Steam cleaning engine ?

[seasick]

I tried steam cleaning my 371 GMC in a stand-up 12'x10' engine room on a sailing commercial salmon troller. Within the first 20-seconds I couldn't see my hands, engine, nada. 20-seconds later, I was cooking myself alive. Gave up.

[Ribbit]

I picked up a cheap cannister steam cleaner on Amazon for under $70, dedicated for the destruction of mold and spores (which are bad juju for me health wise). Sanitary cleaning around the head and shower without chemicals too.

My 1979 Yanmar 2QM20 is surprisingly clean for its age (probably a fairly recent rebuild, as the transmission looks new), but I'll try and remember to give it a test steam clean and see how it does, and if it's worthwhile, I'll try and report back (will have to leave it a while for the motor to have something to clean off).

Absorbent bed pads that are used for the incontinent, should cope well with any runoff, and help with easy disposal, and a big pack can be very cheap.

[captlloyd]

One word, Gunk. Available at any auto. Parts store.

[Bor the Wolf]

I have no idea if this product is available in your neck of the woods, but we use Dasty to clean our engine. Break cleaner may be a good alternative but I never tried it myself.

[Badsanta]

I'm very fond of a quick brake clean spray as it displaces the water and drys quickly. Use proper ventilation and a low voc

[model 10]

It's great to be nice to the ocean but you have to deal with the gunk in the bilge. Pads soak up most of the oil in the bilge, soap keeps the sheen down. Still you pump crap into the water. It sucks.
I found it very frustrating this year trying to dispose of oily stuff from a blown up engine replacement. Land nearby was only 10' from the water so what good did it do to dump something there? I hauled bilge water in 5ga buckets out into the middle of the lake and dumped it. Pads go into regular trash around here. Oil is picked up, I think. Big batteries go into the trash, no recycling.
Beyond all that, the big and little fishies under the boat seemed to cope.

[Reefmagnet]

Detergent breaks up oil. If oil escapes to the water course, a surprisingly small amount of dishwashing liquid will help break it up. Of course, this should only be an emergency contingency and not a general practice!

Although I do have a copy of a government issued safe boating handbook from the 70's that suggests pouring oil into the water on a continual basis to calm the seas when hove to in rough weather. How times have changed.

Sent from my SGP521 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Although I do have a copy of a government issued safe boating handbook from the 70's that suggests pouring oil into the water on a continual basis to calm the seas when hove to in rough weather. How times have changed.

I have heard that vegetable oil works fine.

[SVNeko]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

The Coastguard hates that too. Washing oil and grime into the bilge and then pumping it out with the bilge pump would count as an illegal discharge. From the Marpol label :

1. It is a crime to negligently or knowingly discharge a “harmful quantity” of oil into US waters.
2. Failing to report an oil spill to the government is also a crime. Any “person in charge” on a vessel that has discharged oil must immediately report the spill to the National Response Center.
PENALTIES FOR INDIVIDUALS: Individuals who fail to notify the federal government about an oil spill or discharge can be fined up to $200,000 or up to twice the gross gain or loss and may be imprisoned for up to 5 years.
A negligent violation of the Clean Water Act is a misdemeanor and can result in up to one year in prison.
A knowing failure to report a spill or a leak is a felony and can result in up to 5 years in prison.

So your best bet by far is to remove the grime with a little detergent spray, and some elbow grease. Rags work really well, or a brush. Make sure you soak up any runoff.

I cleaned my entire Jaguar V12 with some Windex, some rags, and some elbow grease.

I bet your Jaguar V12 leaks more oil that finds its way into the waterways than this guy's one-time oily bilge water ever will.