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Engine room cleanup

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post42

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I want to start getting my engine room looking real good. What is the best way to clean up the engine room and the engines before painting? What are the best products and methods to use? What worked for you guys out there? My engine room isnot deplorable, but cetainly doesn't look like some I have seen on here. Thanks guys. Hope everybody had a great season, Chris.
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Big Tits Black
 
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Wire brush or screwdriver off any loose scale and rust you can get at (or Dremel if space and that kind of standard is what you're after), spray "Brakleen" (in a REALLY well ventilated space because that stuff will make you loopy really quick) to leave a pretty residue-free degreasing, primer if necessary over bare metal and then put on the paint of your choice. A neat tip a friend gave me if spraypainting your engines is to use tinfoil over hoses and fitting you're masking off instead of tape and newspaper -- it goes on really quickly and comes off even more quickly. That was a huge timesaver.

This method holds up quite well. Mine's been going on for about 3 or 4 years and still looking good where I painted.
 
Brakeleen will leave a residue. use alcohol as the last prep or get some "prepsol" and wipe on with one cloth and off with another. If there is grease left on the surface you Will get fish eye and I do not know of a spray paint ( canned) you can add fish eye reducer to.
 
Someone on here suggested powdered Tide laundry detergent a few months back. I gave it a shot on some bilge areas that had years of gunk from PO. It completely dissolves oil, grease- needs just a soft brush to cut it, then use hose to wash it off. I shopvac'd the remnants. This stuff worked a 1000 times better than that purple stuff. Be sure to rinse well as leftover may decay and leave an odor (according to my dock neighbor).
-Chad
 
Take proper safety precautions when using any solvent based cleaner, especially in a confined space. Some are extreme fire/explosion hazards. Electric motors, fans and contacts can ignite the fumes.

I would try one of the water based methods first, like tide or cascade dishwasher soap.
 
I swear (again) I am going to clean my bilge this winter..... :}
 
Thanks for the responses guys! I think I am going to try the Tide method. I will let ya know how it goes. Hell if I can figure out how to post pics. I'll do that to. Thanks again, Chris.
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Herbalaire Vaporizer
 
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No one mentioned meta-silicate cleaners such as Purple Power Cleaner. It's a very aggressive grease cutter. Warm the engine, spray it on, go over it with a bristle brush and hose it off. Non-flammable and will not make you loopy BUT it will irritate eyes, nose, and skin if you get it on you. (Use gloves & glasses).

No residue that I could detect. Once dry, prime metal using Metal Prep, (use glove for this as well because it stains skin) and finish with paint of your choice. I used off-white auto touch up for the engine and while Bilge Coat for fiberglass & wood surfaces.

Note on Bilge Coat - I was not satisfied with it as it went on translucent and needed several coats.
 
Can not find a store near Chicago, so I just sent them an email asking for a sample. We shall see!
Maybe theyre better than Pascoe, NAIAD, Bradford yachts, to name a few that dont have the courtesy to even respond! ws
 
OK,
I used simple Green, scrub brushes, and a power washer in my 45'. I did not hit the areas of the engines where water or simple green would penetrate, like the starter and so on, but I've go to tell you, once you get past the smell, it cleans and drys with no film. Tuff work call for a tuff cleaner. I think your being a little to carefull with the tide approach.
 
the enzymes inthe tide are powerful. if want real agressive use oven cleaner!
 
YEAH!! Thats what I was using on the engine oil in the wood. Found some industrial toilet cleaner with 5% HcL with a ruff scotchbrite pad that works a lot better. I am gonna try the OC tomorrow though in the unterland! ws
 
Hey Chris-- Im a little bad on the CEing. Does the liquid Tide have the same enzime count? It would be a breeze to spray on. Just a thought. ws
 
yachtsmanbill said:
Found some industrial toilet cleaner with 5% HcL
Click to expand...

Bill
HCl (aka hydrochloric/muratic acid) will not cut grease. Wrong end pf the pH scale. You could begin with oven cleaner which is foaming caustic (very high pH) to initially cut through grease, rinse the follow up with HCl to remove rust & scale.

Just don't use acid for the first step.
 
I use the purple stuff from home depot mixed with a little kerosene.
 
Passages said:
Bill
HCl (aka hydrochloric/muratic acid) will not cut grease. Wrong end pf the pH scale. You could begin with oven cleaner which is foaming caustic (very high pH) to initially cut through grease, rinse the follow up with HCl to remove rust & scale.

Just don't use acid for the first step.
Click to expand...

The HcL was used on the wood project and actually did a great job. Even after all Ive done, I cant quite figure out whats on it. Some stuff looks kinda like a smear of whitewash, but water wont penetrate it. Hard water calcium/lime, oil, and battery acid ?
The other thing here, was about the bilge goo. I need something with no LEL, low fumes, cuts the junk and can be cold rinsed. The next step is to rent a Hotsy steam cleaner. I dont know if Im ready to clean up 50lbs of paint chips when it all comes off! The rest of the ER has so much oil and grease on everything that rust and scale is at a minimum LOL.
I need a name for the purple stuff from the Homo. The stuff that was mentioned earlier today isnt around Chicago. I emailed them for a sample and got a form letter back that some human will review my letter within 48 hours. Tomorrow Ill try the EZ off and also some Tide. Plenty of test areas!! ws
 
Sodium Hydroxide (lye) is the chemical you are looking for, some toilet clog stuff has this in it. The pure form in pellets was used in the old red devil lye. Water soluable, very caustic, be extremely careful. It will eat your skin. Use goggles and rubber gloves. Learn before you burn.

Prior to the enzymes, you wouldnt have soap without lye. The old folks where I grew up made their own soap. It had so much lye in it you were guarranteed to come out of the tub a nice rosey color! LOL It got you clean, the new soaps just make you smell better. I don't remember people having as many skin disorders when we all washed with the old lye soaps.
 
I just did a little reading on this and found that the fumes can cause esophogial erosion, and if ingested you get cleaned with an endoscopy! Neat. Where can I buy it without having it shipped? Also, potassium hydroxide came up as an additive for making liquid soap. Guess I gotta go shopping with the reading specs next time! ws
 
You can get Roebic Crystal Drain Opener at Lowe's. It is 100 percent lye, just like the old red devil. They have it in 2 lb containers too.
 
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