cleaning the bilge area and motor

rasbury

Well, getting into the meat of things on the 270....hate to work on something that is not clean....bilge area is a little funky- little on the slimy side. My son in law suggested a sprayer with a little bleach in it (never know the right mix) will get things a little cleaner and fresher down there but would not want to get that on the motor...motor is all pretty clean but the front could use a little degreasing, not that anything appears to be leaking. Suggestions on getting things cleaned up? It's on a trailer so I have no worries about using a hose to flush it all out....

gslpro

Simple Green.  Spray it on, wait a bit, spray it off.  Good stuff.  never hurt an engine that I have ever used it on.

Black_Diamond

++ on Simple Green. Don't over use it, a little goes a long way plus some scrubbing. Avoid bleach.

rasbury

10 4

TikiHut2

I'm having visions from a movie where a Chevy Chase cousin was flushing his RV holding tank into the gutter in the street.....

Dream_Inn

I've always use the "purple" stuff that you buy by the gallon at Walmart (or other places).  Much cheaper than simple green and definitely cuts all the grease and anything else and leaves a nice smell.  You find it in the car wax/cleaning section and it is something like purple power.  A gallon last me a few years.  Pour a litle in and use a brush on a handle to scrub or at least move it around.  Then hose out.  With the plug out, you will be able to really get her cleaned well.  & yes, avoid the bleach.  If you get in the habit of pulling the plug each time, things will stay fresh.

rasbury

stop it Tiki!  I was telling my wife with the pump I bought to change the oil, I can stick it in the waste tank and pump it down the drain and the first thing I thought of when I said it was that exact scene in that movie! Me, late at night down around the corner pumping out my waste tank!

rasbury

will the purple stuff cut the funk? A little mildewy down in therre......

212rowboat

"(poopers) Full, Clark!"

:-D

purple power will cut it.. so will simple green.. a concoction of dishwashing soap will too- that stuff will cut through grease and oils, in a 75 % water to 25% dishwashing soap solution, and it won't hurt the surfaces encountered....

My buddies in the air wing used to lament 'if you ever get on a bird and don't see any hydraulic oil leaking, get off; It's empty'... maybe that is so, but a clean bilge is another story altogether.. if you keep it spotless you will see any leaks as it happens... I need to clean mine.. :-) 

TikiHut2

Simple green or purple and a scrub brush is a great answer. On that note, make sure your wife isn't standing on the curb next to the bilge pump outlet if it accidentally kicks on when you get more wash water in the bilge than can drain out of the back. That'd be a youtube moment for sure. b-(

Another interesting idea came from Ray (I think) which was to dump a couple bags of ice in the bilge with some bio soap and take a choppy ride around the bay. Our 270 probably isn't so big that some elbow grease and tlc can't get it done.

While you're in there check the engine oil pan drain area for corrosion/rust (I used my cell phone camera). Mine was nearly rusted through but I caught it in time to sand/re-paint before it failed. Another great save from somebody elses advice on the RBOC forum.

Have fun and this weekend looks like it should be a boating weekend in cntrl Fl. Get goin'

Bruce

Simple Green, a bag of ice, and a choppy day on the water, comes out sparkling clean.

Michael T

I would watch spraying water around on/near the engines or you may have to ask Randy for a wiring diagram. Electronic connections don't like water! :-) MT

rasbury

Yep Michael, I know about that from my 300Z I decided to wash down the motor on...only did that once. I'm more talking about the inside hull itself just from being closed up...It was closed up for a long time and it's just damp and moldy like. Tiki, let's talk about that drain pan.....what is it for in the first place? You would not dump your oil it it would you? And if it is rusted, what the heck did you do about it anyway, pull the motor and replace it? I certainly have issues with the sound shield/drain pan on the genny so no reason to think I don't have issue with that drain pan on the motor but a little confused to it's purpose and if I don't need it, and it is rusted/rusting, what is the harm in the end?

rasbury

I will use a garden type pump sprayer to put a solution down around the motor and then carefully wash everything down, except the motor.

rasbury

duh, oil pan....I was thinking about something under the motor...guess you did pull the motor, yuk

aero3113

When I had my engine out to replace the oil pan the marina cleaned the bilge. I'm not sure what they used but it worked GREAT! I wish I had an after pic with the engine removed. With the engine installed you can still see how clean it is.

rasbury

this oil pan problem is starting to concern me...getting to be a common comment!

rasbury

looks great though!