Another fun boat job

[Nick2]

It has been suggested that I degrease and clean up the two big green metal things beneath the saloon as well as the oily and wet bilges - other than pay someone to do or send one of my children down there as suggested elsewhere are there any tips for doing this and suggestions for any products to use?

Nick

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[hlb]

Well a power washer is the fastest but depends how much elecric stuff you have down there. Mind the elecy engine whatsit thingy on top of engines. Maybe better to use bilge cleaner and gunk [Degreaser] on engines. Course then you need to spray engines with WD40 or even old engine oil to stop them going rusty. So then the muck sticks and um, back to page one!!

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Haydn

 

[PhilCool]

Put on yr rubber gloves Nick..You will love it!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Sun Coast Sea School & Charter

 

[tr7v8]

It's a disgusting job, but worth doing.
Get some spray Gunk from Halfords and some paraffin, a roller tray and a couple of paint brushes. Trim one paint brush till it's bristles are about 1/2 the length.
Go over engines oily, greasy bits with brush and paraffin working it in well. Once complete leave for 20-30 minutes, then spray Gunk over the whole engine (poss. needs 2 cans, 1 per lump) and leave that for 20-30 minutes then hose down with warm/hot water. Pump bilges afterwards and dsipose of into waste oil container at boat yard. If bilges still evil then rinse more warm water and some detergent.
My 20 odd year old Volvos came up quite shiny after this, although the smell means you have a lot of space on the train for a few days!

The advantage is that oil leaks and problems are so much easier to spot.

<hr width=100% size=1>Jim

Draco 2500

 

[Observer]

How do you pump bilges (presuming discharge overboard) so you can collect the effluent? Hang a bucket over the rail or somefink?

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[tr7v8]

Buy a Pela pump about £ 30-60 depending on model, designed for doing boat oil changes. It's a vacum pump with a long slim tube about 4ft long. Mine is the cheaper one that takes 6 litres and looks like a football. I changed the long thin wand for a piece of 10mm tube and it pumps the bilges quite quick. Comes with pouring spout to transfer to a larger container.
The pump has a 100 & 1 other uses, mines been used loads of times and none of them have been oil changes.

<hr width=100% size=1>Jim

Draco 2500

 

[hlb]

Quickest way is to zoom round a bit. (out of sight) Then hit the breaks hard causing the auto bilge pump to accidently go off!!

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Haydn

 

[tr7v8]

Unless the engines are relatively clean when washed down, then their is no way I'd have wanted that cack going through the bilge pump as it was full of lump of oil and dirt.

<hr width=100% size=1>Jim

Draco 2500