Cleaing OIL/GUNK/ETC 996 swingarm
 

I have stripped the bike and Iam trying to clean the swingarm (which has clearly never been by the previous scumbag owner!). It has a layer of oil, dirt etc that I cannot shift, all I seem to be doing is spreading it around. I have tried several products and methods but it still feels sticky and looks dirty (er..)

I need a product, method that will shift the gunk? Any ideas?

I considered the dishwasher?
(thats a joke)

Try a solvent based product. Paint thinners,white spirit etc.

"Gunk" is actually quite good for that!

It's a degreaser. Decant into one of those plant sprayers you can buy from garden centres, spray liberally, leave for a bit, agitate with an old paintbrush then hose off with water.

Or Jizer, similar to gunk except it's pinky red in colour

Ray

If its really bad and old caked on gunge i'd soak it in parafin, agitate with a brush, then rub with a rag soaked in parafin to get the worst off.

Then spray with the wifes kitchen floor cleaner like liquid flash, or use some proprietary cleaner like MUC OFF, spray it on again, and agitate with a brush, and wash off with very hot water and car shampoo stuff using a nylon pan scrubber, and scrub like hell. Should work a treat.

You could use washing up liquid but this contains salt which of course is not good for alloy, if you do then make sure you rinse it very very well.

heine gericke chain cleaner shifts anything including accumilated chain gunge, expensive but easier work than any of the above mentioned products/substances.

Scumbag owner?!
 

Maybe he was out riding the thing not polishing. Ducati riders seem to be made up of polishers and riders, riders don't deride the polishers so don't slate the previous owner, it was his bike before yours and sounds like he rode the thing instead of stripping and cleaning, remember what Ducati's are for. Says me who has his in pieces (repairing not cleaning though). I wash mine when I can't see the headlights because of flies.

One of the best degreasers available is brake cleaner, it's one of the few remaining solvents you can buy that contains trichloroethane, and as such is decidedly dodgy to use in anywhere but a well ventilated area!
Car shops flog it in either aerosol cans or you can get it in a 5 litre size, it is extremely flammable though, apart from the carcinogenic aspect of the trike content, so take care!
The make I use is "Xtend" - they also do Carb. cleaner which is great for removing all the petrol stain gunge, and as such it's pretty lethal as well!
Cheers,
Pete

white parrafin as described in ducati,s 900ss bevel owners manual...have used same on all my ducs since the 70.s now to include 916sps & 900ss both mint condition! perfect stuff,dont damage rubber,nylon,plastic ali or steel in any way and brings them all up a treat ..it,s cheap too at £4 a gallon that ammount lasts me about a year why all the techno stuff ive no idea beats me but if you want to pay out for a fancy bottle of goo then go ahead...

One further comment to add re. my post and using brake cleaner, it's not expensive at just over £2.00 a tin for the aerosol, but it evaporates completely leaving no residue or smell.
Then to finish off, have the whole swing-arm polished, then you can clean it with Autosol!