Painting an engine

[landonshaw]

I need to pull my engine, Volvo Penta MD2040, because the oil pan has rusted and I am losing oil. Two questions,

Anyone ever pull this engine. Any hints from your experience?

The second is that I am going to paint it while it is out. I have never pulled an engine or painted one. Hints on preparing the engine?

Thanks, Dave s/v Aloisius

[Diesel Bill]

I would degrease with engine degreaser and then wash (scrub) with tide or other detergent, rinse and blow dry with compressed air, prime with good brand primer (rustoleum) then spray with color of choice. Use engine enamel or quality paint.

[Bill Seal]

Use Purple Stuff if you can find it (maybe WalMart).
It has lye in it, keep it away from shiny aluminum or vinyl windows.

[Lepke]

Super clean sold in better autoparts stores. A strong detergent. Can be diluted for light cleaning jobs. About $25/gallon on ebay.
Put it in a spray bottle, spray wait and hose off. It will clean even thick baked on oil and dirt with more than one application.
If you're pulling the engine, I'd wait to clean the engine outside the boat.

[delmarrey]

Brake cleaner (1 gallon si$e) in a pump sprayer, works really well for cleaning. Next best thing to triclorethelene but safer. Start with bilge cleaner or simple green first to get the heavy stuff off.

Scrape and wire brush any rust. Brake Kleen again, then good metal undercoat (red) and automotive engine spray paint from an auto parts store.

Been painting engines since 1967. First one was a farm tractor. 😀