I was wondering if simple green is water based and if any of you have used it for cleaning/degreasing instead of marine clean before metal ready and por15?

Just checked the FAQ and it is water based.

How has it worked for your por15 prep?

I use jasco metal etch instead of marine clean and metal ready. It's cheaper and seems to do the job of both well. (it eats rust and is kinda soapy) It's what pros use to clean new steel (structural), that comes from the mill oily and gets rusty where it's been welded, before priming and painting. Available at most hardware stores.

Damn I already bought a gallon of metal ready.

Rustmort is another good product.

The last time I used Marine Clean (their degreaser), it smelled and felt just like a concentrated Forumla 409. Their warranty states that you must use their prep-products or the warranty will be void... but I'll probably just go to the grocery store and save my shipping dollars.