outboard cleaning

F

ferret30

New member
We're finally getting close on our effort to clean and wax our 2006 C-Dory that sat in fresh water for 2 years. One thing I haven't been able to make progress on is the Suzuki outboard. The plastic parts (upper motor, cover) were fairly easy. The metal lower assembly (shaft, cavitation plates, etc.) are covered in white/gray deposits, kind of like what builds up on the aerator of a plumbing fixture.

When I had our boat's gelcoat fixed recently (by a former C-Dory employee!) he recommended without my asking that it would be easy to get the stuff off using vinegar and a brush. It got some of the stuff off, but most of it's still there. I don't want to go too hard on it and mess up the paint or any protective coats.

Believe it or not I searched the forums and didn't come up with anything -- all the threads I saw dealt with cleaning carbs and other internal parts.
 
By the way, while I'm posting in the outboard forum, how much would one expect to pay for a yearly checkup/service? How about winterizing for storage?
 
ferret30":39wo3vb6 said:
By the way, while I'm posting in the outboard forum, how much would one expect to pay for a yearly checkup/service? How about winterizing for storage?
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If you really want to get that stuff off the OB, be agressive and remove it by whatever means necessary. Then plan on prime/paint to replace what comes off. I'm sure there are factory spray paints that will do the trick.

As for service, everything depends on what you have done during those. If I were you, I'd get the big service manual (~90$ or so) and learn to do it yourself. You'll save the price of the manual on the first service and learning how to do it is "priceless". It's not difficult.

Charlie
 
I had a Suzuki OB on Naknek, and although it looked nice, the black color really highlighted water-spotting. (Lake Powell water has a lot of minerals, and after a week or two on the lake, any areas that received spray almost turn gray from the calcium/lime build-up; it's tough, like a protective mineral coating!)

I've used vinegar, and that works (although it may require several applications).

Another product that I found useful is called "CLR." It's used for cleaning water spotting, and can be found in most grocery stores, Home Depot, etc in the cleaning section. I believe the key is to remove the deposit's chemically, and not with abrasives. It may also require more than one application.

Even more aggressive would be to use a diluted muratic acid mixture. I've used muratic acid/water to clean really bad water spotting from the patio around the hottub (with marginal success, I might add). IF YOU USE THE MURATIC ACID IDEA BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL. ...AS THEY SAY, "TRY A SMALL TEST AREA FIRST." IT'S STINKY, AND WILL NO DOUBT DO A JOB ON ANY ZINC'S IT TOUCHES.

Casey
 
Casey":1hc9cl4w said:
I had a Suzuki OB on Naknek, and although it looked nice, the black color really highlighted water-spotting.

Another product that I found useful is called "CLR." It's used for cleaning water spotting, and can be found in most grocery stores, Home Depot, etc in the cleaning section.
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Thanks Casey. This was a good tip. I already had some CLR, but never thought to use for cleaning the water spots from my black Mercury engine. It took a couple applications, but was easy and worked well. When I was done I waxed it with Collinite Fleetwax and it looks good as new.

Rob
 
As far as outboard maintenance, it is easy to change oil and filter. Getting the shop manual and doing the water pump impeller change out is fairly straight forward, too. Just take your time.

I believe you and your wife took a ride with us on "Kim Christine" at the gathering in Friday Harbor, right? Looks like you have done your homework and are enjoying the new boat. Lots of fun for sure!

Did you end up getting the boat detailed and approx what was the cost?

Thanks,
Patrick
 
Hey Patrick, nice to hear from you! That was great getting a ride in your boat earlier this year. That played a big part (I think) in getting Elizabeth "on board" with owning a C-Dory (or any boat).

About the detailing -- I ended up doing it myself since we spend a lot of money getting holes in the gelcoat professionally repaired by a former C-Dory builder at Tern Boat Salvage. I figured I'd be better off doing hard labor than using my boat as a guinea pig for repairing 3 dozen holes (cockpit railings, old GPS roof mount, etc.).

So I'm going back to the boat to keep detailing today. I've just got the cockpit, motor well and horizontal gunnel/transom surfaces left but there's a lot of nooks and crannies. Once it's done, we'll be keeping it covered so I think the same process next year will be quite a bit less involved.

See you at the next gathering!
 
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