Indian_Lake_Bum
Well-Known Member
What type of fluid is in the seastar hydraulic system on the benningtons? We had some warranty work done on our boat at the factory last month (carpet replacement) and everything had to come off the boat including the helm. I'm guessing that when the helm was re-installed they had to bleed the air out of the steering system and the 2 fittings (back on the ram at the motor) that look like air chuck connectors are where that process was done. Only problem is that some time between the factory and back at my local dealer the caps came off (or were never replaced after bleeding) and some fluid leaked out onto the motor cowling (hood) while traveling down the road. It looks as if it was sprayed at the front corners of the motor and blew up each side to the top where it pooled and caused more damage.
At first I thought it could have been just some salt spray from the roads during it's travels to and fro. The guys at Spend A Day told us that it did indeed get caught in some snow and salted roads so that kind of confirmed my thinking. Once we got the boat back in our lift and I was giving her the once over and a final cleaning before putting her to bed for a few months I noticed that the motor cover was stained up pretty bad and wouldn't come back to a nice shine. I tried my normal 3M spray wax - then tried Lucas slick mist wax - then even tried a small spot with some 303 cleaner before going to mothers claybar to try and get the dulling back to a shine. Really don't want to break out the buffing wheel and some fine cutting polish to try and clean it up if the fluid reacted to the paint on the cover it will only make matters worse.
The reason I'm thinking that it is hydraulic fluid and not salt spray is that the sides and back of the motor came clean with no problems with a shot of the 3M wax. Everything on the motor should have been in the same salt spray but only the front and top are effected. If you look at the bleeders they are positioned directly below the area that is dull and could have sprayed onto the front of the motor and then pooled up on top of the motor cowling. I'm guessing that the motor wasn't shrink wrapped even though the rest of the boat was and it probably was tilted up for loading and hauling that placed the bleeders real close to the front of the motor (where it's dull now).
Before we sent it back I gave the motor a full wipe down with the cleaner and wax I've been using since the boat was new so it should have been protected against the salt and elements. We also have a fitted factory motor cover that we use to keep it nice.....so the dullness on the front of the cowl (the side I can see) is killing me.
Any advice on how to bring back the shine to my cowling will be greatly appreciated!
At first I thought it could have been just some salt spray from the roads during it's travels to and fro. The guys at Spend A Day told us that it did indeed get caught in some snow and salted roads so that kind of confirmed my thinking. Once we got the boat back in our lift and I was giving her the once over and a final cleaning before putting her to bed for a few months I noticed that the motor cover was stained up pretty bad and wouldn't come back to a nice shine. I tried my normal 3M spray wax - then tried Lucas slick mist wax - then even tried a small spot with some 303 cleaner before going to mothers claybar to try and get the dulling back to a shine. Really don't want to break out the buffing wheel and some fine cutting polish to try and clean it up if the fluid reacted to the paint on the cover it will only make matters worse.
The reason I'm thinking that it is hydraulic fluid and not salt spray is that the sides and back of the motor came clean with no problems with a shot of the 3M wax. Everything on the motor should have been in the same salt spray but only the front and top are effected. If you look at the bleeders they are positioned directly below the area that is dull and could have sprayed onto the front of the motor and then pooled up on top of the motor cowling. I'm guessing that the motor wasn't shrink wrapped even though the rest of the boat was and it probably was tilted up for loading and hauling that placed the bleeders real close to the front of the motor (where it's dull now).
Before we sent it back I gave the motor a full wipe down with the cleaner and wax I've been using since the boat was new so it should have been protected against the salt and elements. We also have a fitted factory motor cover that we use to keep it nice.....so the dullness on the front of the cowl (the side I can see) is killing me.
Any advice on how to bring back the shine to my cowling will be greatly appreciated!
