TOPIC: Best way to clean up 50 yrs of engine drips.

So I pulled out the engine and now I can clean out the engine bay. Have no idea if and when it has been done before but now is the time. My plans are to redo the floor with Raptor liner before I re install the engine. Need to have a oil free surface for that to happen... any inside tips on how to accomplish this without making the mess ant bigger? Thanks in advance...

Several ways you can do that. If you have a high pressure sprayer, that works great. If you have a place to drain some unwanted gook you can get a couple cans of engine cleaner from a local car parts store or wallyworld. If your environmentally friendly you can get a gallon of green biodegradable degreaser and follow directions. Either way remember you're working with old petroleum products and it will be messy.

Dont want to blow that stuff all over the boat so the power washer will be the last step... guess just scraping the first couple of coats out with a scraper will be the answer? Then I think some oven cleaner maybe? Once the thing is some what clean the power washer will come into play. I guess I was hoping for a secrete solution that I hadnt thought about as of yet. LOL. Wishful thinking! Thanks

After scraping the big crud, would Dawn dish soap work to degrease? That is what they use to clean wildlife after an oil spill.

Poured some kerosene on it and let it soak all day. I just scraped it all and hit it with a really stiff brush. Drained the kerosene into tke original bottle... now what? Lol. Guess just let everything evaporate? Obviously didnt think this through too well.

Well I think I got more on me than I had expected but I got it or at least the bulk of it. That dark spot on the floor is where the color came off the floor for some reason. So what I used was 1/2 gallon of kerosene sitting most of the day. A quick over with a stiff brush. Then a gallon of bleach for about 15 minutes. Smells nice and clean anyway. Think some type of spray on degreaser for everything else back there. Thanks again guys!

Looks better than anything I ever did!
Now you have a bottle of fuel for tiki torches. Shhhhhh… I use it to start my fire pit.

Thanks... nothing like plumes of black smoke to draw the neihbors closer... think its a night thing. Thanks again.

Full strength or a real strong mix of Purple Power cleaned 30 years of gook from the bilge of my Owens.
Larry

I would fiberglass it with tight weave fiberglass mat and then paint.

Thinking along the same lines. The vinyl flooring in the boat is shot as well. Im going to pull it up and inspect the floor. Guessing its just plywood? If so I was going to sand it all down and shoot it with tintable Raptor spray in bed liner. Ive had really good results with this in the past. It has wonderful ware resistant property's, great uv protection, as well a great control adjustability when spraying texture for slip restance. Was planning on doing under the engine as well. Nice thing about this stuff is I can achieve the same color as the original flooring. A kit including the gun but less the color is around $120.00. A quart of no binder base coat color is about $35.00 mixed to match my existing floor. Very durable stuff.