Does engine bay need to be painted?

[Doubleh]

When I bought my boat, a semi trad narrow boat built in 1988, the engine bilge was a watery, oily mess and the surveyor recommended it was cleaned and painted. The boat is currently in a yard where they have replaced the guttering over the bay, which they say should stop further water ingress. The engine doesn't appear to lose oil so I assume the oil is the result of an old spill.

 

The yard originally quoted for painting the engine bay, but now say that will take too long and instead they will empty and steam clean it, and it should then be fine with no painting necessary. They tell me that lots of boats are built with unpainted engine bays and not to worry.

 

I don't mind about aesthetics but how important is a coat of paint in protecting the metal in the engine bay? Are they right to tell me not to worry about this or just trying to wiggle out of a messy job?

[arbutus]

I’d buy some light coloured Danboline bilge paint and do the job myself. Bilge paint is hard wearing, makes surfaces easy to clean and easy to spot oil leaks etc. A light paint colour makes working in the badly lit areas easier. If the boat yard is steam cleaning the engine bay, then a lot of the preparation work will have already been done.

If you young enough and flexible enough to work in awkward areas then painting the engine bay a good DIY project.

[churchward]

I’d buy some light coloured Danboline bilge paint and do the job myself. Bilge paint is hard wearing, makes surfaces easy to clean and easy to spot oil leaks etc. A light paint colour makes working in the badly lit areas easier. If the boat yard is steam cleaning the engine bay, then a lot of the preparation work will have already been done.

If you young enough and flexible enough to work in awkward areas then painting the engine bay a good DIY project.

I agree. A light grey or similar is a good colour. It helps see any leaks if they occur and also usefully find the small things inevitably get dropped.

[Emma b]

Massey ferguson grey looks good

[Tony Brooks]

Apart from the fact that I would use light grey Hemple (Blakes) Bilge & Locker paint I agree with the above. I would say that oil and fuel drips are common so would not bother to paint the actual engine tray but I would put a bilge blanket in there to absorb any oil and make it easier to get out.

 

I change my oil and filter with the old blanket pushed under the filter and after doing the other service jobs replace the old blanket with a new one. Its far easier to find dropped nuts and bolts if you have a clean engine tray!

[Ally]

agreed, paint it or get it painted in a light grey. You protect the rest of the steel with paint, why not this area, when it will inevitably get oil, and condensation possibly, if not water in it at times. Paint it!

[Higgs]

They tell me that lots of boats are built with unpainted engine bays and not to worry.

 

Are they right to tell me not to worry about this or just trying to wiggle out of a messy job?

 

Probably. It was never a job that attracted volunteers. You are probably not going to get a painter doing the work. It'll be someone who isn't fully occupied around the boatyard. Someone who probably paints about as much as your granny.

 

Best to do it yourself. I prefer white.

[Guest]

It is much better with the engine hole clean and painted. Makes working on the engine a better experience.

[Guest]

 

Probably. It was never a job that attracted volunteers. You are probably not going to get a painter doing the work. It'll be someone who isn't fully occupied around the boatyard. Someone who probably paints about as much as your granny.

 

Best to do it yourself. I prefer white.

 

Ours is white - well it will be when it gets a clean up!

 

.... and yes another vote for painting and DIY.

[andywatson]

Get it painted and do it yourself. Take your time and do it well.

Then keep it clean.

 

In addition to improving visibility and finding dropped objects you will also detect leaks and any other items needing attention (eg fraying control or electrical cables) before they become serious.

 

Apart from making life easier for yourself, one day when you sell your boat your attitude to maintenance will be indicated here.

Edited August 28, 2013 by andywatson

[comfortably numb]

The engine compartment on my cruiser stern boat always has an inch or two of water sloshing around, i.e below the level of the bilge pump sensor. I've cured the drip from the prop shaft but like other cruiser sterns it's prone to getting water in after heavy rain despite me having regularly cleared the drain channels.Is this a common problem and is it really doing any harm if the bilge paint is adequately protecting the metal?

 

I've considered buying a 'wet' vacuum cleaner to periodically empty it. Is that necessary and are they any good. I have a 6 litre hand pump but it takes hours and never completely dries it.

[BEngo]

The engine compartment on my cruiser stern boat always has an inch or two of water sloshing around, i.e below the level of the bilge pump sensor. I've cured the drip from the prop shaft but like other cruiser sterns it's prone to getting water in after heavy rain despite me having regularly cleared the drain channels.Is this a common problem and is it really doing any harm if the bilge paint is adequately protecting the metal?

 

I've considered buying a 'wet' vacuum cleaner to periodically empty it. Is that necessary and are they any good. I have a 6 litre hand pump but it takes hours and never completely dries it.

Overflowing/leaking cruiser drains is a very common problem. If the paint is intact and nothing is going rusty there is no problem. It's a good idea to bale it out/dry it out fairly often -once a month or two- to give it a check over, but you can do that with a cut-down milk bottle a sponge and a bucket. A vacuum cleaner is luxury and the money much better spent on your tipple of choice unless you can get a freecycle or ex tip one.

 

N

[Richard10002]

The engine compartment on my cruiser stern boat always has an inch or two of water sloshing around, i.e below the level of the bilge pump sensor. I've cured the drip from the prop shaft but like other cruiser sterns it's prone to getting water in after heavy rain despite me having regularly cleared the drain channels.Is this a common problem and is it really doing any harm if the bilge paint is adequately protecting the metal?

 

I've considered buying a 'wet' vacuum cleaner to periodically empty it. Is that necessary and are they any good. I have a 6 litre hand pump but it takes hours and never completely dries it.

I have a Pela pump which is useful for a variety of things. If my engine compartment got liquid in it, I'd use the Pela to get most of it out, then wipe it with an absorbent cloth, or kitchen roll.

[Captain Fizz]

When I was looking to buy a boat recently, I binned every boat with a dirty unloved engine bay. It speaks volumes about the standard of upkeep in my opinion.

Water ingress is one of the reasons I dislike cruiser sterns.

Why do virtually all engine manufacturers put the oil filter on it's side so that it loses oil every time that you need to change it?

[J R]

As mentioned above, Damboline. Good stuff and a clean engine hole repainted with the stuff with 2 or 3 coats will stand you in for years t come. Its diesel, grease, oil, battery acid, antifreeze and boater proof. Worth the investment in time and money and cleans well and is very hardwareing.

[Ex- Member]

Definitely paint it and in a light colour. This was me first job when getting the boat. It had already been primed in Red Oxide. I happened to have 2 x 2.5 litre tins of some Yellow exterior gloss 1 new and 1 part full. The engine bay ended up with with a good 6 spray coats of paint, so easy when there's no fittings or engine in it, so made sure it was well covered. It recently got recoated as well. What made this job quite easy was this wipe on primer from International paints.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/INTERNATIONAL-WIPE-ON-MULTI-SURFACE-PRIMER-4-PAINTED-CLEAR-500ML-/170904919367?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ&hash=item27caba1d47

 

I've used this primer on loads of repainting jobs, it really is the dogs. Especially good for engine bays though as you can properly prepare areas you can't get abrasives to, but can get a brush or cloth to. It's extremely fast prep too on solid painted surfaces. You do have to buff off after 5 minutes then wait 95 minutes before applying paint. Plan ahead though and it';s simple.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2013 by Julynian