Salt from outboard ruined my tools!!

[wild.coast]

Oh man, first time working on an outboard. Pulled the lower unit and it was full of crystalized salt. Used a drill with some wire brushes to clean it up, which blew salt all over my workbench and tools. Ended up leaving the project half finished in the garage to leave for vacation, got back to it 2 weeks later and noticed a bunch of my tools are super rusted! Damn. I guess the salt did a number on them. Ooops!

I guess this is something everyone learns early on? I just cleaned up my tools with a scotchbrite and WD40, which got the surface rust off. Now I know to clean all tools touching salt right away!

Have you guys have similar experience? Any tricks? Perhaps clean the darn outboard away from the workbench!

 

[Scott Danforth]

clean the outboard on a stand in the driveway where you can rinse everything

 

[matt167]

Brass scrubbie from the grocery store and some CLP oil will fix rusted tools right up.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, try leaving some tools in the boat at the salt water slip.

 

[dingbat]

Gee, try leaving some tools in the boat at the salt water slip.

My wife bought one of these tool sets for me as a boat warming present in 2005.
Kit has never been off the boat for more than a couple of hours but still looks like new. Never much thought about it....must be plated or a high chromium content steel alloy

Sites-WestMarine-Site

West Marine

www.westmarine.com

 

[crazy charlie]

Oh man, first time working on an outboard. Pulled the lower unit and it was full of crystalized salt. Used a drill with some wire brushes to clean it up, which blew salt all over my workbench and tools. Ended up leaving the project half finished in the garage to leave for vacation, got back to it 2 weeks later and noticed a bunch of my tools are super rusted! Damn. I guess the salt did a number on them. Ooops!

I guess this is something everyone learns early on? I just cleaned up my tools with a scotchbrite and WD40, which got the surface rust off. Now I know to clean all tools touching salt right away!

Have you guys have similar experience? Any tricks? Perhaps clean the darn outboard away from the workbench!

The salt build up should be washed/rinsed or neutralized with vinegar and water prior to doing any work. Salt is only good for french fries !! Charlie