Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Ncdan on April 15, 2018, 07:45:35 AM
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Just a little lite hearted survey.
Does your bike cleaning kit include a tooth brush, Q tips, off set handle brushes or other unconventional tools? Just checking to see if I�m the only fanatic here when it comes to cleaning up my Calvin.
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Fanatic? You are. Cleaning a bike is the best way to get it to not work.
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(http://thumb.ibb.co/kSUXSS/8_CBCABBA_E549_4048_8385_735_D25865019.jpg) (http://ibb.co/kSUXSS)
I keep ‘em clean. And running. Once you get one cleaned up it’s easy to keep it that way.
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Just checking to see if I�m the only fanatic here when it comes to cleaning up my Calvin.
Who else would be a fanatic when it comes to cleaning your Calvin? :whip2:
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There's no better way to find that loose fastener, wire, abraded hose, etc. than a good cleaning. That doesn't include a high pressure wash job, though. Besides that, I *hate* working on a dirty machine.
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I'd rather ride than clean but I will admit that I keep the shiny bits shiny and the paint waxed but that DOES NOT include a tooth brush and QTips. To me that is over the top and yes perhaps a bit anal but to each his own.
Cheers, Tim
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Fanatic? You are. Cleaning a bike is the best way to get it to not work.
Yes, I agree. My 700 has never been washed since I've owned it(25yrs) . Motor & drive train degreased along w/wheels.
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There's no better way to find that loose fastener, wire, abraded hose, etc. than a good cleaning. That doesn't include a high pressure wash job, though. Besides that, I *hate* working on a dirty machine.
I heard Dick Mann make exactly the same point at a trials meet one time, if it’s good enough for Bugsy and Chuck, it’s good enough for me.
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I�m with Chuck. Cleaning the bike up is a great preventative maintenance activity. I even clean my bike at the end of each day�s ride when traveling...and for the same reason. As for the Q-Tips, pipe cleaners, and brush kits; I use them on restorations and each bike’s once a year detailing. Most times it’s just Original Bike Spirits spray detailer and a microfiber towel.
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I�m with Chuck. Cleaning the bike up is a great preventative maintenance activity. I even clean my bike at the end of day�s ride when traveling...and for the same reason.
I rarely clean on a trip, the collection of bug splat is a badge of honor and an old dude I used to ride with believed it was bad JuJu. But I do clean up after the trip.
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In my opinion cleaning bikes is part of riding, also clean bikes run better and faster :wink:
I don't use any specific detailing tools, just water, shampoo, wax and rugs. I not sure I qualify as a fanatic but like to keep my cars and bikes clean.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/mZTCSS/20161015_160537.jpg) (http://ibb.co/mZTCSS)
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There's no better way to find that loose fastener, wire, abraded hose, etc. than a good cleaning. That doesn't include a high pressure wash job, though. Besides that, I *hate* working on a dirty machine.
Thank you Chuck, it�s great to have a back up:) I just threw out the tooth brush and Q tips for examples however when one purchases a used bike that has been cared for like some of these guys do, to get it like it deserves to be one must use small brushes and a toothbrush works great when dipped in a good cleaner, and to clean oil and grime that is in hard to reach places. How else can one find leaks other than keeping it clean.
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A clean bike is a happy bike.
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The bike is cleaned for winter storage, during every rain (don't understand fair weather riders), and immediately after traversing road construction to wash the calcite off before it bonds to the paint. Once in a while I'll pander to my vanity and take a bucket and sponge to it for a random wipe-down but I wouldn't call that a cleaning.
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None of my bikes are garage queens or show pieces. My old carbed and analog dashed Thruxton is the closest to fanatical cleaning I get and that is tooth brush yes, Q-tip level no.
My other bikes are cleaned appropriately for the use. Touring bikes get the body work washed and waxed several times a year with oiled bits sprayed and cleaned (I hate leaky gasket residue collecting dirt). The dirt bikes get a hose and boat brush treatment and only get detailed cleaning in prep for maintenance. My GS gets ridden in the rain regularly, so that amounts to it's level of cleaning.
I would rather ride than clean or wrench.
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It's just part of corrosion prevention. Some people have higher standards and I've always admired them for it. The early version of tubeless spoked rims try my patience but need to be kept after or the heartbreak of Intergranular exfoliation sets in.
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Ride almost every day - clean almost every weekend - detail a couple times a year.
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I'm waiting for the Turnip to weigh in.
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My Ambassador has the original patina - I use foaming bathroom cleaner to maintain it.
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Cheap toothbrushes from the dollar store, imitation 'loofa' sponges, Q-tips, Pledge, and if needed a coffee can half filled with solvent and either one of them toothbrushes, or a throwaway paint brush.
Sitting out by the shop washing a bike is kind of relaxing for me. I've also come across, cracking fuel lines, mouse nests, wasp nest, broken wires, missing bolts/screws, etc.
Too cold to be out washing bikes right now, but I did have to do one of our Honda NT700's. Orchardists are out in force spraying right now and Pete apparently drove through some over spray. Covered the front end of the bike with white residue. Half a dozen things are used during Pre-Bloom stage, some of those are not nice to paint and metal parts.
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I clean my bike after I ride it.
In fact, I remember a trip I took to Springfield where my fellow riders got onto me about, saying it was "bad luck". :whip2:
Funny, my speedometer and my watch both went bonkers on that trip. And when I put a new battery in my watch, the speedo started working again, at least for a few more months.
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I clean my bike after I ride it.
In fact, I remember a trip I took to Springfield where my fellow riders got onto me about, saying it was "bad luck". :whip2:
Funny, my speedometer and my watch both went bonkers on that trip. And when I put a new battery in my watch, the speedo started working again, at least for a few more months.
Bad JuJu to clean on a trip, I'm tellin' you man..........
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I do like to keep up on the cleaning but gave up the q tips and toothbrush after my ears and teeth started turning black. :grin:
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you do have more than one toothbrush.....righ t? :huh:
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A Guzzi Guy with more than one toothbrush?? Crazy talk. :cool: Those things are expensive..
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Do any of you remember the name of a product that you would mix with cleaning solvent or kerosene and could use as a degreaser ; but when rinsed with water it turned into a detergent-like cleaner?
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I heard Dick Mann make exactly the same point at a trials meet one time, if it�s good enough for Bugsy and Chuck, it�s good enough for me.
Bugs. He doesn't like Bugsy ... Bugsy was a gangster .....
Lannis
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Do any of you remember the name of a product that you would mix with cleaning solvent or kerosene and could use as a degreaser ; but when rinsed with water it turned into a detergent-like cleaner?
not sure about that one, but you might try Simple Green?
https://simplegreen.com/products/all-purpose-cleaner/
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Sheepskin wash mitt, car wash soap and a bucket of warm water. A stiff brush for the wheels if they're grungy and a once over with the leaf blower and a towel Wax if I'm feeling frisky. On a road trip, a hot wet hotel towel on the windshield for the bug guts.
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Sheepskin wash mitt, car wash soap and a bucket of warm water. A stiff brush for the wheels if they're grungy and a once over with the leaf blower and a towel Wax if I'm feeling frisky. On a road trip, a hot wet hotel towel on the windshield for the bug guts.
And by that I hope you mean:
"... a hot wet hotel towel (a worn out one given to you for bike cleaning by the desk) on the windshield for the bug guts .... "
Otherwise it will soon be 1968 again in hotel/motel attitude toward motorcyclists! :thumb:
Lannis
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I do request a throw away from housekeeping
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And by that I hope you mean:
"... a hot wet hotel towel (a worn out one given to you for bike cleaning by the desk) on the windshield for the bug guts .... "
Otherwise it will soon be 1968 again in hotel/motel attitude toward motorcyclists! :thumb:
Lannis
I carry my own towel for wiping down the bike.
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Keeping a motorbike covered in Yak Fat keeps corrosion to a minimum , although all of the neighborhood dogs will start hanging around ...
Dusty
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My brother uses LPS spray in the fall, covers the whole bike. Rides in the salt during winter & cleans it off in the spring.
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not sure about that one, but you might try Simple Green?
https://simplegreen.com/products/all-purpose-cleaner/
simple green is corrosive to aluminum. A better choice is Industrial or Heavy duty Fantastic which is not corrosive to aluminum
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I do request a throw away from housekeeping
Well, I thought that was probably true but ... well ....
I've found more and more places actually offering me one even if I don't ask. And the ones I ask always give me one. Something that places didn't used to do years ago, like letting you park your bike under the front portico ...
Lannis
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simple green is corrosive to aluminum. A better choice is Industrial or Heavy duty Fantastic which is not corrosive to aluminum
I did not know that
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Fanatic? You are. Cleaning a bike is the best way to get it to not work.
Nonsense. Ask any professional racing crewchief, aircraft maintenance manager, military mechanic of all types, or even your wives, whether cleanliness is next to Godliness.
It is. Thorough cleaning is paramount to catching issues before they become problems. As bonuses, it maintains your stuff in top condition for later, much easier, resale or trade-in. When I see filthy, poorly maintained bikes/cars for sale in the majority of ads, it never surprises me they don't sell.
I grew up with an engineer father (auto engineering) and uncle (thermodynamics); and mechanical cleanliness was instilled in me from the time I could help wash cars every week, around age 7 forward--even during the winters in Denmark. You can pretty much always eat off any part of any car or motorcycle I own; I always reap the benefits of admiring glances and immediate resale at top dollar.
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Nonsense. Ask any professional racing crewchief, aircraft maintenance manager, military mechanic of all types, or even your wives, whether cleanliness is next to Godliness.
It is. Thorough cleaning is paramount to catching issues before they become problems. As bonuses, it maintains your stuff in top condition for later, much easier, resale or trade-in. When I see filthy, poorly maintained bikes/cars for sale in the majority of ads, it never surprises me they don't sell.
I grew up with an engineer father (auto engineering) and uncle (thermodynamics); and mechanical cleanliness was instilled in me from the time I could help wash cars every week, around age 7 forward--even during the winters in Denmark. You can pretty much always eat off any part of any car or motorcycle I own; I always reap the benefits of admiring glances and immediate resale at top dollar.
Spot on Kris, well spoken.
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The bike is one of two things I can think of that is as much fun washing afterwards as it was getting "dirty" in the first place.
(As it were)
I'm reminded of an old Woody Allen movie where he was playing the part of an eccentric old artist, who used to drag women in advanced stages of undress covered in paint, over the canvas to create his masterpieces.
He was heard to say that although creating the works was fun, it was washing the brushes afterwards that he really enjoyed the most...! :rolleyes: :wink:
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Nonsense. Ask any professional racing crewchief, aircraft maintenance manager, military mechanic of all types, or even your wives, whether cleanliness is next to Godliness.
It is. Thorough cleaning is paramount to catching issues before they become problems. As bonuses, it maintains your stuff in top condition for later, much easier, resale or trade-in. When I see filthy, poorly maintained bikes/cars for sale in the majority of ads, it never surprises me they don't sell.
I grew up with an engineer father (auto engineering) and uncle (thermodynamics); and mechanical cleanliness was instilled in me from the time I could help wash cars every week, around age 7 forward--even during the winters in Denmark. You can pretty much always eat off any part of any car or motorcycle I own; I always reap the benefits of admiring glances and immediate resale at top dollar.
True, I worked with Merlyn Plumlee in the '80s who would go on to win 7 world championships for Honda. He would wash his personal racebike before then after working on it everyday without even riding it.
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Fanatic? You are. Cleaning a bike is the best way to get it to not work.
I'm with ya!
(https://photos.smugmug.com/A-Gaggle-of-Geese-Moto-Guzzi/i-2GZ29Fp/0/2d2b5a8d/S/IMG_20180412_191649-S.jpg) (https://curtedwards.smugmug.com/A-Gaggle-of-Geese-Moto-Guzzi/i-2GZ29Fp/A)
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Trying to keep my bikes clean is a losing battle. Spotless in the garage is "covered in mud" within 2 km of home.
I hose it off when it gets bad. That's about it.
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Usually, get out the garden hose and add car wash soap to one of these and attached it to the end of said garden hose.
Then dial it one way or another, until you see suds. It knocks off a lot of dirt, right away
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(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4736/24588247607_a54638b689.jpg)
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Keep it wet for a few minutes and then run over it with a wash mitt and then rinse.
Then dry off the shiny parts with a cotton cloth.
Thread-bare cotton t-shirts work well.
Paint brush works pretty well for detailing.
WD-40 and a paint brush for the greasy bits.
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My bikes get a thorough bath once a year and yes I'll use the little brushes if need be to get the hard spots. After their bath they both get a treatment of ACF-50 and the Griso's exhaust will get another treatment of OptiGlanz when I see it again.
However, during the year I keep a bottle of Waterless Wash and Wax and a micro towel nearby and "clean as I go." This works great IMO. The product has a caution against matte finished paint but I contacted them and they say it is fine for the Griso as long as you don't do a hard buff or anything.
https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G3626-Ultimate-Waterless-Wash/dp/B006FUT0CS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523904464&sr=8-3&keywords=Meguiar%27s+Ultimate+Waterless+Wash+%26+Wax&dpID=41XolMmpcnL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
Then occasionally spray a little Pig Spit on the black parts. Learned that from a Harley guy. They know lots of tricks as their bikes have to look their best at the bar every weekend :)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VJR3GO/ref=sxr_zg_dy_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3525596382&pd_rd_wg=74Zoq&pf_rd_r=0TH35Z3ANYH88D2J3C1H&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B000VJR3GO&pd_rd_w=LYOrT&pf_rd_i=pig+spit&pd_rd_r=c21b8129-d755-4872-a55b-acb11e97a2bf&ie=UTF8&qid=1523904856&sr=1
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Just a little lite hearted survey.
Does your bike cleaning kit include a tooth brush, Q tips, off set handle brushes or other unconventional tools? Just checking to see if I�m the only fanatic here when it comes to cleaning up my Calvin.
you not the only one.
although I don't always comb thru the bike that detail after every ride, I do once a month as I ride thru some heavy bug infested area on the way to work and back...
Gotta love those kettle farms
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QUOTE:
Does your bike cleaning kit include a tooth brush, Q tips, off set handle brushes or other unconventional tools?
:shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: Man...and I thought I had "OCD" (lol) :laugh: :grin:
My motto: "A clean bike always seems to run better than a dirty bike..."
These days, I generally try and AVOID the hose and water, especially around the motor, electrical components, etc., so I used Simple Green, and other hand sprays cleaners, Speed-Shine, de-greasers, etc. :thumb: :1: :cool:
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Soap and hose my Stelvio because I ride it all year and hope to get road salt off it. Strangely, that means I never wash it in fair weather except for rain rides! Washed my bone stock 2014 V7S last November because I'm considering selling it (4400 miles). Haven't posted it or advertised but open to rational offers from list members if interested.
Steve
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er... I pressure wash my bikes. There I said it. However, I'm very careful where I point that thing and stand back. A couple of times a year I'll really give 'em a good going over using a variety of brushes gathered over the years and I've got something that looks like an over-sized electric toothbrush with a selection of heads to clean all those flanged borrani rims.
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I really, really hate cleaning.
But as stated, there is no better way to find whatever it was that would have left you walking.
I get them toothbrush-clean once, then just hit the high spots for a while until something tougher than dust sticks, then back to the toothbrush.
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It just gets dirty again within 5 miles...and here in Oklahoma, thanks to the prevailing wind it's TEXAS DIRT, dammit!!! :rolleyes:
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Do any of you remember the name of a product that you would mix with cleaning solvent or kerosene and could use as a degreaser ; but when rinsed with water it turned into a detergent-like cleaner?
If you meant Gunk it truly was the king of products. I don't think it's available(at least in the old formulation) anymore. Things looked new after rinsing, great stuff.
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I really, really hate cleaning.
But as stated, there is no better way to find whatever it was that would have left you walking.
I get them toothbrush-clean once, then just hit the high spots for a while until something tougher than dust sticks, then back to the toothbrush.
After a 750-900+ mile "Road Trip", you do need to clean "THE BUGS" off the bike anyway...but it is a pain, or a labor of love...depending on your perspective...
One time in Datil, NM at the state Guzzi Rally in mid-August, we encountered a "SWARM" ,(literally like hundreds of thousands...) of grass-hoppers all over the road...that was fun cleaning them off...and they smelled when plastered on the hot engine / exhaust!! :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
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"and they smelled when plastered on the hot engine / exhaust!!"
Around here we have a LOT of swampy/marshy areas. I don't even know what the bugs are, but as dusk hits, they come out by the millions and commit suicide by headlight. Thick enough that car windshields are literally opaque, wipers can't keep up, and cars start to overheat from the layers upon layers of bugs cooked to radiator... and the smell? Like you woke up in a swamp.
On the bike... things are even worse.
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Something I never thought to use on paint as a cleaner. Windex.
My HD has that denim/ matte black paint and I wanted to know what to use to clean it and Windex was the recommended cleaner to use. It cuts oil and bugs and does a good job.
Tom
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I hope you guys are washing your hands before you touch your bike! :rolleyes:
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Might be a decent thread to bring this up...
I used to work for a Bush Plane outfit in the far north. All clear plastic and plexiglass had to be cleaned with Pledge, and never glass cleaner... something to do with hazing and fogging. Since then I always use it on my visors and flyscreens.
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I hope you guys are washing your hands before you touch your bike!
Kind of related... a couple years back, my wife posted a pic online of our bikes after a camping trip. Thick mud, top to bottom, everywhere. The first response? "I've never seen a dirty Guzzi before".
Maybe the cleaning is part and parcel with Guzzi ownership in general?
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Around here we have a LOT of swampy/marshy areas. I don't even know what the bugs are, but as dusk hits, they come out by the millions and commit suicide by headlight. Thick enough that car windshields are literally opaque, wipers can't keep up, and cars start to overheat from the layers upon layers of bugs cooked to radiator... and the smell? Like you woke up in a swamp.
On the bike... things are even worse.
I am somewhat familiar with that scenario. In fact, (more than once) I swear that there were flying hamsters. WHACK ! Ewwwwwwwwww !!!
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Around here we have a LOT of swampy/marshy areas. I don't even know what the bugs are, but as dusk hits, they come out by the millions and commit suicide by headlight. Thick enough that car windshields are literally opaque, wipers can't keep up, and cars start to overheat from the layers upon layers of bugs cooked to radiator... and the smell? Like you woke up in a swamp.
On the bike... things are even worse.
In S. Fla, we get Love Bugs twice a year. They've migrated up from S. America since the 1930's, so if you're on the Gulf Coast you know them.
They contain some sort of fat that turns to epoxy pretty quickly in the sun, and I always thought fish smelled but it actually gets on the fish from the love bugs.
The only defense from a LB swarm is to wash the vehicle with dish soap and leave it to dry, then next time you wash they come right off. Not great for your wax job. The other thing is PAM non-stick cooking spray. That's a bastard to wash off in it's own right.
When I ran a fleet maintenance department in Okeechobee, we had a 5000psi power washer that would take off paint but would not take off the worst of the love bugs.
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In S. Fla, we get Love Bugs twice a year. They've migrated up from S. America since the 1930's, so if you're on the Gulf Coast you know them.
They contain some sort of fat that turns to epoxy pretty quickly in the sun, and I always thought fish smelled but it actually gets on the fish from the love bugs.
The only defense from a LB swarm is to wash the vehicle with dish soap and leave it to dry, then next time you wash they come right off. Not great for your wax job. The other thing is PAM non-stick cooking spray. That's a bastard to wash off in it's own right.
When I ran a fleet maintenance department in Okeechobee, we had a 5000psi power washer that would take off paint but would not take off the worst of the love bugs.
Try some of the citrus spray cleaners for that bug juice. It will melt that clear bug goop on contact and not harm paint or chrome. I can’t say a say how it may effect aluminum as far as stains.