing I have ever used to polish my aluminum parts . It takes years of tarnish and corrosion off in seconds leaving a like new luster . I also purchased the buffing wheel for a drill to reach hard parts and it works fantastic ! I highly recommend the products and very quick order processing I received on my purchase .

[@CameronNiemela]

Thanks Marc! Happy to hear they're working well for you. Happy polishing!

[@soderholm3805]

cameron never stop doing what you are doing, youre a huge inspiration to me and your vids are both entertaining and extremely teaching. wish i had such a good garage as you.

[@mamatarathod2504]

soderholm hi

[@CBCycles]

This is such a great video, so helpful in so many ways, thank you Cameron! Safety tip - those cases have razor sharp edges. I clipped an artery on my finger once while cleaning one, and now use mechanics gloves whenever working around them, especially with a high speed machine.

[@coloradodirtbike5930]

simply amazing. takes a lot of patience and dedication for making those parts that clean

[@justinyates3095]

The dirt bike chrisfix!

[@Florisyzf250]

Oke when i saw this reaction i knew it was the best vid😂

[@CrazyFastFlying]

Exactly!

[@NZMantaGSi]

Those impact driver screwdrivers are absolutely invaluable!

[@Aarongoscinski]

For real, best money I’ve ever spent

[@dinozografakis]

Facts i can't belive i didn't know these existed before

[@74willy81]

Great video, Thanks! Not sure if this has been mentioned already but when you run into what appears to be Phillips screws on a Japanese product don't use a Phillips screwdriver because they are not Phillips. They are in fact JIS screws (Japanese Industrial Standard) They have a different form to them than Phillips. While Phillips are designed to cam out JIS is not, but use a Phillips driver on a JIS screw and they they will bugger up the screw. Best way to ID a JIS screw is to look for a dot on the screw head. Although JIS screwdrivers are hard to find the impact drivers usually save the day. Hope this helps those who wonder why Japanese screws always get trashed when removing them with a known good Phillips driver.

[@governator45]

A cheapo trick to get by is to buy a harbor freight #2 phillips and grind the tip back a bit. It allows for more contact on the screw. Then buy some JIS drivers.

[@cancele1]

shut up stupid.

[@volvogt21]

Thanks for sharing. I did not know this

[@dwightschrute3862]

freddie cancel dude, chill out

[@dwightschrute3862]

Aren’t JIS more square instead of a diamond in the middle of a plus? That is the best way I could think to describe it without a picture

[@fallbangskid5037]

It's nice when a job is completed to perfection!

[@cuerammer]

I'm completely restoring my '03 KTM450EXC soon, and will be using your engine cleaning techniques, but I'll be going one step further. So that I don't have to do all that polishing a 2nd, or even 3rd time, I'll be cleaning all my polished areas with acetone, then coating it all with a High Temp "Clear" ceramic coat, baked twice to cure, so my bike comes back to looking brand new after every wash!

[@officialGFguitars]

Dude... U really had the patience to polish all that... Oh my god! I thought u were simply Going to clean and sandblast. Amazing

[@chrispewkreme]

Such high quality and educational stuff here! I figured I needed special tools that were unobtainable. But I have most of these tools and am confident I could rebuild my 2 stroke if I needed to.

[@BP_306_]

Started to really get into building bikes for the last year or 2 you’ve basically been my guide though it all lol great videos man 🤟🏻

[@phillthomas3359]

Great to see the cr250 build back on track...keep up the good work fella

[@jothain]

Neat trick for those blind hole bearings. Put heavy grease inside them, stuff paper in axle hole and hammer that paper, remove it, put more grease and repeat . You will create quite surprising amount of hydraulic pressure and you can remove bearing without blind hole puller tool. I've used this multiple times and I know it sounds incredible to many, but this really works when done properly.

[@lesfox2010]

It was the way (don't know if they still do) mechanics used to remove pilot bearings from flywheels/cranks. Get a solid bar that fits snugly in the hole, fill the hole with grease and tap the shaft in. Bearing is forced out.

[@filthywetbeard5351]

I've seen people use bread to do the same haha

[@SmittyGuitar]

Nice job cam, love the patience and detail. I love doing all this myself and your vids help me skip the trial and error drama. I'll be picking some stuff up at your store.

[@diegoadg7443]

hey cameron gracias por ser un maestro de la mecanica y dejarnos ese legado un saludo desde colombia

[@Franksbettas]

Cameron there's a lot of pitting inside on where the flywheel sits would this be issue?

[@TheNoisePolluter]

Even though I work on smaller engines, such as Zenoah's I've got a spare toaster oven that I can heat aluminum parts up in evenly to about 130-150F and then just freeze the bearing and the leiden frost effect will let them drop right in and will burn off quickly.

[@NebukedNezzer]

when I bought my honda cb450 in 1966 one of the things I also bought was a impact screw remover. Well worth having.

[@ftball90]

Of course another great video! Impact screwdriver is worth its weight in gold! I use mine ALL the time!

[@JS-wo1ol]

That brass shine actually looked kinda dope imo!

[@michaelwooding5407]

For difficult to reach areas buy a length of bowden cable, cut into 3 inch pieces and tape together. 7 is a good number to retain flexibility while allowing pressure to be applied. I also always finish off with 400 grit wet and dry whenever using steel wire on ali otherwise the finish is just a series of scratches.

[@Daniello84]

Yo Cameron, I love your videos. Watched a bunch of them, all are nicely put together and informative. Right now I'm fully rebuilding a CR250 '00 engine, which I also going to be using your tips to get the crankcase halves looking this good. Thnx for sharing.

[@RussTnut]

Great attention to detail Cameron, I have seen similar results just with vapour blasting with wet soda in a cleaning cabinet like you already have. Maybe worth investing in this kit???? A bearing press is useful too. 👍🏻

[@Outofcontrolhobby]

One thing you should mention is that the screws retaining the bearings are JIS head screws and are super easily rounded out if not using the appropriate bit. Otherwise, keep up the good work, like your videos!

[@carlredmond3642]

The JIS screw is signified by a single dot which can be seen in the video

[@UnEmmerdeur]

Great video. A trick I have always used for blind bearings is put the entire case in the oven. Let it get nice and heated then take it out and slam it down on a piece of plywood. They will fall right out.

[@darrylstem6426]

isnt there a bearing for the clutch actuation rod in the case?

[@frankcaccamo3568]

Seriously inspired me to clean my engine.

[@stephenmcwilliams6196]

cant wait to see this finished!

[@jimrowe4177]

I really like the scotch brite wheel is awesome. Not overly aggressive. Wrap it up with some Aurosol on either regular bench buffer or dremel buffer pad and it will end up amazing.

[@r0ckworthy]

How do you keep this beautiful aluminum from instantly tarnishing again? Is there a coating that will keep it nice for a while?

[@mxrevival]

Another solid vid from The Man.

[@dylangale5577]

Mate I love your content it’s always exciting to watch someone who’s patient with there work im keen to see this cr250 being put back together

[@QCDARKTEAM]

Very good video man helps me a lot on my bike builds!

[@bushmonster9899]

tbh the brass color looked pretty dope

[@killingitoutdoorstv423]

Can you make a all in one video on how to rebuild a whole bike and tearing it down

[@sorakojootti2725]

Dude, you are so inspiring to me. This is exactly the kind of stuff i also wanna do. Ps. I want your workshop xd

[@thomasmcbain8065]

This bike is going to look amazing

[@2473LIONS]

Hi in no mechanic…. I’ve just split the case on my 01 cr250 … my cases are at the stage you are now … why ares yours so clean ? … I’m putting in a vertex rebuild kit …. Can I now jet wash the cases with water to get the grease and oil off them … as I’m sending them away for aqua cleaning … ? I don’t have a parts washer 😢 … what do you suggest ?

[@yippeelife]

Can you tell us some about socket or tapping for worn-out threads of an engine casing. ?

[@emmetmcgarrigle3219]

Is there any protective coat that needs to be applied after polishing to prevent oxidation Or rust

[@MikiSep]

did you coat it with any product after polishing? I wanna do the same thing but I dont want it to rust after a while

[@garlefort6798]

Would you pre-clean cases in wash tank, or possibly simple green then let dry out?

[@justindemelo351]

This soothes my soul...

[@nathanielarnold3294]

I wish I had your job get work on dirt bikes and ride dirt bikes all day everyday

[@808adrenalineaddicthawaii7]

Do you think I could do this with the fresnel with the motor on the frame

[@evangriffith8836]

For all those who don’t have a blind bearing puller, find a flat end punch close to the inner diameter of the bearing. Take single ply toilet paper and wet it keep packing and hammering in. Bearing pops right out

[@McChadsworth]

It might sound weird, but bread works for that, too.

[@PhilippinesLife101]

Also for that extra nice finish use some metal polish and some cotton buffing pads on the outside of the case but tape off the inside you don't want that stuff on the inside. Can also clear it for longer lasting and protection and easier cleaning.

[@Wooley689]

Those cases came out great didn't they. The brass wire while softer to use on aluminum, it does however transfer in to the pours of the aluminum leaving a goldish color. The goldish color is fine if that is the look you're after. I had the same thing happen before. Next use some Blue magic to further polish and help seal the cases.

[@mattmcdonough707]

When I did the case on my YZ 250 I popped the cases in the oven at 200 for about 2 hours and everything fell right out . I did the same thing when I installed the new bearing , but I put all the bearings in the freezer the day before and they dropped right in with no issues

[@okerhrh4139]

One thing for anyone trying to tear an engine, heat up every bolt/nut to be safe, especially if you’re a rookie! Best tip out there. And drivers.. lots of drivers… I remember my first clutch nut, I had to grind it off.. and my second one I just gave up it on and left it. Nowadays first heat, and an impact driver.. works like a charm. PS I pre-heat EVERY bolt and nut even case bolts before. Only stuff like plastics I just wd40, those can be dremelled

[@chadpearsall7398]

What do you use in your degreaser bath tub?

[@DannyZ011]

Popping the bearings out would've been easier with a hydraulic press but you gotta work with what you got... great vids I enjoy watching them... I learn a lot despite being a mechanic by trade

[@Phobu]

Love your videos been following you for a long time, you should build yourself a vaporblaster, once you have one you can't live without it ! Saves so much time

[@Justin-mo6uv]

Nice video...now that looks better than new..

[@n00blike]

Great finish, how are you going to protect the polished look?

[@rickyhernandez995]

Did you use the fine cleaning or just the cleaning scotch brite pads?

[@anthonyk9534]

Love Your Videos Cameron! Your Living The Life!

[@juu5o221]

Did you use any spray on the cases after polishing them? Does it keep its shine?

[@daviddeleon5551]

The 250 is gonna look sick!

[@robertverschueren9136]

how many small dremel bruches do you need for the whole engine block ?

[@wyattbaird5020]

Im going to be cleaning an engine soon here. I was messing around with some steel wire cups and they cleaned it up very well, but left a darker finish. You think if i get a bunch of scotch brite wheels for a dremel that will get rid of that finish?

[@micksheehan4013]

for doing the mating faces on your engine covers, gasket surfaces etc. to get a flat surface and perfect gasket surface , try a sheet of glass and some lapping paste, if you cant find lapping paste, brasso works ok, even toothpaste will work with a bit of light oil, move your covers over the glass in a figure 8 motion with the lapping paste taking care of the surface flatness.

[@ztaar6375]

Insane looking Cameron, great job.

[@Reza-nz2re]

Can you do manually with rubbing paste and cloth ?? I want to polish mu crankcase without taking them out from motorcycle.

[@Keskusrikospoliisi]

Aren't the cases powder coated to grey? Does it start to rust if you don't powder coat or paint it after doing this?

[@johnnywishbone1349]

I like the polished look, but serious question, does doing this remove the protective coat/paint that comes from the factory? Will this polished look rust faster if not kept clean?

[@ketutapw2642]

Did you clean it, inside out? And how about to maintained it?

[@trungnamnguyen7472]

Do you know that after polishing finished, what need to be done to get the aluminum to get back to its original color?

[@robh3267]

If your trying to resurface gasket surfaces to have a perfect flat sealing surface wrap or even lightly glue sheets of sandpaper to a piece of plate glass and move the part over the surface rather than moving the sanding surface over the part plate glass is a true flat surface you can actually even resurface car engine heads this way but dirt bike engine surfaces work very well using this method many sanding blocks are not very flat and you can't sand the whole surface at the same time which in some cases lead to an uneven surface.

[@BeemerTwelve]

@4:08 I don't understand why the nut you put last doesn't come out, aren't you turning it counterclockwise? am I missing something here?

[@mohdradzi7442]

Look at @4:20 lock 2 pcs nut.

[@aaronbrunelle6604]

Thank you for the video, crank case looks good!

[@203dyl]

How did you get the engine to look so smooth instead of all scratched looking?

[@ochieev3165]

bro what chemical can i buy to remove grease and oil in the motor? i'm planning to restore my honda xrm110 and do you have a video how to fix stuckup kickstarter? thanks

[@MichaelJohnson-xu7oq]

Hey dude!!! I dont comment very often but I had to let you know how much i love your videos and your work!!! I really cant wait to see what your plans are for this bike! Those cases are getting me jealous 😂 I wish i could do what you do 😊 Youre my model when it comes time to work on my bike. Thanks alot for the vids you are my favourite youtuber hands down 😉 Wish i had the money to get some Pryme products and help you out with the build ! PS Love the more often vid release but dont forget to take your time 😊 Peace ! ✌

[@CameronNiemela]

Thanks man!

[@stevenmays1419]

This guy would be a good guy to live beside of

[@larrymorse4346]

What brand buffing wheel is that? Im looking for a large stand buffer. That one seems very nice..great work!

[@ronanrogers4127]

Have you thought about filling the largest holes by alloy brazing? A Henrob torch is great for those tasks, using just 4 psi you don’t get any blowback and brazing isn’t hot enough to deform the cases. It’s very gentle. You would then just grind back the cases, and by this method you haven’t sacrificed any case thickness. It’s also used to restore irreplaceable vintage wire rims (like off classic Mercedes & Jaguar), and exhausts too. Better method IMO.

[@ortodontia.diegobrandariz]

Insane finish!

[@ricardobenin7830]

What wheels are you using on that polisher ? Im assuming the polisher motor is a Baldor ? thanks

[@CameronNiemela]

Yes, the buffer is a Baldor. I'm using these pads www.prymemx.com/collections/cleaningpads

[@sambuvca22]

Use extreme caution using that bearing puller. I suffered a nasty wound between my thumb and index finger. Pinched the joint and it bleed for a week.

[@michaelpresey2273]

I kinda liked the brass look on the case

[@Midnight_Rider96]

How did you protect the finish?

[@upward_onward]

bro, after assemblying the engine parts again will it effect the engine performance ? Will it have the power and torque that was there when it was manufactured first at the company factory ? And what is name of the brush u used ?

[@Farseer1995]

Dude, I love the shine. Could you tell us what expressiveness the pads you use for general shining up are? Thanks!

[@CameronNiemela]

Thanks! All the details on the pads are here www.prymemx.com/collections/cleaningpads

[@coltonquintana5703]

When cleaning the cases how long will it take to oxidize again or look ugly ? How do you protect it after taking off the coating ? Please would like to know

[@reeced314]

Are you going to polish the intake?

[@danielsullivan2558]

Your awesome,so many people don't share this kind of stuff because they feel you should have to pay $1000 plus for something like this.when you can do it yourself and do better job then they would do 🤘😜awesome video bud looks brand new

[@alexandergardner2396]

Nice work. What stopped you from using different media in a hydroblaster?

[@matthias587]

this is high quality content

[@__a.marquez__]

Are you going to clean\ repair thr exhaust system?? If you are going to do it, can make the video? I need help with this

[@thefrenchiestfry5495]

What i usually do is use a steel wire wheel on an angle grinder to remove all paint or rust, and then i spray the insides of the exhaust with oven cleaner a couple of times and then preassure wash it, then repaint it.

[@zaselhouvikuotsu5338]

Bike frame paint removed

[@stevencollins8942]

Cameron can I ask why you never polished the intake and around the crank ? surely that would make for better power and delivery? i only ask as I was toying with idea and wouldn't mind some tips. or if there are any pro's or cons in doing this?

[@CameronNiemela]

There's a lot of science and design behind porting. Not my specialty

[@Zenzenmusic]

While you had it all apart,how did each half of the cases and cylinder match at the transfer ports,seeing as you have a dremel at hand.I know modern engines are a lot cleaner and closer to spec.Not as bad as attaching the pipe to cylinder and checking for any mismatch.

[@felixmx3534]

Its like an asmr Video for Maschine freaks 😂😂🤙hold on buddy 🤙

[@firfahmanzuraidi3630]

if the surface for gasket is uneven that may lead to leaking oil . how did you fix it ? use thicker gasket or what?

[@CameronNiemela]

Flat sand them like shown in the video

[@markssmallengines3542]

Your work is awesome. This cr250 will shit all over hondas factory build haha I'm keen to see what you do with the topend, Oversizing? Porting? Port matching? Reed valves an cage? Carb? Endless possibilities mate keep it up love your vids, take care Mark.

[@jeffsegilia6152]

Did you take the clutch actuator bearing out of the cases?

[@CameronNiemela]

I didn't

[@OriginalAuttin]

Can’t wait till he next engine build video comes out in building an engine right now based on them