[Public-List] Degreasing engine compartment

[Glenn Brooks via Public-List]

Hi all, 

Just thought I would pass along a discovery I made yesterday regarding use of Ospho - green liquid consisting mostly of phosphoric acid.  I pulled my engine to have my transmission rebuilt and thought... Oh, look at all that free space -  good time to repaint the bilge.  So tried two or three cleaners to degrease the hull.  All worked more or less, but after 30 years or so, each pass with a cleaner came up with more grime and dirt on the rags.

Finally, end of day I slapped a coat of Ospho on the bilges and engine mounts to kill the rust stains - it chemically alters rust - changes iron oxide to iron phosphate, and when dry, can be a primer coat for painting metal.

However, I thought I put on to much, so two or three minutes latter rubbed it down with a shop rag.  low and behold, swiped off a huge amount of brown dirt out of the FG - after I had cleaned the area three times with commercial marine degreaser and soap. 

So my discovery seems to be this stuff cuts all kinds of grime off fiberglass as well or better than the current crop of marine cleaners! Next I am going to experiment in my cockpit lockers, natural pitre dishies for Pacific Northwest brown grunge and see what happens. 

Glenn B
Dolce 318

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