Engine bay repaint.

[Tigerr]

My engine hole (bay) looks in need of a really good clean, rust treatment and repaint. Its a semi trad and the bay is hard to get at - without lifting the engine it's going to be a nasty job and I am not looking forward to it, avoided it for the last 2 years really. Theres rust, blistering up the paint on the bilge floor to address, old paint and even blacking down there. Some battery acid corrosion too by the look of it.

My plan at the moment is:

Degreaser, karcher prtessure spray, aquavac - to get the whole place clean, eliminate any old acid and oil etc. (batts & wiring masked/removed). That's the easy bit.

Then to get the old paint off where its rust blistered - scraper on pole? I cant think of another way - anyone got a bright idea? Can I go in there with e.g. loads of nitromors and use a pressure spray to do the scraping, vac the mess up and out, wash and dry again - or is that a really bad idea? I can maybe see nitromors and paint bits going all over the engine if I am not careful. How have others got old paint off down in the hole? This seems to me to be the biggest pain in the whole job.

Then rust converter, then run the engine to cure it properly in the heat. Maybe then pour in something like Owatrol? or another oily penetrating stuff - waxoil? that gets into the bits one missed, cures, and leaves a floor ready to paint. Run engine again to cure. Then bilge paint, on a radiator roller on a stick.

 

Others must have been here before and I would welcome advice.

[RLWP]

Well, in my experience you can only shift rust by strong mechanical means. A scraper on a stick isn't going to do much

 

Tawny needed a brick hammer with a sharpened blade to chip the scale off

 

I wouldn't bother removing paint that is well adhered, paint on top of it

 

And, it's a tricky job if you can't get in the engine hole. Throwing potions at it from a distance is likely to be expensive and ineffective

 

Richard

[BEngo]

My engine hole (bay) looks in need of a really good clean, rust treatment and repaint. Its a semi trad and the bay is hard to get at - without lifting the engine it's going to be a nasty job and I am not looking forward to it, avoided it for the last 2 years really. Theres rust, blistering up the paint on the bilge floor to address, old paint and even blacking down there. Some battery acid corrosion too by the look of it.

My plan at the moment is:

Degreaser, karcher prtessure spray, aquavac - to get the whole place clean, eliminate any old acid and oil etc. (batts & wiring masked/removed). That's the easy bit.

Then to get the old paint off where its rust blistered - scraper on pole? I cant think of another way - anyone got a bright idea? Can I go in there with e.g. loads of nitromors and use a pressure spray to do the scraping, vac the mess up and out, wash and dry again - or is that a really bad idea? I can maybe see nitromors and paint bits going all over the engine if I am not careful. How have others got old paint off down in the hole? This seems to me to be the biggest pain in the whole job.

Then rust converter, then run the engine to cure it properly in the heat. Maybe then pour in something like Owatrol? or another oily penetrating stuff - waxoil? that gets into the bits one missed, cures, and leaves a floor ready to paint. Run engine again to cure. Then bilge paint, on a radiator roller on a stick.

 

Others must have been here before and I would welcome advice.

 

 

Can you get in there with a needle gun? They are quite cheap at Machine Mart/J&L/Screwfix and then hire the compressor to drive it. Better than a scraper, leaves a good surface for rust cure stuff. Noisy tho, so you need ear duffs and eye protection. Much less mess than an angle grinder and a wire brush.

 

N

[Ex- Member]

Also posted in another thread.

 

Ref engine cleaning. There are all sorts of degreasers Gunk & Jizer being just 2.

 

I prefer Jizer which seems to be favoured more by farmers, I think it's a bit more eco friendly.

 

The best thing though is steam, we have a small steam cleaner that runs off 240 volt, it's amazing how well it will clean off Tough dirt & grease. Of course a big Fcuk off steam cleaner would tackle an engine bay in minutes, but with a bit of patience and several water refills you could easily clean the engine area in a few hours cleaning up as you go. You won't really need any degreasers but I would have some handy to speed things up where build up it's thick. We had a small steam nozzle with ours which we could get into the tightest places and in and around the injectors and behind all the pipework. It will leave the engine spotless and totally grease free. Bung a load of sawdust in the bilge before you start it'll soak up all the water and sh1tty grease.

 

Get a decent size steam cleaner, not one of the hand held ones, they'll take an age. We have the hoover type cylindar body type like this.

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item2329120e6c

 

It will last about 30/40 minutes on each fill, kicks our a good bit of pressure. It will come in handy for many many other things too especially upholstery cleaning and shower & toilet cleaning. t's one of those gadgets you get your monies worth of use out of over and over again.

[Paul C]

Wire brush on a power drill might get to places the wire brush on an angle grinder can't. But I sense, unless you can get stuff out of the way, its going to be compromised a little, and be one of those PITA jobs.

[Tigerr]

Hadnt thought of using a steam cleaner - thats a really good idea and I think we have one too. Thats better than a presure washer for sure for cleaning. Great idea on the sawdust too.

Needle gun would defo do the rust strip - if I could get in there. I will have a thought about how I could get that to work.

[Greedyheron]

Do you have a small friend that could fit in the engine bay? I've just taken the rust scales and a lot of dirt out of mine by sitting next to the weed hatch, meant I could reach the floor and wire brush the ceiling. steam cleaner on order for the actual cleaning. I can fit around the engine just - we have a semi trad. Helps I'm smallish- any small friends or maybe teenagers who could be payed/ bribed? It would be really hard to reach the crooks and crannies from outside the bay.

[blackrose]

Personally I wouldn't bother doing the bit directly beneath the engine which should be contained. As long as that area is kept dry a bit of oil should prevent corrosion and perhaps a piece of oil absorbant blanket on top to make it look nice.

[Tigerr]

Yes, under the engine is just fine - no intention of going in there. the issue is the general bilge floor which has looks in poor nick. the really ideal thing would be several gallons of something that would cure nicely into a new floor itself, like levelling compound, and also fix the rust at the same time, but I think that's called magic potion and hard to find.

[Ex- Member]

Yes, under the engine is just fine - no intention of going in there. the issue is the general bilge floor which has looks in poor nick. the really ideal thing would be several gallons of something that would cure nicely into a new floor itself, like levelling compound, and also fix the rust at the same time, but I think that's called magic potion and hard to find.

 

You say that but I have used a plastic floor coating that is applied like self leveling compound but by brush, it dries and moulds its self to whatever it's applied to. I can't remember the original product I used but it was painted inside a steel trough to make it watertight, this is uncannily similar stuff though called Acrypol more for roof's

 

http://www.acrypolproducts.co.uk/

[Tigerr]

Acrypol Metalkote?

Looks like an intersting product - I wonder if that might simply be poured in over the top of the mess after a good clean - and then painted over?

[RLWP]

Acrypol Metalkote?

Looks like an intersting product - I wonder if that might simply be poured in over the top of the mess after a good clean - and then painted over?

 

Yes, of course it could. And it would look lovely

 

And underneath the lovely skin you have created, the rust would work away happily lifting the coating

 

Richard

[nb Innisfree]

No rusting if air is excluded.

[nb Innisfree]

I've noticed that paint hangs on quite well to bitumen based blacking and I've sometimes wondered if a thick coat of blacking if left to cure would be a good base for, say, garage floor paint, we get very little oil outside of the engine tray area and anyway the top layer of paint would stop it getting through. Maybe start with a thinned down coat of blacking or Waxoyl as a primer seal, let it dry out then slap the blacking on, I once applied some blacking over undried Waxoyl and it combined nicely leaving a surprisingly hardwearing surface.

[RLWP]

No rusting if air is excluded.

 

I have no confidence that there will be adequate adhesion for the paint with the OPs suggested methods

 

Richard

[AKULA]

dont forget to add ku rust before paint

[Tigerr]

Had a good look at the issue last weekend and started getting the tools together - , degreaser, fertan, aquavac, pressure washer, Danboline & primer, rad rollers.

 

Its still going to be a pig - restricted space and my stiff old body.

 

I see that Karcher do a sandblaster attachment, whiuch works for rust removal. The ability to use the lance to get down to the hard to reach places, with a rust strip action is initially very attractive, if it works. I have not used a sandblaster though and am wondering - will I end up with wet sand everywhere that is beyond the capability of an aquavac to lift, or can the vac cope with that sort of thing easy enough? (Don't fancy a nightmare of engine bay bilge full of wet sand I cant shift.

 

Has anyone tried this and does it work or is it to be avoided?

[RLWP]

You want to spray a mixture of grit and water at high pressure into you engine and gearbox?

 

Richard

[Tigerr]

Why yes Richard - I was going to take the airfilter off and stick it in there to make sure to get all the sand in. And spoon some more in the pressure cap at the same time!

 

It was a genuine question - obviously there's masking to do - and its the bilge floor not the engine I am trying to reach obviouskly. It certainly might be it's not feasible though - I haven't used the Karcher sandblast attachment myself - perhaps you have, and know its not going to work.

Edited March 25, 2013 by Tigerr

[Charlotte Burnett]

My cheap aquavac will suck just about anything without complaint but be sure to find all of the relevant filters for it (having had my previous one catch fire after running 8 hours hooked up to a sander with no filters).

[RLWP]

I'm afraid that the answer you are seeking doesn't exist

 

If you stand on the deck and spray grit into the engine bay, you'll force it into the oil seals on the engine, gearbox and sterntube. This will then go on to wreck the shafts. It will also go straight into the alternator and starter motor. If there are any weak seals anywhere else, it will go in there too.

 

Please don't do this

 

There is really only one way to do this job properly, get into the engine bay. It must be possible to do this or else your engine cannot be serviced. If you cannot do this directly, can you remove some parts to allow you access?

 

Richard

[Tigerr]

Thanks for that reply Richard - that's helpful.

[Ex- Member]

Thanks for that reply Richard - that's helpful.

 

If you use my steam cleaner suggestion and get the engine and surrounding areas clean, it might appear more accessible as well. Looking into I pit of dirt & grime doesn't inspire one

[RLWP]

If you use my steam cleaner suggestion and get the engine and surrounding areas clean, it might appear more accessible as well. Looking into I pit of dirt & grime doesn't inspire one

 

I agree with that. Steam cleaning and vacuuming out looks like a great start. Several of the boatyards that I know have industrial vacuum machines for emptying bilges, and don't charge much for their use

 

And a clean engine bay is a far more attractive place than a dirty one, especially on a warm, sunny day

 

Richard

 

You do get to meet a lot of dogs nose to nose in an engine bay. I doesn't half confuse them

 

Thanks for that reply Richard - that's helpful.

 

No problem. And you were right the first time, I was being unnecessarily sarky

 

Richard

[smileypete]

Loooonnng time ago when I last did a engine bilge I soaked up/separated any loose oil, used a power washer and plenty of detergent on the rest, then got the remnants off with a little gunk/jizer followed another power wash.

 

Gotta be a little careful with the electrics, don't point the power washer into the starter or alt, isolators etc. Afterwards use a little WD40 to help get the damp out of any unsealed crimp connections - maybe do it before powerwashing too to help protect them.

 

Any rust can be chipped/wire brushed off and given a good coat of a decent rust inhibiting primer like Bondaprimer, though have plenty of ventilation when using.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited March 25, 2013 by smileypete