Outboard cleaning question ...-gctid371937

[Guest]

I just boat my 1st boat, a 1986 1700 Capri Cuddy, the boat spent most of it's summer's in a lake. The Force 85hp outboard and power tilt are very discolored with a white coating, like calcium. Being new to boating, boat cleaning, and maintenance, does anyone have recommendations for cleaning the white coating of my transom components?

Thanks in advanced. A co-worked suggested diluted Drano.

[Guest]

If soap and water don't work, my next stop would be CLR. After that, there are marine-specific cleaners that will do it, but they are harsher and more expensive.

[Guest]

Any marine hull cleaner product will work. Spray it on, soft brush and rinse it off and repeat if required. Someone will also recommend concrete acid etch from the big box stores -phosphoric acid I believe - which probably would work but dilution rate is unknown. CLR also works but is probably the most expensive option.

[Guest]

captjmh wrote:
CLR also works but is probably the most expensive option.

Expensive? Are we both talking about the same product? CLR full retail is $7.89 for 828mL, and it's often on sale for much less. At retail, that's about 1/2 the price of the equivalent Aurora product and the CLR will go much farther. One or two splashes on a sponge or rag will do his outboard.

[CaptTom]

Uh, are we talking about just cleaning? Or is it oxidized aluminum? If a product like CLR takes it down to a smooth, painted surface, you're good. If you find raw, pitted metal, that's another story altogether.