cleaning front sprocket area

[salad]

i took the engine sprocket cover off today... its NASTY in there. how do i go about cleaning it out?

thanks

[RedShift]

I used a slotted-head screwdriver, an old tooth brush, WD-40 and a many paper towels.

Cleaning it out was the easy part. Getting the adjustments right took the major fiddling.  A pictorial of my exploits is posted in a the FAQ forum, under Sprocket Cover Cleanout & Clutch Adjustment.

Speaking of which, I should probably check the amount of goop I've accumulated over the past 18 months.   

[l3uddha]

lol I had sticks & crap all gummed up in there when I opened it.

If you're only doing a cleaning I would HIGHLY suggest not unscrewing the clutch cable just to remove the cover.

[scratch]

I use a sock over a surgical glove (or similar) over my hand, and a screwdriver.  Be sure to cover the ground with newspaper to catch all the fracass.

[RedShift]

l3uddha speaks from experience.     I learned the hard way.