A clean engine vs a corrosion free engine?

Bobc said:
I'm with the "keep it clean and dry" brigade.
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Good if you have the option. I have a stuffing gland and a bilge sump beneath the engine. It's never going to be bone dry, hence the WD40. Same with the car engine.

I find it interesting, by the way, that the forum seems to be divided between those who say that WD40 is useless because it builds up and those who says it's useless because it evaporates ...
 
No mention of Fluid Film? Lanolin based and 'never' dries hard. Good for exposed mild steel.

Shell Ensis Fluid is another of my favourites, it does 'skin'.
 
Hacker said:
Back in the day my father had a friend who was a travelling salesman for WD40. His sales pitch involved a Mini. He would start the engine and then flood it with water so that the engine stopped. At this point he would spray WD40 over the electrics and then the engine was restarted. This worked well for quite a time until on one demonstration the car failed to stop when it was flooded. So much WD40 had built up over the years that it dispersed water as it landed. He had to buy a new car.
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Or a new distributor cap and leads.
 
Hacker said:
Health warning: don’t do this! I worked in hospitals for all my career. After an accident during a hockey match I required a menisectomy. Whilst sitting in the waiting room pre-op I was listening to 2 patients discussing their problems. The old lady told the old gent that she had had a hip replacement which had been giving her gip. Her solution was to spray her leg with WD40 which cured the problem. I struggled to keep my composure!
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It won't have stoped her hip squeaking but could have helped with incontinence.
 
Thank you for the replies and (flipping incredible (mildly OCD)) photos. I have made a start, and will aspire to achieving those giddy heights with my 2002 D2-55.

Given I have the option of dry and clean, I'll go with that.

I’ll finish cleaning off all the residue of light oil, then touch up the anywhere else the paint has flaked. The most challengingly flakey bits of paint are the hoses, hmm. I’ll also repaint the bilges where they have become a bit stained in places and give the sail drive area a clean.

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Looks good to me! I'd say that's about the level of 'clean' we aim for. Ours is a relatively new Beta and seeing as it still as about 96% of its paint intact, it's still easier to aim for paint as protection over anything else.

If it were me though, I'd get rid of the powder extinguisher (assuming it is automatic - even more so). It could be the end of a modern engine like that if it fires off while it's running.

There have been a few mentions of non-powder automatic alternatives on various recent threads. Ranging from low-tech straight replacements, to more fancy systems which direct the flow of foam (or whatever else) towards a particular area.

It's just on my mind as our engine compartment is completely stripped back now (literally, to bare ply!) with the engine un-plumbed/un-wired . So I'm in the process of rethinking it all through from the insulation up...!
 
Your engine is clean and its condition you should not be ashamed of.

BTW on things the bugs me are engine suppliers who paint the rubber hoses as it always flakes off ,could damage the hose and is not necessary
 
The cost of those hoses is eye watering too, so I will repaint them I suppose, or leave them cracked, hmm. The engine bay is pretty good, but if you get close there is work to do there to get it great ?. Good lunch break on boat jobs post lockdown.

dankilb said:
Looks good to me! I'd say that's about the level of 'clean' we aim for. Ours is a relatively new Beta and seeing as it still as about 96% of its paint intact, it's still easier to aim for paint as protection over anything else.

If it were me though, I'd get rid of the powder extinguisher (assuming it is automatic - even more so). It could be the end of a modern engine like that if it fires off while it's running.

There have been a few mentions of non-powder automatic alternatives on various recent threads. Ranging from low-tech straight replacements, to more fancy systems which direct the flow of foam (or whatever else) towards a particular area.

It's just on my mind as our engine compartment is completely stripped back now (literally, to bare ply!) with the engine un-plumbed/un-wired . So I'm in the process of rethinking it all through from the insulation up...!
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Good thinking re the extinguisher ?. Something like one of these? FX GTFE Halon Replacement Fire Extinguisher 1kg Gael Force Marine
 
MagicalArmchair said:
The cost of those hoses is eye watering too, so I will repaint them I suppose, or leave them cracked, hmm.
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The hoses in my pic post #13 were painted and flaked really quickly. The timing cover was also painted and flaked from about day 1. I removed the hoses and cleaned the paint off (now would be a good time for yours, with no water in the engine, i also took all the paint off of the timing covers when i changed the timing belt kit.
 
Gary Fox said:
My name is Fox and I'm a WD40-holic.
I have been using it for decades to sort out problems in my life, and I always have a tin within reach.
One in the boat, one in the car, and even a miniature in my pocket in case I get caught out.
I always know the nearest place to buy a tin of WD-40, even after hours, and I never travel to countries where it is banned.
It's such a weight off my mind to be able to discuss my addiction openly, but I'm looking for a reason to stop using WD-40 and I just can't see a way out...
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This never gets old
 
Since I started using a de humidifier I have noticed that the engine bay stays dry and corrosion free. The on board humidity meter shows 45 to 50%. Things are helped by the sail drive which requires no drips to the bilge. Cleaning the bilge is done with a hoover. !
 
The big culprit this time of year is condensation. Check your engine after a rise in temperature following a cold spell and you'll find it soaked in condensation no matter how dry your boat. I stored my boat Not sure what effect WD40 type sprays have on engine mountings.
 
PaulRainbow said:
The hoses in my pic post #13 were painted and flaked really quickly. The timing cover was also painted and flaked from about day 1. I removed the hoses and cleaned the paint off (now would be a good time for yours, with no water in the engine, i also took all the paint off of the timing covers when i changed the timing belt kit.
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Good idea! I’ll be doing the same to our hoses before the engine gets re-plumbed and recommissioned...

It isn’t just the cosmetics for me, it’s a practical annoyance that releasing a hose clamp and removing a hose showers the surrounding area in flakes of Beta red! And crusty/flaky paint is about the least helpful surface for spotting leaks etc.
 
KAM said:
The big culprit this time of year is condensation. Check your engine after a rise in temperature following a cold spell and you'll find it soaked in condensation no matter how dry your boat. I stored my boat Not sure what effect WD40 type sprays have on engine mountings.
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I run a dehumidifier now also (I purchased a new Seago one and its pretty damn good) and I noted, after warming the boat up, that the sump had plenty of condensation on it. I'm going to try and get a look at the bottom of the sump using the camera on my phone to make sure there are no chips in paint there as it would be a cracking place for corrosion to occur. I'll also make sure I leave the engine compartment open so the dehumidifier can suck the moisture out of that area.

PaulRainbow said:
The hoses in my pic post #13 were painted and flaked really quickly. The timing cover was also painted and flaked from about day 1. I removed the hoses and cleaned the paint off (now would be a good time for yours, with no water in the engine, i also took all the paint off of the timing covers when i changed the timing belt kit.
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Drat, opportunity missed this time as the engine is back together and full of coolant again. On the next coolant service in a couple of years I'll drop all the hoses off and do just that to get it looking really smart - good thinking. What did you use to remove the paint? Just scrape it off?

P.s. has anyone managed to make paint stick reliably to the pulleys that the belts go around? :D
 
Cover the engine/area with an old sheet and scrape the paint off with a Stanley blade. It's just dying to be released from its rubber host. You'll get most off, that is visible.
 
WD40 is a reasonable degreaser. That's what I do with the cans my Mum gives me every winter. Finish the job properly with brake cleaner.

If your electrics benefit from it then what they really need is cleaning and drying.

Despite people's best hopes it does not prevent rust. My Dad used to keep his better tools wrapped in an engine oil soaked rag. I thought I'd go modern and better that when I stripped a gearbox. Cleaned all the bits, sprayed with WD40 and wrapped them all cloth soaked in the stuff. Six months in a damp shed and they were as rusty as anything else in there. I'd inherited Dad's tools by then, kept them in that shed for a few years. All still perfect.
 
MagicalArmchair said:
Drat, opportunity missed this time as the engine is back together and full of coolant again. On the next coolant service in a couple of years I'll drop all the hoses off and do just that to get it looking really smart - good thinking. What did you use to remove the paint? Just scrape it off?

P.s. has anyone managed to make paint stick reliably to the pulleys that the belts go around? :D
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Flexing and squeezing the hoses gets some off and generally loosens it up, then scrape the rest off.

For the pulleys, try painting them with Hammerite primer first, or even a coat of smooth Hammerite, that usually sticks well, then go over it with VP green.
 
I have no intention of attempted to repainting the hoses - buy the paint is flaking of them in places . I don't think the paint causes any harm since the original hoses remain in service after 18 years.
 
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