Maintaining
the quality appearance and condition of your boat
Engine
Painting
A
clean, detailed engine is crisp, tidy and neat. The engine and compartment
should be as clean as the rest of the boat. A
clean and detailed engine increases the resale value of your boat. It is a
well-known fact that people who take the time and effort to detail their engines
and compartment also take better care of their boats. Mechanics, realize that a
clean engine belongs to someone who cares for his boat, and they will take the
time to do the repair or service work correctly.
Engine
painting is nothing more than cleaning the exterior of the engine then spot
painting where needed. It is very easy to do, and requires no more than 45
minutes to an hour at the beginning or end of the season.
Your
preparation work is the most important step in the painting process. Clean metal
is required when the rust is removed. You must remove all traces of oil, dirt,
grime, etc, before painting. Use degreasers early and often in the engine
painting preparation process.
Neutralize
rust
Remove
all loose paint flakes and scales by chipping and scrapping. Engine rust is
insidious it can spread rapidly and makes future maintenance more difficult.
Use
a de-rusting product to help to remove and neutralize remaining surface rust.
Sand
the rust areas down to bare metal.
Products
that could be used are:
Naval
Jelly
OSPHO
Preparation
Prepare
your engine for getting wet. Cover all sensors, distributor, spark plug openings
and any electrical devices that have the potential for water accumulation.
Plastic baggies can be used to cover these items. Be sure to use tape or rubber
bands to hold the bags in place. You are only trying to prevent the majority of
the water from getting in; it does not need to be watertight. The baggies are
just a precaution.
Warm
the Engine
Loosen
any accumulated grime, grease and on the engine and then start the engine and
allow it to warm for a few minutes. The best temperature for engine cleaning is
warm to the touch, but not hot. If you are able to hold your hand to the engine
without saying "Ouch," then the temperature is about right.
Applying
Degreaser
After
protecting sensitive areas and warming the engine, apply the engine degreaser.
Although they are quick and easy, care should be taken when using harsh
petroleum-based cleaners. They quickly cut through grease and grime, but they
also deteriorate the rubber and vinyl components. An alternative is to use a
citrus or water-based cleaner. Good degreasers are strong enough to cut through
the heavy grease and dirt, but some scrubbing is necessary to remove any
remaining dirt or oil film.
When
applying the engine degreaser, it is best to start from the lower areas and work
up. This prevents the degreaser from dripping on you as you clean the underside
areas.
Depending
on the amount of accumulated oil and grime, allow the degreaser to soak on the
engine for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not allow the degreaser to dry on your engine. For
light to mild levels of grease, you will not need to use a brush on the engine
surface. For heavy soil, you can use a long-handled parts brush to provide
additional cleaning action prior to hosing off the degreaser.
Before
spraying the degreaser away with water, use your parts brushes and soapy water
to loosen as much dirt and grime as possible. Dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn,
makes a good, soapy cleaning solution for scrubbing the engine.
Products
that could be used are:
Gunk.
"Simple
Green"
303
Aerospace Cleaner
Autoglym
Engine & Machine Cleaner.
Hosing
Off
When
you are ready to remove the degreaser, hose down the entire engine with plenty
of water. If you are using a high-pressure nozzle, be careful that you do not
get the nozzle too close to the covered electrical connectors. After rinsing,
start the engine immediately. Allow it to run for about 5 minutes to help dry
things out. Allow your engine to air dry for several minutes then use a towel to
wipe down all accessible parts. Remove the plastic bags. The heat from the
engine will assist in the drying process.
After
scrubbing through the first layer of grime and hosing off and allow the area to
drip dry so you can inspect. With the heavy grunge gone, you will see areas that
require more degreasing and brushwork. Spot-spray these areas one by one, and
use your brushes and soapy water to finish removing the dirt.
Paint
After
degreasing and sanding, spray paint the engine with a high-temperature engine
paint. Apply about six light coats to get adequate coverage and durability. Do
not spray on one heavy coat; a few light coats are better than one thick coat.
The
first coat should just barely tint the engine, with the following coats being
progressively heavier. Wait about 15 minutes in between coats.
Products
that could be used are:
DE
1618 Detroit Diesel Alpine Green