Rusty Pulleys Syndrome

[Sheppy]

I have some rusty pulleys on my engine along with an alignment issue with the alternator. The latter is just something I'll have to sort but wanted some advice on the cleaning up of the pulleys.
The main engine pulley isn't going to come off, so I'll have to clean that in situ, the water pump pulley is aluminium so that shouldn't be too bad, and the alternator pulley can be cleaned or replaced if necessary.

My current plan is to remove all the belts, then carefully clean off the main crankshaft pulleys while the engine is slowly running with a wire brush or sanding strips, then paint with an antirust paint or simply just spray with something like smooth hammerite that can be applied direct to clean rusty metal. I'll do the same for the alternator pulley but that'll be off the engine when I do it, the water pump will probably be left untreated, partly because it's aluminium and partly because access is a real pig.

I'm intending to use a spray paint as it'll allow paint to be slowly applied onto the turning pulley with little or no spinoff, I figure painting with a brush will just cause the paint to go on too thick and spin off. Obviously I'll cover the engine and bilge with rags/paper/dustsheets etc.

Any suggestions on application methods or better products would be greatly appreciated?

Thanks,

 

[[2068]]

While the engine is RUNNING?
Please tell me you're not really going to try that.
Or if you do, have someone videoing the attempt, who is also prepared to ferry you to the nearest A&E unit.

What worked for me was to clean off enough off the rust with wet and dry paper for the surface to be smooth ... it doesn't have to be perfect, just not so rough that it eats the belt. Then I sprayed on a thin coat of paint. Not too much, so it doesn't run or drip.

Then, use the boat regularly!
The paint will wear away to reveal a shiny pulley.

 

[Sheppy]

Thanks FP,
I really don't think it's quite as bad as you think with the engine just ticking over. Once all the belts have been removed there's nothing much to catch on but obviously I'll be very careful. I've found some long sanding strips so I can just hold the ends and gently ease them into the pulleys.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221027450762
I also need to clean and paint the antivibration wheel on the front of the pulleys too, I can put some emery cloth and cup it in a large cloth and just gently ease it onto the side of the wheel thus cleaning it. I think this is how most people will clean them. If however it seems a little risky at the last minute, then I'll do it all manually.
So it sounds like what I'm planning with the paint is ok then. Yes, I'd love to use the boat more regularly but it never seems to quite pan out like that
Thanks,

 

[[2068]]

Please watch the following before attempting any kind of pulley maintenance on a running engine:

 

[Sheppy]

Thanks FP, I think...
Now I don't think I should make a coffee without a H&S course, I'm not sure I can use the kettle just in case I put my hand in the water to test the temp
But ok, I'll clean the main crank pulleys with the engine off.

P.s. The Mercruiser dealer tried with a wire brush, engine running and all the belts on!! But decided the access was too poor and wanted to removed the heat exchanger, so I don't think I'm too bad

Is smooth hammerite a good paint to use post cleaning or should I use a separate antirust paint then a different paint?
I appreciate the paint will eventually rub off but only on the sections that has belt contact, so still worth doing the job.

 

[Beamishken]

Hi I've done the clean the crank pulley with the engine running thing several times & it works a treat as long as your carefull .I found a file was the best as it takes quite a bit to get he big lumps of rust off

no worse than working on a lathe with a dirty big chuck spinning next to you & you regularly see guys polishing finished jobs with emery cloth held in their fingers

just remember you can only run the engine for a few mins with the belts off as the water pump wont be turning

best of luck

edit:- forgot to say the alternator & water pump puleys can be done with a flexible fibre sanding disk in a small angle grinder,as the grinder spins it turns the pulley & keeps the sanding even

 

[Sheppy]

Thanks Ken,
My thoughts too, and I would have used thick work gloves. And yes, I'd only run the engine for a few mins, but thanks for the reminder.
What paint did you use?

 

[Beamishken]

Hi the paint I used was an aerosol of zinc primer then just a black aerosol once its clean regular use will keep it that way as the paint wears off fairly quickly anyway

 

[Sheppy]

Great, and thank you.

 

[colhel]

Thanks Ken,
My thoughts too, and I would have used thick work gloves. And yes, I'd only run the engine for a few mins, but thanks for the reminder.
What paint did you use?

Though I can't see your set up I'd strongly advise you NOT to wear gloves. They can catch and drag your hand in.

 

[Sheppy]

Though I can't see your set up I'd strongly advise you NOT to wear gloves. They can catch and drag your hand in.

Thanks, and actually thinking about it, that sounds like very good advice too.

 

[Portofino]

Waxoly use this stopped my " black dust disease " --and useful elsewhere
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_196239_langId_-1_categoryId_165594

 

[MILLIE BOO TOO]

Nor wear a tie :encouragement:

 

[colhel]

And if you've got long hair have it tied back into a pony tail.

 

[P4Paul]

Though I can't see your set up I'd strongly advise you NOT to wear gloves. They can catch and drag your hand in.

Spot on advice about the gloves.

If it goes well, running the engine to clean up the pulleys will save about 20 minutes work, if it goes wrong the results will last a lifetime.

 

[rbcoomer]

Please watch the following before attempting any kind of pulley maintenance on a running engine:

Astonishing - I'm now fully enlightened as to a) why H&S is so ridiculed and b) why trains are such a hideously expensive means of travel! I dare not think how much Metro Trains paid for that - what planet do the 'educators' that produce this tripe live on? I can't decide if it's a joke or intended to make you jump in front of train out of shear despair...

 

[[2068]]

Astonishing - I'm now fully enlightened as to a) why H&S is so ridiculed and b) why trains are such a hideously expensive means of travel! I dare not think how much Metro Trains paid for that - what planet do the 'educators' that produce this tripe live on? I can't decide if it's a joke or intended to make you jump in front of train out of shear despair...

It's achieved it's effect: produced on a shoestring budget by an Australian agency for a local train company, it's been viewed millions of times across the planet.

My daughter and some friends sang a version at a school assembly recently, and anytime I suggest trying something dodgy safety-wise, a sarcastic voice in an imitation American accent chimes in: "Set fire to your hair..." It's pretty much a standing family joke, now.

 

[Sheppy]

It's achieved it's effect: produced on a shoestring budget by an Australian agency for a local train company, it's been viewed millions of times across the planet.

I beg to differ on any effect it's achieved, and surely success is measured on the context that something's received? After all, we've all watched Harry Hill, but no one would ever take him seriously

 

[[2068]]

I beg to differ on any effect it's achieved, and surely success is measured on the context that something's received? After all, we've all watched Harry Hill, but no one would ever take him seriously

Severe thread drift, but it has got several million kids thinking about what is or is not a great idea in terms of "dumb things to do" in an engaging way that they remember. Unfortunately it didn't succeed in reducing accidents or near-misses on railways in the State of Victoria, which was the original aim, probably because the railway message was lost in all the other ways to meet St Peter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumb_Ways_to_Die

I think back to some of the dire and wooden "Public Education Films" that I watched... if Harry Hill had been around then, they should have employed him instead.

.

 

[longjohnsilver]

And if you've got long hair have it tied back into a pony tail.

Not a huge problem for Sheppy