496HO owners, best solution for cleaning soot??
 

Just curious who uses what to get soot off back of boat? I don't think my transom has much clear coat on it cause mine gets like stained, I can wipe some off, but other parts like stick to the back and nothing a try takes it off except polish compound, and even that does not do a good job. Anything carnauba just causes it to stick worse. I have a few heavly stained areas I want to get cleaned up. Is soft scrub with bleach a good choice, or maybe some 3m finess 2?? Looking for help, thanks fellas

Also I have been reading that startron gas treatment, from west marine will help cut the soot way down, gonna start trying that..

Purple power with a magic eraser... Wet the transom, spray on pp to the sponge, then wipe it off. If its a real *****, spray the transom down, then wipe it down with the sponge.

I also recommend getting some iron stain remover (muratic acid), cause once the soot is gone, more than likely see a orangish tinge after you lose the soot. Apply the muratic in the same fashion as the pp. be careful if you wear glasses with coated lenses! It'll eat the coatings right off them (dont ask how I know)!

I was getting a lot of soot and changed fuels as Raylar suggested on it cut it down at least 75%.

I use Power 1 and it seems to work well.

Fuel
 

When u say changed fuels, u mean just different gas station??

Is power 1 a degreaser, can u get that at a auto parts store or Walmart?

Google Fountain of Youth products for Power 1....also there are many good reviews of their stuff here on OSO.

Yea, different brands have different additive packages....

Tell us more, PLEASE

I would not recommend using a Magic Erasure on the gel coat, it is fine for the non skid but I wouldn't for the shinny gel coat.

The beast way to combat it is keeping the gel coat polished and shinny. Once it becomes dull and porous it will become much more difficult to clean. Also do not let the soot or dirt sit for any period of time because soot, dirt and soil are acids and they will damage the finish. You'll want a strong alkaline cleaner to remove it, like simple green or something stronger. I have had good success with Bio-Kleen products since I started using them last year. The Black Streak remover is awesome, I even use it on my work trailer that has a white floor. But again you cannot let it sit and if the surface/finish that is dull it will make the problem worse. The only option is to get area cut and polished followed with a good coat of wax. After each use we us a spray on wax that just reinforces the protection barrier.

http://www.biokleen.com/black-streak-remover

Another thing to possibly consider is the type of water you are boating in. There is a lake we visit that has VERY hard water and it will leave scaling on everything if it stays in the water for several days. In this instance after using an alkaline cleaner (which will not remove scaling) you'll need an acidic cleaner like Lime Away and the blue 3M sponge with the BLUE Scotch Brite (AND ONLY THE BLUE!!!) you can buy at any grocery store. This will help breakdown the scaling.

My best advice is to never let it accumulate, because it is an acid and it will damage the finish. Hope this helps and give the Bio-Kleen a try and no I don't work for them, I am just a nut for keeping things clean. :lolhit:

I got soot from the 496 and I still get it with the 525. Use vinegar on the exhaust tips and drive cap. Put a fresh coat of wax on the transom only after every washing and the soot will wipe right off with mild soapy water; Then re-wax transom. :)

Crown rv & boat cleaner , spray on wipe off .

Ray made the same suggestion to me on anohter post i had been using BP fuel because the station was easy in/out towing the boat but my tank was empty this Saturday so i tried Marathon and soot was about 50% less than normal. I also use Purple Power to cust most of it and then about mid way through the season use Starbrite Hull Cleaner to cut the left over off followed by a good coat of BoatCandy Wax. Starbriet is also a Muratic acid like some of the other products mentioned, wear heavy ruber work gloves it burns your skin!