Extreme degreasing of engine bilges.

[alan_fincher]

Try a product called "Elbow Grease". It is solvent free and I have found it to be excellent when I cleaned my boat engine. Available at many supermarkets, Amazon etc.

 

Tony

 

I've just failed the test of finding this in supermarkets, (Tesco & Sainsbury), so I'll now look on-line.

 

I have ordered up some Jizer as well, but it now seems it will not have arrived before we set off for the boat again, unfortunately.

 

Some more contingency Gunk has just been bought in the meantime, because it was better than nothing, but I'm sincerely hoping to find something better than Gunk.

 

I also bought Swarfega to aid cleaning ourselves up - I wonder what that does if one was to brush it on the greasy/oily steel - I'm not beyond experimenting!

[Liam]

Paraffin was used on a rather untidy steam ploughing traction engine covered in all the imaginables you'd get in a field along with multiple types of grease, hydraulic oil and general crap.

 

It worked really well but be prepared to end up looking like your bilges did when you finish.

 

As an idea it may be worth asking the steam traction engine people what they use - depending on if you have contacts in that area or can find an online forum? Just a suggestion.

[cuthound]

Would the hull metal plate & rivets be sealed with something on assembly - like bitumen ?

 

If so, don't over-soak with any sort of solvent, in case you loosen the sealant.

I think that rivets are used plain, without sealant. The ends are heated up and hammered into a domed shape. As they cool they shrink, hopefully forming a waterproof joint between the plates.

[dogless]

I'd love to see a photo of the engine 'ole sans engine please.

 

Rog

[luggsy]

Have you tried one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-Steam-Cleaner-Portable-Hand-Held-Powerful-Steamer-Cleaning-Set-ORANGE-/261942412861

[madcat]

No advice . Be sure to report back if you find a good way of doing this. Are your tanks out as well as the engine.

[Victor Vectis]

As an idea it may be worth asking the steam traction engine people what they use - depending on if you have contacts in that area or can find an online forum? Just a suggestion.

Here, for instance: http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/

[alan_fincher]

No advice . Be sure to report back if you find a good way of doing this. Are your tanks out as well as the engine.

 

No, and this obviously limits what we can realistically achieve,

 

I know that the oil and grease ridden silt under the fuel tank is up to 2" deep in places, and there is definitely no prospect of getting the tanks out at the current time,

 

So every time we clear the bit we can get at, there is a fair chance of muck running out from the bit we can not.

 

We don't have a choice, so can only do what we can with the bits that are now accessible.

[alan_fincher]

I'd love to see a photo of the engine 'ole sans engine please.

 

Rog

 

We are back on board tonight, so once we have removed all the water now in there, (the engine room roof is currently missing), I'll try and get some photos.

 

WE have more Gunk, plus "Ultra Gunk", (or whatever it is called) nov available, as well as Jizer. However I failed to find any of the citrus based cleaners mentioned in several supermarkets visited, unfortunately.

 

I'm feeling enthused, because on arrival here the person rebuilding the engine already has it running sweetly with all the new bits in, and with a reground crankshaft. Still quite a bit to do, but far further advanced than I could reasonably have hoped for!

[mark99]

When I was a kid at school I cleaned paint brushes with carbon tetrachloride

 

My school friend used to drop a tiny bit of that on his tongue........cos he like the taste.

 

ETA It was a tetrachloride not sure if it was carbon. I know it affected his tongue!

 

Further edit - he was highly intelligent but on the strange side.

 

Final edit I think it was Tartaric Acid. Bloody memory.

 

Anyway C. Tetra. is dangerous stuff.

Edited October 17, 2016 by mark99

[ChimneyChain]

.

Edited October 16, 2016 by ChimneyChain

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

Anyway C. Tetra. is dangerous stuff.

I know that now but didn't at 14, the science teacher who I was doing the painting for should have.

[WotEver]

We used to nick some mercury to play with...

[springy]

Re "elbow grease" product

 

<snip>

I've just failed the test of finding this in supermarkets, (Tesco & Sainsbury), so I'll now look on-line.
<snip>

 

Try your nearest "pound" shop.

 

I would also recommend it - not tried it on bilge grot but it's been pretty effective on

everything I've thrown it at.

 

springy

[ditchcrawler]

We used to nick some mercury to play with...

Make pennies go silver

[Cheshire cat]

I've got a bottle of mercury and no idea what to do with it.

[bag 'o' bones]

I've got a bottle of mercury and no idea what to do with it.

So have I - fascinating substance

[WotEver]

I've got a bottle of mercury and no idea what to do with it.

Pour it onto a board and you can have endless fun with a straw, various sticks and knives... as above it's fascinating stuff.

[pquinn]

Or throw it in to the sea..............least thats what many highly respectable corporations do with it.

[system 4-50]

Or throw it in to the sea..............least thats what many highly respectable corporations do with it.

Which has a bit in it already, 61 tons at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-864#Final_voyage

[Greg_F]

So... did anything work in the end?

 

I'd be very surprised if Jizer did the trick!

Edited November 8, 2016 by Greg_F

[alan_fincher]

So... did anything work in the end?

 

I'd be very surprised if Jizer did the trick!

 

 

No, nothing really did the trick, to be honest, despite many hours of scrubbing and scraping.

 

Jizer was not really much more effective than Gunk, although Gunk Ultra seemed maybe better than either of those, (at a price!). White spirit seemed to help dissolve some of it, and, ultimately, despite a few warnings, we used some cellulose thinners as well. (There is no roof on at the moment, but still fairly overpowering). All naked flames were extinguished.

 

In the end time beat us, particularly as the boat is a long way from home, and not really habitable with no engine in, so we have primed (with a red zinc oxide based primer) twice, and put a coat of Danobline bilge paint on top. In cases where stuff was seeping through from the areas we can't get at, (under the fuel tanks mostly), the first coat of primer didn't adhere well, but fortunately only over small areas. On the whole what has gone on seems fairly well stuck, but only time will tell as it inevitably gets both wet and oily.

 

The one suggestion we never got to try was brake cleaner, which someone at the yard said would shift it. Anyone had any success with this, as we still have areas not under the engine to tackle further ?

 

For those interested in progress generally....

 

1) Boat was on dock last week to investigate under-performing propeller, and also to have it blacked, (now done).

2) Both T Norris and Crowthers said they could not re-pitch the current prop, (Norris tried, and Crowthers said if Norris had failed, they were sure they wouldn't be able to either).

3) Prop now at FAL propellers in Scotland (!), who say they can re-pitch it.

4) Unfortunately boat has now had to vacate dock, so a further docking will now be required to add a propeller.

5) Lister HA2 has been fully rebuilt, looking and sounding great, and is waiting to go back in.

6) We are taking advantage of it being out to make some further steel work changes in the engine room, which should start this week (at Brinklow).

7) Because we are changing how the engine's speed control will work, the control panel that was mounted on the engine will need to be discarded. This means I now have to provide a revised panel elsewhere, and redo quite a bit of the wiring.

[ditchcrawler]

Just thinking back to my days of owning old cars that leaked oil on the drive. I use to sprinkle enzyme washing powder on it and just damp and leave it and it would eat it all away. maybe sprinkle Arial Washing powder all over it before you go home

[J R ALSOP]

I was always a believer in Daz.

[Barry]

I was always a believer in Daz.

 

My brother in law is called Daz. Grand chap. I am also a believer