Removing Soot From Transom

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GonzoF1

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Sep 20, 2015
123
Navigator 4200 Classic New Bern, NC
After spending a goodly amount of time using MaineSail's technique to polish up the transom and reinstalling new graphics, we arrived back at our home port with an extremely sooty transom. It was pretty embarrassing. I so wanted to make a big statement after all that elbow grease.

Anyway, yes, I know there are engine issues that led to the soot in the first place and I know what most of them are. However, I would have thought that after creating such a slick and well-protected surface, the soot would have simply wiped off. It didn't. It took going up to Magic Erasers and a lot of effort to remove it and completely reversed all the work I have done. In fact, the waxed sections were the hardest places to remove it.

Are there any tips or products that will make soot removal easier in the future? It's going to happen again for sure and I'd like to not have to go thru all this again.

I attached a pic a friend took as we docked. There are two spots (door and center) where I tried to wipe it off underway.

**SIDE NOTE** The soot was really a byproduct of a dirty bottom of an under-powered vessel. We ended up running at a horribly inefficient speed over a four hour trip and it was really what caused this.
 

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jon hansen

jon hansen

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May 25, 2012
4,335
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
**SIDE NOTE** The soot was really a byproduct of a dirty bottom of an under-powered vessel. We ended up running at a horribly inefficient speed over a four hour trip and it was really what caused this.[/QUOTE]


gonzo, dude, diesel engines love a load, your side note is a pipe dream. you have major combustion issues with that diesel. sorry to be so blunt
 
Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi

Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi

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Mar 3, 2003
710
Hunter 356 Grand Rivers
Could be your prop is overpitched. I had that problem with my MaxProp. Had a lot of soot during a long cruise. I used Purple Power to get the soot off and then softscrub. Got MaxProp refurbished and it is fine now - no soot. Combination of dirty bottom and overpitched prop will make soot, so will just overpitched prop.

Purple Power will clean it off, but I would try Dawn dish detergent first. Dawn is a very good degreaser.
 
G

GonzoF1

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Sep 20, 2015
123
Navigator 4200 Classic New Bern, NC
Hi Team!

We there is/was an issue that needed (and is currently) being repaired. While tackling a heat exchanger leak, we found a LOT of corrosion on the forward end of the tank. Managing to sheer off a bolt, that meant the entire exchanger tank needed to come off. While I was at it, I figured I would go after the turbo after-coolers. Turns out, the previous owner (or his mechanic) wasn't keeping the engine zincs properly changed. One motor had 75% blockage in the after-cooler core at one end from what looks like a zinc explosion. There also was a small handful of impeller parts at the other end. Well, one thing led to another and we have now purchased to brand new heat exchangers. Expensive, but easy to find. Once we got into the after-cooler cores, we found a thick layer of soot coating to core tubes. Turns out, soaking in Purple Power does the trick.

So we have done a full service of the raw water system. We'll see if that does the trick. I'll post some pics when we have better wi-fi.

Next up, the turbos will probably fail or the mixer elbows. Can't wait for that :)
 
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