How do YOU get oil otta the bilge ?

[1968Droptop]

I had a small valve cover leak. Seems that even a small leak covers the entire bilge nicely :mad:. I know the best way to get oil out of the bilge is to not get it in there in the first place. But now that it's there, what do you guys use to remove it ? I need to find something locally that actually works ? I can't reach every square inch with a mitt. Looking for tips/tricks to help me out. Thanks in advance.

[Jetaholic]

I think some guys put water in the bilge mixed with Tide or some other kind of laundry detergent. Then they drive it around the lake all day and let it slosh around in the bilge. Then when they come out of the water they pull the drain plug and let it all drain out.

[fleetimus]

Oil Eater. Get it at a parts house.

[JETBOY03]

hey chris i have a gallon of oil eater i will bring it over. when i come to work on my boat tomorrow

[4trax]

Go to Napa or Wal-mart and buy a gallon or two of simple green. It works AWESOME! Just put your plug in and dump the stuff in and either go drive around on the trailer or go for a boat ride. Come home and drain it on the ground and rinse out. Good to go. Environmentally safe also.

[Outlaw]

Dawn dish liquid has allways worked for me,
like jetaholic said, just add a little water and cruise around
then pull your plug and let it run out. may take a couple of times to get it all out.
Like on tv " dawn gets grease out of your way"
or some BS like that.

[Cas]

Pour some laundry detergent/water or oil eater into the bilge and just tow the boat around and drain. I will usually bring some of either along with us to the lake, dump it in just before the tow home and drain it out when we get home.
It's probably not a good idea to dump it in before you go to the lake as your bilge will come on and dump the junk into the lake.

[Heatseeker]

Dawn dish liquid has always worked for me...
That's what I use. I keep a jug of it in the boat. Before I go out, I add a couple of squirts the the bilge. It keeps my bilge nice and clean. The only problem is sometimes in rough water with a full bilge, when you cut the throttle you get foamy water in the passenger area! I guess it keeps the carpet clean too :rolleyes: .

[Taylorman]

I use a spray can of Gunk engine degreaser. Spray it in and hose it out. I sometimes spray it in when i pull the boat out of the water. Dont pull the drain plug. Spray a whole can of gunk all over the bilge. Let it slosh around on the drive home and pull the plug a few miles before i get home so it all drains out.

[TRG]

Go to Napa or Wal-mart and buy a gallon or two of simple green. It works AWESOME! Just put your plug in and dump the stuff in and either go drive around on the trailer or go for a boat ride. Come home and drain it on the ground and rinse out. Good to go. Environmentally safe also.
The fire dept. seems to think otherwise in my area, they will not allow E.S. car washing detergent from a bucket after washing a boat go down the drain!

[hotrod56cars]

The fire dept. seems to think otherwise in my area, they will not allow E.S. car washing detergent from a bucket after washing a boat go down the drain!
I don't know what E.S. car washing detergent is, but I use the simple green method other people posted here. Simple Green is enviromentaly safe, just like the water in the bildge is, but the oil in there isn't enviromentaly safe. So my recomendation is to follow everyone else's procedure and when you're done driving around dump it in a drain pan and recycle it at a local oil recycling center.
.

[b's sanger]

Hey Chris, try soaking the bildge for a while with Dawn and Oxi Clean. Let it sit over night then flush it out. Repeat if necessary.
B

[1968Droptop]

Thanks for the advice guys, and the laughs Heatseeker. That was the first thought that came to mind, lots-o-suds with Dawn flying around back there. But hell if it works :D.
Austin I'll take you up on that oil eater. I think I'll also put a small bottle of Dawn in the detail bag. Just drop a few drops in b/4 boating and let the swells do the work for me.
On the Tide idea. Isn't that hard on bilge pumps ? I have two of the normal 500gph units on the outside, and a self priming sucking pump for the center. I'd be conserned that the Tide would/could harm the impeller ???

[CampbellCarl]

I think this is a question for The Bilge Idiot! Chime in Bilgie!
CC

[sleekcrafter]

West Marine or Boater's World, have bilge socks. Just lay it in the bilge, and it collects oils in the bilge water, keeps the mess to a minimum.

[Cas]

West Marine or Boater's World, have bilge socks. Just lay it in the bilge, and it collects oils in the bilge water, keeps the mess to a minimum.
I had a few of those left over from when the Coast Guard Auxillary came to one of our Tower Park outings and they work great. That little bag will hold something like 2 qts of oil but it won't soak up any water.

[1968Droptop]

I had a few of those left over from when the Coast Guard Auxillary came to one of our Tower Park outings and they work great. That little bag will hold something like 2 qts of oil but it won't soak up any water.
Those sound cool. Are they very big ?

[Cas]

the actual socks come in many sizes.
Here's a link to the 3M product we got from the CGA
Oil Absorbent Pad (http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchView?storeId=10051&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&keyword=oil+pad)
the ones we had were about 6"x8" or so.

[1968Droptop]

Thanks for the link CAS.
On a side note, I took jetboy up on that offer to try oil eater. For the first time a product actually does as it claims !!! It worked like a champ, incredible, it actually worked. My pump inside the bilge is nice and white again, just a garden hose needed to get it back to lookin good. THANKS jetboy !!!!

[ol guy]

Better to clean properly than dump on the ramp or on the way home. Not a tree hugger but its all haz waste. Oh and by the way disposible diapers work great for absorbtion. Then pine-sol and a rag for the detail.

[YeLLowBoaT]

I'm not sure if they still do or not but the CA DBW use to give out free oil absobing kits...

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

I have used Damw and Tide. i add either in my bilge before I hit the lake. My new ride will have a puke tank. Hopefully the damn valve covers wont leak...