Removing oil from engine bay?

[davesimmons]

Following my recent weekend of fun which ended in a split hydraulic pipe and a stuck bung I have now had the pipe fixed and the bung removed.

Can anyone advise the best way to remove the oil now splattered around the engine compartment? It is extremely tight so very difficult to get to (if not impossible) – I was thinking lots of warm/hot water with some fairly liquid?

Any advice would be really appreciated as it is a real mess down there!! P.S. it is definitely oil and not hydraulic fluid.

 

[chamac]

Get some degreaser like Gunk from the local motor factors. Spray it on, wait a bit and rinse off.

 

[iangrant]

bilge cleaner - gunk will stink the boat out for weeks.
flush out the bilge with the starbright cleaner then rinse with pretty hot water - i used to use a vax to suck up the mess, it is supposed to break down the oils to be safe to pump out but i tipped mine into the marina waste tank.

Ian

 

[davesimmons]

Thanks for the advice - useful to know that Gunk smells as it is only a 18ft sports boat so would really be affected by any strong smells!

I have had a look at the Starbright Cleaner but they seem to do various products - which one is relevant for cleaning out oil?

 

[ChasB]

I used Gunk for cleaning away the grease that was embedded in the woodwork around the hob when I purchased the boat - it was in a disgusting state! It worked well, and yes it smells (I think it's white spirit based) but if you do it a point where you'll be away from the boat for a week and allow plenty of ventilation you'll be ok. Make sure to have plenty of disposable rags.

 

[davesimmons]

Sorry - think I have found it here

Someone mentioned pouring into the bilge when out and about to let it work around but is this necessary and I have a carpeted ice box area in the engine compartment and worried I will make more of a mess than before - at least the oil is in the bottom of the bilge at the moment and not on the carpet (YET)!!

Also if it sloshes around could it not effect the engine (mines a diesel).

 

[bigwow]

Jizer is similar to Gunk without the smell

 

[sarabande]

Your local cleaning supplies shop should be able to supply Nemesis Degreaser

Water-based, used in commercial environments for fuel mopup.

"Nemesis Degreaser is the result of tests on hundreds of formulations. It is a uniquely balanced blend of water based non-ionic with a slight amount of anionic surfactant. Nemesis Degreaser does not contain cationic surfactants, phosphates, nitrates or D-Limonene.

When properly applied, Nemesis Degreaser separates the long chain hydrocarbons into microscopic particles and encapsulates them in an oxygen bearing solution. This action can instantly suppress volatile organic vapours below combustion levels, and enhance the degradation time by creating large interfacial surface areas (micro emulsions) of hydrocarbon and bacteria.

Degradation time will vary depending upon environmental conditions and available bacteria and oxygen to degrade the hydrocarbon particles and remove them from the environment.

In instances of volatile hydrocarbon spills into drains and sewers, by emulsifying and encapsulating the hydrocarbon material throughout the water, Nemesis Degreaser immediately helps reduce or eliminate the vapour release and the danger of fire or explosion.

Nemesis Degreaser is for cleaning and degassing fuel storage tanks, cleaning bilges, pump and engine rooms, suppressing Volatile Organic Vapours (VOC’s), hydrocarbon spill cleanup, waste water treatment to lower hydrocarbon to legal discharge limits. "

 

[Aja]

What you need is Bilgex

Donald

 

[l'escargot]

"Daz" washing powder in very hot water gives excellent results and is considerably cheaper than marine/engineering products.

 

[PCUK]

Forget all the fancy boat wash crap and use engine degreaser. Rinse out with fancy boating poofing lotion afterwards to remove any odours!

 

[pandos]

Cillit bang universal degreaser works a treat on engine bays, oil diesil general grime etc.

no smell.