Keith is a frickin' genius

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Marin

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In some thread or another awhile back*the topic was how to clean groundpower cords.* Keith suggested GoJo was an effective product.* I made note of this but didn't get around to doing anything about it until a few days ago.

Our shorepower cord (basic Marinco yellow cable and plugs) had not been cleaned in 13 years, and after 13 years of lying on a wood deck being showered with dirt, soot from the nearby railyard's constantly idling locomotives and everything else that rains down on boats the cord was near black with coated on, baked on, crap.* Over the years I'd occasionally tried various products from purpose-sold groundpower cord cleaners to citrus cleaner to Lord knows what.* Some of it worked to a degree but usually had a downside, like leaving a sticky residue on the cord that attracted even more crap.* So after cleaning a short test section I would give up.

The other day we picked up a container of GoJo.* The one with the mild abrasive in it, not the non-abrasive version.* I'm not going to say all the gunk came off with a single*wipe--- it took a degree of work--- but it was amazing to say the least.* The most effective technique I arrived at*was applying it to a section of the cord and then running it back and forth through my hands for awhile and then using rags to scrub*off the accumulated grime.* It did a fabulous job, and there is no leftover sticky residue on the cord.

This was so successful I used the GoJo on our fenders, which also had not been cleaned for some ten or twelve years.* Same result.* Some of the fenders were stained where they have been up against a wood*bullrail for all this time and that yellow-brown stain did not come out, nor did I expect it to.* But all the gray dirt and grime and dirty scuffs*came right off with what I consider a minimum amount of scrubbing.

So thank you Keith, for that tip.* Our groundpower cord now no longer looks like something that was just pulled out of*a sewer.
 
I have usually had good results with GoJo although some stains are too deep for even it to remove.
WHY don't they just make those cords black in the first place??
Steve W.
 
Steve wrote:

WHY don't they just make those cords black in the first place??
Steve W.
*Because then people would never buy new shiny ones! *The marketing folks that suggested yellow or white for shore power chords were no dummies and I say hats off to them!! *
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Woodsong wrote:Steve wrote:

WHY don't they just make those cords black in the first place??
Steve W.
*Because then people would never buy new shiny ones! *The marketing folks that suggested yellow or white for shore power chords were no dummies and I say hats off to them!! *
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*Wouldn't the black begin to rub off on your nice shiny white hull as it detoriated over time? *I obviously don't have any experience with this but I've had other extension cords (black, orange, yellow, etc) do this over time and being dragged around and exposed to UV, etc.
 


*Wouldn't the black begin to rub off on your nice shiny white hull as it detoriated over time?*
******** Yes...any color will show black marks when in contact with FRP surfaces over time.

******** Cleaning the dock power cord may be "nice" but is an exercise in futility. (JMO)

*******


-- Edited by SeaHorse II on Tuesday 27th of September 2011 09:19:32 AM
 

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Scarletbison hit the nail on the head. I sell marine supplies and I can tell you that boaters don't buy black if it's going to touch their decks. How many boat shoes have black soles? Damn few. Besides which, black cables would get too hot to handle when left in the sun. There is a new company, Furrion, that is making cables in a metalic grey color. They look nice.
 
I've used acetone, it works fairly well.* But, I'm wondering if it's going to start dissolving the cord.

*
 
SeaHorse II wrote:

*Wouldn't the black begin to rub off on your nice shiny white hull as it detoriated over time?*
******** Yes...any color will show black marks when in contact with FRP surfaces over time.

******** Cleaning the dock power cord may be "nice" but is an exercise in futility. (JMO)

*******



-- Edited by SeaHorse II on Tuesday 27th of September 2011 09:19:32 AM

*Walt, I am surprised at you letting your cord drag over the gunnel.* We are going to have to start taking off points.
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Old Stone wrote:
Walt - I notice you are using the SmartPlug. First one I've actually seen. Did you attach it to the end of an existing cord? Are these plugs available at the "dock" end as well?
*I'm curious too, thinking of making the switch...
 
BaltimoreLurker wrote:
I've used acetone, it works fairly well.* But, I'm wondering if it's going to start dissolving the cord.
*Acetone is a very powerful solvent.* I would not use it on anything plastic, vinyl, rubber, etc.* If nothing else it will soften the surface and make it even more susceptible to absorbing dirt and grime.* This is why I find Keith's suggestion of GoJo to be so great--- it does not affect the properties of the cable insulation.

As to replacing the cable after 13 years, why?* It's in great shape physically and*we periodically*inspect,*clean and lube the contacts at each end.* In my business (television/film production) we use cables that are far, far older than this.* Short of compromising the insulation around the wires, there's not a whole lot that can go wrong with an electrical cable, particularly one as stout as a groundpower cord.* The connectors warrant periodic inspection, cleaning, and lubing and even replacing or redoing the wire connections,*but the cable itself?* Seems a silly expense to replace something that's not got a problem.* I've been at Boeing 32 years and some of the heavy cables we use today we were using when I hired in.
 
Old Stone wrote:
Walt - I notice you are using the SmartPlug. First one I've actually seen. Did you attach it to the end of an existing cord? Are these plugs available at the "dock" end as well?
* OS & Jennifer:

There is no need to attach anything to the "dock" end of the cord. Only the boat end. I made the switch becuase my Marinco was getting a little long in the tooth and I never liked it anyway! (1938 design) Aligning that 90 degree pin while being in the dark as well as screwing the ring on never made sense to me. Not only does the SmartPlug not have the 90 degree pin, the locking levers on the side and the cammed cover lock make this plug almost impossible to come loose. Add to this a 200 degree built in thermostat that shuts off power to your boat should your wiring system heat up for any reason.

*SmartPlug Systems 30 Amp Marine Products

*

And yes, I connected it to the boat end of my old cord.


-- Edited by SeaHorse II on Tuesday 27th of September 2011 03:30:48 PM
 

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Moonstruck wrote:
*Walt, I am surprised at you letting your cord drag over the gunnel.* We are going to have to start taking off points.
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*X2*
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dwhatty wrote:Moonstruck wrote:
*Walt, I am surprised at you letting your cord drag over the gunnel.* We are going to have to start taking off points.
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*X2*
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*OK boat maintenance tip-----there are products made to prodect the boat surfaces from being market with cords.* Having none a terry cloth towel with a velcro tie will work nicely.

David, I put my new avatar up just for you.* I thought that if you saw I could really do some serious driving that you would invite me to drive that MGB with a behemoth V-8 stuffed in it.
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Moonstruck wrote:dwhatty wrote:Moonstruck wrote:
*Walt, I am surprised at you letting your cord drag over the gunnel.* We are going to have to start taking off points.
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*X2*
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*OK boat maintenance tip-----there are products made to prodect the boat surfaces from being market with cords.* Having none a terry cloth towel with a velcro tie will work nicely.

David, I put my new avatar up just for you.* I thought that if you saw I could really do some serious driving that you would invite me to drive that MGB with a behemoth V-8 stuffed in it.
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It ain't got a behemoth (only a little 215) in it but your are welcome to drive it (Provided it runs. It is an MG afterall) if and when you finally make it to Maine . Just remember that the aerodynamics of an MGB are pretty iffy after one exceeds 125 mph.
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dwhatty wrote:
It ain't got a behemoth (only a little 215) in it
Is that the Rover V-8?* The one used in the Range Rover up through the early 90s and the Morgan Plus-8?* The all-aluminum V-8 that Buick put in the Skylark back in the mid-1960s that when GM discontinued it Rover bought the engine tooling*to use in their new*Range Rover that they introduced in 1969?
 
Marin wrote:dwhatty wrote:
It ain't got a behemoth (only a little 215) in it
Is that the Rover V-8?* The one used in the Range Rover up through the early 90s and the Morgan Plus-8?* The all-aluminum V-8 that Buick put in the Skylark back in the mid-1960s that when GM discontinued it Rover bought the engine tooling*to use in their new*Range Rover that they introduced in 1969?

*Yes. Excerpt from Wikipedia:

"Rights to these engines were purchased by the British Rover Company and used in the 1967 Rover P5B that replaced the 3*L straight six Rover engined P5. Throughout the years, the Rover Co., which became part of British Leyland in 1968, and its successor companies constantly improved the engine making it much stronger and reliable. Capacities ranged from 3.5-5.0*L (215 to 307*in³). This engine was used for V8 versions of the MGB-GT known as the MGB GTV8. This came straight from the MG works at Abingdon-on-the-Thames. Rover also used the engine in the 1970 Range Rover which saw the engine successfully returning to the USA after the Range Rover's 1986 introduction. U.S. Buick 215s have also been engine swapped into countless other platforms, especially Chevrolet Vegas and later British cars MG sports cars including the MG RV8 in the 1990s. Triumph TR-8, and various sports sedans and sports cars by the MG Rover Group and some specialist manufacturers such as TVR and the Morgan Motor Company. The engine remains well supported by enthusiast clubs, specialist parts suppliers, and by shops that specialise in conversions and tuning.

The 215 was also used in the Italian-American gran turismo Apollo in 1962-1963, as well as in the Asardo 3500 GM-S show car.

Although dropped by GM in 1963, the Rover V8 engine would remain in production use for more than another 39 years, even longer on the aftermarket. GM tried to buy it back later on, but Rover declined, instead offering to sell engines back to GM. GM refused this offer.

In the mid-1980s, hot rodders discovered the 215 could be stretched to as much as 305*cu*in (5*l), using the Buick 300 crankshaft, new cylinder sleeves, and an assortment of non-Buick parts.<sup class="reference">[5]</sup> It could also be fitted with high-compression cylinder heads from the Morgan Plus 8. Using the 5 liter Rover block and crankshaft, a maximum displacement of 317.8*cu*in (5,208*cc) is theoretically possible.<sup class="reference">"</sup>
 
The Wikipedia description is sort of right but not quite. What actually happened (I learned this from Rover itself) is that when Rover was developing the Range Rover they knew they needed a more powerful engine than the existing engines Rover was manufacturing. I don't have the names at hand, but what happened is that an executive at Rover was a friend of a fellow in the US (I think he was the head of one of the outboard motor companies) who raced motorboats. One day the Rover exec was visiting his boat-racing friend and he noticed a small V-8 engine sitting on a pallet in the corner of the shop. Intrigued, he asked his friend about it, who told him this was an all-aluminum V-8 that GM had been using in some of its cars. He was using it in one of his racing boats. GM had originally copied the design from the BMW all-aluminum V-8 that had been used in the BMW 507.

The Rover exec allowed that a V-8 like this could be ideal for the new 4wd vehicle his company was developing (the Range Rover). The motorboat guy said that GM was looking to divest itself of all the tooling for the aluminum V-8 and they'd probably be willing to sell it cheap. One thing led to another and Rover ended up buying the tooling from GM. While they used it in other vehicles, Rover's primary reason for acquiring the tooling for the GM V-8 was for the Range Rover which was actually introduced in 1969.

Of course Rover made many improvements to the engine over the years. The original engine displacement was eventually increased to 3.5 litres (probably the best version made of this engine) and later to 4.2 litres (which proved to be a major mistake). The final 5.0 litre version of the engine was extensively redesigned and reworked and internally bears only a superficial resemblance to the previous versions.* Rover*originally outfitted the GM*engine with dual carburetors but it acquired fuel-injection in 1989 or thereabouts.

We bought a new Range Rover in 1991 and twenty years later it runs the same as it did when it was brand new.* It has the 3.5 fuel-injected version of the engine.


-- Edited by Marin on Tuesday 27th of September 2011 06:01:50 PM
 
Marin:

See this article as to who the motorboat guy was: Ken Costello and the MGB V-8

J. Bruce McWilliams spent his last years here on Deer Isle. The local legend has it that the GM exec that he dealt with in arranging* the purchase of the 215 tooling later became his wife "Jimmy".

If my 215 engine ever goes "south", a massaged Rover 3.9 by D&D Fabrications would fit right in the engine bay without further modifications. I'd be almost scared to drive it then. I'd have to get Don up here to exercise it.
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-- Edited by dwhatty on Tuesday 27th of September 2011 06:27:19 PM
 
dwhatty wrote:
If my 215 engine ever goes "south", a massaged Rover 3.9 by D&D Fabrications would fit right in the engine bay without further modifications.
*Actually your post pointed out an error I made in my previous post.* The original engine was 3.5 litres.* This was later enlarged to 3.9 litres*which is reputed to be the best version of the engine.* The 3.9 injected engine is what we have in our 1991 Range Rover.* In 1993 it was enlarged again to 4.2 litres and this version was very problematic.* The block was not strong enough and under load it would actually twist.* The 5.0 litre version saw a lot of stiffening webbing added to the interior of the*block and I believe they also gave the crank a lot more support.
 
Marin wrote:*
*
As to replacing the cable after 13 years, why?*

*

I have seen corrosion travel up the cable. It was an 02 cable and I cut off almost 2 ft before*I found un-corroded wire.*

Just a thought on the next time you replace an end.

To strip it back a bit if the ends are not*the color of a new penny.

I follow a thought that if you can't solder to it. Replace it.

*I just don't think a butt splice will hold when solder won't.

Salt water and electrical. some times I'm amazed things work at all

SD

*


-- Edited by skipperdude on Tuesday 27th of September 2011 09:19:32 PM
 
BaltimoreLurker wrote:
I've used acetone, it works fairly well.* But, I'm wondering if it's going to start dissolving the cord.

*

*

It will.

Better a dirty cord than a damaged cord.
*
 
skipperdude wrote: I have seen corrosion travel up the cable. It was an 02 cable and I cut off almost 2 ft before*I found un-corroded wire.*
Just a thought on the next time you replace an end.

To strip it back a bit if the ends are not*the color of a new penny.

I follow a thought that if you can't solder to it. Replace it.

*I just don't think a butt splice will hold when solder won't.

Salt water and electrical. some times I'm amazed things work at all
One has no business soldering a shorepower cord.

*
 
Why is that?

SD

I wasn't implying you should but when a wire is corroded and you can't scrape off the corrosion good enough to solder it. I don't think a butt splice will give good enough contact without a large voltage drop.

SD


-- Edited by skipperdude on Wednesday 28th of September 2011 01:03:17 PM
 
Marin wrote:dwhatty wrote:
If my 215 engine ever goes "south", a massaged Rover 3.9 by D&D Fabrications would fit right in the engine bay without further modifications.
*This was later enlarged to 3.9 litres*which is reputed to be the best version of the engine.*

*D'accord. Its the version of choice for those retrofitting these into little British cars.
 
dwhatty wrote:Marin wrote:dwhatty wrote:
If my 215 engine ever goes "south", a massaged Rover 3.9 by D&D Fabrications would fit right in the engine bay without further modifications.
*This was later enlarged to 3.9 litres*which is reputed to be the best version of the engine.*

*D'accord. Its the version of choice for those retrofitting these into little British cars.

*You Mainers are frick'n speed demons.* Look at this!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/28/ap/business/main20112989.shtml

It's no wonder you are stuffing V-8s in your litte cars.

Lucas---Prince of Darkness.* Girling is like the Ever Ready Bunny----just keeps going going going going and going-------when you are trying to stop!*
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Moonstruck wrote:
*You Mainers are frick'n speed demons.* Look at this!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/28/ap/business/main20112989.shtml

It's no wonder you are stuffing V-8s in your litte cars.

Lucas---Prince of Darkness.* Girling is like the Ever Ready Bunny----just keeps going going going going and going-------when you are trying to stop!*
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Unfortunately, the new speed limit is only on one far northern section of the interstate. Nowhere else.
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What the hell are we talking about here????

Oh yeah, shore power cords. My only fear with the SmartPlug is that if you forget to unplug it(If you haven't, you will), you will likely bring the whole dock with you out into the fairway.

BTW, my wife is a dealer for those thingies....
 
Baker wrote:
What the hell are we talking about here????

Oh yeah, shore power cords. My only fear with the SmartPlug is that if you forget to unplug it(If you haven't, you will), you will likely bring the whole dock with you out into the fairway.

BTW, my wife is a dealer for those thingies....
*No commercials for dealers here.
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I'll make it a boating tip.

Do not use Lucas or Griling products on your boat.
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