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Cleaning motor inside the cowling

bmw332is

New member
I recently read in some other boating forums where many owners of outboards lightly spray off their motors inside the cowlings...they stat this helps fight corosion.

What is the opinion/position of Honda for their motors??
 
Seems like that would attact more dirt and gunk. At every 100 hour maintenance I judiciously use WD40 and a stiff toothbrush on any bolts or surfaces that show signs of corrosion. I make sure all the mechanical linkages are lightly greased. Otherwise, I wipe down surfaces with a clean cloth and keep the inside compartment as clean as possible. I use a thin coat of Vasoline on the rubber seal on the cowling before putting it back on.
 
WD-40 is not a very great lubricant but MAN, does it do so many other useful things! It is a good cleaner but watch out! It dissolves grease and would not be good to spray on any of those lubricated linkages.

WD displaces water. I have used it many times to start cars that have been "drowned" running through puddles. So, I would agree that it should help with corrosion in that regard. I doesn't seem to be harmful to anything I've ever applied it to but I don't think it should be applied to say, your timing belt.

And, I agree with chawk-man. Don't go overdoing it. a good wipe down and his guidelines should be all you need to do.
The main thing is that you're in there and looking for leaks or trouble brewing.

Chawk, I really like the Vaseline on the cowl seal idea! I'm stealin' it.
 
jgmo - thanks. One of the characteristics of WD40 is that it neutralizes salt deposits - not sure how or why, but it does. Picked up that piece of knowledge when I built my house at Hatteras. The HVAC pro told me to spray down my heat pump cooling fins every year with WD40 to make them last longer in the salty aire that is prevalent in this part of the country. It works well and I am getting 10 years out of my heat pumps instead of the normal 5 or 6 years that is the norm down here. When I saw salt deposits building up on bolt heads and other surfaces of my BF 225, I used WD40 with a stiff toothbrush, and they disappeared.

BTW - I've been told that the main ingredient in WD40 is fish oil. Go figure.
 
Well, I hadn't heard that one but I'm not surprised. It is also used by knowledgeable diesel mechanics the world over instead of ether as a starting aid for compression ignition engines. It will fire a cold or stubborn diesel engine without causing the damage that ether does.

It was invented and is manufactured right here in good old San Diego, Californ-I-A too so I'm real proud of them boys. Wish I'da been buyin' their stock instead of drinkin' Budweiser many years ago.
 
I swear by t-9, nothing gets through that stuff and a good spray of it when new last for many years. You can really tell a difference in a salt water motor that's been sprayed with it or not after 5+ years. I have used motors now but my previous new ones i always hit with that, and you can really tell a difference in these used ones that didn't get it at the outset, and my previous ones that did after the same number of years.
 
Boeshield T-9! I had not heard of this stuff. But that's why I joined the forum, to learn. Thanks swade, I will be sure to give it a try.
jimmyd
 
Just note it leaves a noticeable waxy gooey film, but thats why it stays on so long and doesn't wash off...When i had it on my new outboards i put it on new and 6 years later it would still have a good coating, but no corrosion either =) even on bolt, outside looked like crap lol but under the cover like new. It's good because you can still spray it down with some light water and it doesn't rinse off.
 
Hmmm. I might be a bit concerned about heat retention in sensitive electronic modules because of the "waxy,gooey coating". Have you sprayed it on your batteries or terminals and if so, what results did you have. Thanks.
jd
 
Yeah i wouldn't spray it on anything electronic i've just always sprayed it on fasteners, block,etc anything the salt air gets too. I'm sure i've hit modules,etc too just being quick (I used spray the heck out of the jet ski with it and it stayed new looking) can't say i've ever had an electrical problem on anything, but probably best to avoid those.

It's in a spray can so i'm sure it's a solvent that evaporates and whatever the waxy film is. Around here in florida you pretty much use that or corrosionX, i've never used that one.
That said i've seen outboards just washed down look good too. Its just one of those things i bought a long time ago for a jet ski (i think yamaha had something similar probably rebadged at the time they recommended) and just kept using it to inboards then to outboards because i never really saw much corrosion anywhere.

I just kind of trust it works, my last outboard was on a pontoon kept on a lift and after 10 years the motor looked new inside except for the tattletale area where there's constant saltwater contact and you really can't rinse with the cover on or don't when you're in a hurry...and I never rinsed under the cover of that one.

not sure much holds up to constant salt water exposure as it will wash pretty much anything off, wd40 I can't imagine lasts very long I notice bow rails rust in a week with that on but then again that gets a lot of rain , salt spray which would wash it off eventually, under a cover it may last just as long who knows!
 
Chawk, I really like the Vaseline on the cowl seal idea! I'm stealin' it.


I like this idea as well, note I sprayed corrision x on every in past ending up messing up Alternator's when I took them to get rebuild they said was a film on them that messed them up .. I spray everything else and wipe down what I can get too...
 
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