How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

[gsrsol84mm]

Removed The 350 Motor today and started cleaning the bilge area with Simple Green and a nylon scrubbing brush. Sprayed the rinsed the whole area 5 times. A lot of the grease has come up but there is still a layer in the bilge. Should I just keep spraying simple green and scrubbing or ????
Is there a better degreaser to use ?
Should I use Bilgekote to paint the area ? What prep is required ?
Thanks for the help.

UP AND AWAY

BILGE AREA MINUS MOTOR

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Simple Green is a good start. Check out my thread and you will see how I replaced my transom and prepped and painted my bilge with bilgcoat.

 

[SKIBUM1M]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

I am going to gelcoat my bilge but I am spraying it anyway.

 

[havasuboatman]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Once you get the sitting oil out, and get to where there is just the fine film of oil residu you have to quit using the hose to wash it out. because of how the oily water sits as it is draining out the bilge drain, it recoats eveything.
Use acitone and a supply of clean terry towels. It's a pain, but has to be done.
When you repaint the bilge, don't use paint. Use gel-coat. Gelcoat wont peal up when oil and fuel are spilled onto it.
Prep the area correctly for the gelcoat. This is very important. The surface of the exsisting gel-coat and any exposed glass, has to have the surface sanded for the new gel to bond.
Sand it all down, clean it thoroughly, and wipe it all down with acitone just before you apply the new gel.
Remember that the quality of the final finish is directly related to the quality of the prep work.

 

[SKIBUM1M]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Very well put. I think if you are going to coat the bilge then gelcoat is the only way to go.

 

[system-f]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Although gelcoat is very durable and cool it is too difficult for most people to apply. Interlux's Bilgekoat has gotten great reviews and tons of people think it is a great product.

 

[SKIBUM1M]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Systemf I agree it is a complete pain in the butt to apply. Trust me I know I just sprayed the whole hull of my boat and had it kick in the gun. Took 7 hours to spray a 15 ft with the hull flipped. Howerver if you are just doing a bilge you could use a brush or roller to do it and you dont have to sand it after since it is not for looks but more for function

 

[clockwatcher]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

I used a long handle nylon brush and 2 gallons of citrus (orange) degreaser and many gallons of hot water to clean mine. I had pretty major oil leak and it all cleaned up well.

 

[gsrsol84mm]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

It's starting to look better after some simple green and brushing. Maybe I will try the citrus orange and hot water as well.
Once it's clean then I have to decide between bilgekoat or gelcoat. Gelcoat sounds tough to do but you have to learn sometime. How do you get a color with gelcoat and how would you mix it to brush it on ? Need Gelcoat 101 for beginners. Sparaying may be wway to tough to start with.
Has anyone else used bilgekoat ?

BILGE GETTING CLEANER

 

[erikgreen]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

For my own bilge, I had to degrease (well, first I had to absorb standing water and oil with kitty litter) then wipe clean, then grind away a layer of porous glass. The oil got into and stayed in the little cracks and holes, and would have prevented good adhesion of any paint or gelcoat.

Last time I painted, and it worked ok. I think I used rust-oleum topside paint. This time I'll use a better paint, probably not gelcoat though, it's not significantly better than bilge paint for this job.

I also did a couple spaces with epoxy mixed with white pigment (still white, but with a yellow tinge) and epoxy mixed with graphite (very black, looked good). I may use the graphite mix again on my hull bottom, it's very durable.

Erik

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Go to autozone, buy some Hand Cleaner "GooP' Use you scrub bush to coat the bilge, let it set for 5 minutes and rinse with clean water, then towel dry. No more grease.

 

[havasuboatman]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Gelcoat is easy to apply. ( In the bilge, I mean) Just don't over do it when adding the catalyst. When I have done my bilge's, I brush it on, and do it on a warm day so it flows nice.

 

[havasuboatman]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Go to autozone, buy some Hand Cleaner "GooP' Use you scrub bush to coat the bilge, let it set for 5 minutes and rinse with clean water, then towel dry. No more grease.

That GOOP had cleaner is petrolium based. Paint/gelcoat over that and the first time you wash out the bilge you will wash off your new paint/gel..

 

[SKIBUM1M]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

True gelcoat is more work than paint but for some reason most people on here seem immediately dismiss it for any aplication. I am in the process of gelcoating my entire boat and it is not that dificult. You just have to move quickly before it cures.
for your bilge you can just buy a quart of it. add pigment to color it as you want it. make sure everything is ready to go. add the mekp and brush it on. then spray pva over it in a mist coat. wait an hour or 2 and wash the pva off with water. its that easy. The tough part comes when spraying because you have to clean the gun within about 10 minits of adding the mekp. and you have to do this every time you empty the gun. And it doesnt just wash off with acetone you have to brush it offThen sanding is a pain but I would sand out paint also so that is a wash.

 

[gsrsol84mm]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Scrubbed and scrubbed the bilgea area with simple green, then wiped it with acetone and painted it with Interlux Bilge Coat ( managed to get it done one day that was 66 deg )
Pleased with how it turned out. Only used about 1/2 quart.

PAINTED BILGE WITH INTERLUX BILGE COAT

 

[SKIBUM1M]

Re: How Should I clean & Paint The Bilge Area ?

Very nice job, I like the color too. It will show oil leaks and looks clean.