Can I prevent green copper pipes engine room P45

[David_GMT]

Despite hand cleaned and dried bilge floors, painted engine runners, an electric tube heater on all winter, an Ebersbastard running in the engine room every weekend, much to my dismay there are all kinds of what appear to be damp problems in the engine room of my much loved Princess 45.
The diesel feed pipes are rusting, the exposed bolts that are not painted are rusting, the paint on the engines is peeling off and the copper diesel feed pipes and hydraulic steering control pipes have all gone a public toilet mould green colour. (Men will understand, the pipes in urinals look like this in unloved public loos) woooah too much information !!

Can anyone suggest a remedy, do all engine rooms end up like this ?

I clean everything else to within an inch of it's life all year round, please don't tell me I have to do the engines and engine room too ????

There is only so much tooth brush and paper towel cleaning I can take.

David

GMT


OK ok so I am anally retentive, but it is cheaper than a therapist owning and cleaning a large boat.

 

[DavidJ]

Other than a really good spray up with WD40 before the winter I have no real solution.
It's a shame because if your engine room was covered in grease and oil you wouldn't have this problem
forever helpful
David

 

[Scubadoo]

Think yourself lucky, my engine sump corroded badly last year to the extent of removal and respray and replacing parts.

I think from what I read on the forum last year everyone's engines start to rust a little (Volvo speciality). The best thing to do is use paint to replace the flaking paint/scratches and instead of WD40 use DUCK OIL much better and last longer before a recoat. Then in Winter keep a heater in the engine bay and use all year round Dehumidty crystals, so far since November and for the first time no corrosion.

Hope that helps.

RM.

 

[adarcy]

Re: Dehumidifier !

Hi David (or GMT)

If it's mould/rust then the answer is to remove the humidity surely.

IMHO a heater is the worst thing you can do to it. I know lots of people use heaters over winter and I'm sure it's indicated if the boat is inland especially in the north (assume UK or Europe). We are in the Hamble and never heat the boat unless we're on it, the rest of the time the dehumidifier is running with all lockers and hatches, especially the engine hatch, open. Within a month or so the entire engine room is nice and dry and we've never had any problem like yours in our P45. Mind you, it sounds as if we don't take 1/10th of the care of it that you do!

Sent a PM as well.

Anthony

 

[jfm]

David you need a high capacity dehumidifier in the boat over winter. It gets full of damp air, and the tube heaters etc only speed up the rate of corrosion by warming everythin up. The only thing that will dry the air is a decent dehumidifier imho

 

[Chris_d]

Re: Don\'t leave the heater on

Everything will corode much faster with a heater in there to help, its a good idea to avoid frost damage but an old banket over the engines will have the same effect.
As others said waste a couple of cans of WD40 on everything, and block the engine room air intakes.

 

[hlb]

Have you tried Brasso!! Failing that, try Gludy's method of making holes in the oil pipes and just spray the stuff about a bit. Others on here would spray everything with duck oil, but Gludy's method seems far more effective!!

No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer!!!

Haydn

 

[ArthurWood]

Mercruiser recommend spraying engines regularly with their corrosion inhibitor. It's not perfect, but seems to do a good job for my engines. Fumes from it are a bit unpleasant, so run fan or blowers whilst applying.

 

[BarryH]

Coat the copper pipes in vaseline, Ive always got a pot on board (no bloody comments) its a great rust/corrosion inhibiter, its the sort of grease the you just cant wipe away.

Smile. its only money!

 

[hlb]

I always keep a jar of vasaline. On board. Use it on the anchor pin. But also if SWMBO around. For otherthings as well.
very versatial. Is vasaline!!

No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer!!!

Haydn

 

[rog]

Re: Dehumidifiers

What sorta capacity (litres of water removed) are you using and do you leave it running through the Summer?

I thought the idea of the tube heaters was to keep the engine block a little warmer than rest of boat to stop condensation forming on the engine block when outside temperatures increased?
During the winter I left a small 500watt greenhouse heater in engine room with thermostat set to anti-frost in engine room to avoid possible freeze-up in engine but was unsure if this was really necessary with dehumidifier - on balance just thought that dehumidifier does't get humidity to less than about 50% and it would be better anyway to keep engine area a little warmer to avoid condensation there?Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea?

 

[mtb]

Your main problem is day time to night temp changes causing condensation.

RE pipes once cleaned laquer them , they will stay clean then.

Re your public toilet things ERRRRR well old chap you know you should not talk to strangers.

Mick

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v / cheap or swap for tug

 

[Guest]

Where can you buy Duck Oil?

Does it come by a trade name? Is it similar to Waxoil?
I would like to give it a try...

Bernard.

 

[tcm]

Re: seawater

this sounds a bit worse than a bit of damp. Bits of damp don't get all that lot rusting away as madly as you describe.

IMHO there is a fine spray seawater leak from somewhere, possibly on the primaries. Get some ear defenders, a torch, sit in the engine room whilst underway somewhere and find that leak. The torch will show where the water is coming from. By the time you slow down, it's all evaporated, so looks dry. maybe.

 

[adarcy]

Re: seawater

Good idea tcm but -

The original post didn't specify if it was only in the winter lay-up that it got mouldy or frequently through the year. I read it as he cleans everywhere else all year round now does he have to do the same to the engine compartment now he's seen it after this winter.

We had widespread mild surface rust on our Targa27 after it took in sea spray through a badly designed breather but subsequently no problem with mould and didn't even use a dehumidifier then.

If, as you suggest, there is a fine spray around which then dries then I am sure it could cause the rust ++ but, if dry after stopping, how does it cause the mould?

BTW, I certianly would advise extreme caution (apart from ear defenders) going below whilst engines running on a P45 unless in river at idle speeds - ther's certainly no safe room in ours with wide CATs !
Interested in the solution though.

Anthony

 

[Scubadoo]

Re: Where can you buy Duck Oil?

Hi,

Nope not the same as Waxoil - but that's not a bad thing to use, just a little more messy.

Duck Oil is not the most easiest thing to find but any good Motor factors should supply it and that does not include Halfords. Where I live (Farnborough-Hants), Camberley Auto Factors stock it in spray cans size or large containers.

If you really have problems finding it let me know, if you live near me or based in the Solent I could get it to you (some how).

PS. Duck Oil is the Trade Name (Blue can with a yellow top).

RM.