Remove hard water stains from Mercury motor?

tomcat519 · #1 05-21-2018, 05:12 PM

Any ideas how to remove the hard water stains from a black Mercury motor? I've tried soap and water as per the Mercury manual but the results are poor.
Is there a product out there that won't ruin the finish?

Thanks

dodgeboy1979 · #2 05-21-2018, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomcat519

Any ideas how to remove the hard water stains from a black Mercury motor? I've tried soap and water as per the Mercury manual but the results are poor.
Is there a product out there that won't ruin the finish?

Thanks

try a bathroom cleaner like tilex or scrubbing bubbles.

pikergolf · #3 05-21-2018, 05:45 PM

Clr.

Mayhem · #4 05-21-2018, 06:35 PM

Meguiars has a water spot remover that should be safe to use on your painted motor. I beleive they make a Marine/RV formula as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PLCMSunMzY

I haven't used either of them but their other products I have work very well.

crane_guy · #5 05-21-2018, 10:42 PM

Viniger works well at home

briangeorge · #6 05-22-2018, 06:42 AM

I don't know if it will work for your situation but I had bad rust stains on my vinyl siding on my garage and I was told to use Bartenders Friend (the stove top cleaner). I was skeptical but it worked. A little bit on a scrub brush, a bit of elbow grease scrub and rinsed off. Worth a try.

Walleyedude · #7 05-22-2018, 06:57 AM

Damaging a Mercury hood cowling or the paint on the leg would be a very expensive mistake. Don't use any type of kitchen cleaner that might be even mildly abrasive, I definitely wouldn't use anything that's in a solid or powder form, it will damage the finish. I'd also be pretty cautious with any bathroom cleaners, test them out on an inconspicuous spot before you go to far.

It's expensive because of shipping, but a product called Wonderfoam really is a miracle cleaner. Wet the motor down, spray it on, wait 10-20 seconds, spray it off. Completely clean, and no scrubbing required. The Restore polish works well too, very similar to Lucas Slick Mist.

https://www.larsensales.com/products/

I see you're in Calgary, PM me if you decide to order. I'm running low, I'd split the shipping with you on a couple bottles.

Fishwhere · #8 05-22-2018, 09:47 AM

I had the same issue on my boat and i tried hot water and soap and some other cleaners, and they didnt do anything.

After that i tried hot water, white vinegar, and dish soap and it worked like a charm. I would not use clr on any type of a plastic or painted surface.

Good luck

aulrich · #9 05-22-2018, 09:47 AM

x2 for clr but I would mix it with the hottest water you can handle it speeds up the reaction. vinigar should work the same, you just need something to react with the calcium.

DiabeticKripple · #10 05-22-2018, 11:08 AM

Vinegar is acetic acid which reacts with calcium/lime and gets rid of it. I’d start there.

kouleerunner · #11 05-22-2018, 12:39 PM

I've seen a 50/50 mix vinegar and Windex work wonders

Buckhead · #12 05-23-2018, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mayhem

Meguiars has a water spot remover that should be safe to use on your painted motor. I beleive they make a Marine/RV formula as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PLCMSunMzY

I haven't used either of them but their other products I have work very well.

I use Meguiars Deep Crystal System Polish. Usually takes off all the stains and marks and leaves the outboard shining like new. Some marine wax on top of that and the motor will look like it just came out of the showroom.

sanjuanworm · #13 05-23-2018, 07:07 PM

50/50 water vinegar. Gets rid of all water marks.

tomcat519 · #14 05-24-2018, 12:08 PM

First off, Thanks to all the replies.
I tried the easiest solution first and surprisingly it worked great! I used
1 part hot water, 1 part vinegar, and a good squirt of dish soap.
Stains came right off the plastic cowling with little effort. Previous to that I really had to scrub - clearly the 1 part vinegar worked.

However, the lower portion of the motor (leg) is black paint on a metal casting not plastic or fiberglass. The water stains came of this as well but there ares till some areas that look like like heavy smudges or some kind of carbon build up from the underwater exhaust. Has anyone dealt with this before?

Walleyedude is this where you use the Wonderfoam?

Since this is paint on metal I wonder if buffing and car products might get the job done - something like McQuires maybe. I'm only guessing but any advice from someone who has experience would be great

Thanks

old dog · #15 05-24-2018, 02:03 PM

I use CLR on it, the boat and trailer. Anywhere there is water staining. Just make sure u rinse wash and dry off afterwards Try to wax it once a year which helps out to (only once the staining has been removed)

mooseknuckle · #16 05-24-2018, 09:39 PM

Magic eraser works very well

Mackay2144 · #17 05-29-2018, 09:51 AM

Try Bar Keepers Friend, it works really well.

medhatken · #18 05-31-2018, 11:04 AM

A mixture of vinegar and blue dawn dish soap. Then after that when you wash have a sprayer mix with jet-dry and water and rinse off with that for a spot free rinse

ghostguy6 · #19 05-31-2018, 12:54 PM

Once you get the stains off, a coat of Pledge Furniture Polish works well to keep them from forming again,

TROLLER · #20 06-01-2018, 10:13 AM

Wall Mart or any RV dealer sells BLACK STAIN REMOVER Spray it on wait a minute and rince off. No damage to your cover and it will look like new. Works wonders for all those black water stains that run down the side of the hard walls on RV's I have used it on almost anything that needs a deep cleaning. Including my boat motor

B00MER · #21 06-01-2018, 12:45 PM

Vinegar for the win.

cube · #22 06-01-2018, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomcat519

Any ideas how to remove the hard water stains from a black Mercury motor? I've tried soap and water as per the Mercury manual but the results are poor.
Is there a product out there that won't ruin the finish?

Thanks

https://www.lundboats.com/boat-and-f...g-water-spots/