Outdrive Paint

[Four'Ds]

Looking for the best paint to use on drives in salt water on the east coast. Any info would be great.

07 280 Sundancer 4.3s Alpha drives

 

[water rat]

We use Mercury Marine Phantom Black. It's a spray paint. You can get it at most any marine hardware store. We boat in saltwater - it seems to work pretty well.

 

[Fishnut]

Hit the search engine for outdrive paint and you should find a thread that describes how to prime and prepare the surface before applying the phantom paint. Some people use a clear coat over the paint to finish the job.

 

[Henry Boyd]

The Mercury Phantom Black is the OEM paint. It should be applied over a primer of Zinc Chromate to a properly prepared substrate. It however is only a very good top coat, i.e. 'barrier coating'. In other words it sticks to the aluminum quite well. It is a good coating with most of its positives in the cosmetic results. Other than insulating the aluminum from dissolved O2 in the water, it does not do much in the way of corrosion protection, and nothing in the way of anti-fouling.

For corrosion and anti-fouling protection in salt water you should look to coatings that offer less in the cosmetic range, and more in protection of metal range. For these you need a coating such as Interlux's Tri-Lux that is formulated to provide additional corrosion protection and anti-fouling. Cosmetically it is ugly, but it protects the aluminum.

For a more detailed discussion on the various forms of corrosion and its prevention, I suggest you get a current copy of Fontana & Greene's 'Corrosion Engineering' originally published in 1967 by McGraw Hill. Although a graduate text, it is very well written and a non engineer can easily follow the fundamental discussion.

Henry

 

[comsnark]

<deleted by Comsnark>

 

[gerryb]

I copied this from one of my prior posts in CSR on the subject of outdrive paint...btw, pulled my boat last month and (knock on wood) my drive still looks GREAT - no corrosion anywhere. We keep out boat in salt water. My view is that outdrives are not preferred in salt water, but if you have one, AND YOU TAKE PROPER CARE OF IT, they will be fine for years.

"If you have an outdrive sitting in water, you would be well-served to keep antifoulant on it. I strongly recommend using the brush-on TRILUX vs the spray can. I have done both, on the same boat, in the same water and the difference is dramatic. The brush on could go for two seasons - it just stayed on the boat and provided much better protection. Makes sense as it is thicker and a better adhesion than the spray-on which is thinned out to go through the tiny spray nozzle. Of course it is more expensive...

Summary of my technique: sand, soap&water wash, acetalene wipe, tape mask, prime 2 coats, apply brush-on trilux 2 coats, then use the spray trilux for the hard-to get spots. Replace zincs before or after (each has advantages/disadvantages)."

 

[Henry Boyd]

Gerry,

How expensive is it in the brush on form? I go through a spray can a year that if memory serves is about $ 36 a can. I also use the whole can, needed or not as I would rather 'waste' the paint by putting too many coats on the drive than having the can go bad.

I guess the better question is how much do you end up using for each application?

Henry

 

[gerryb]

Henry, I seem to remember figuring-out that the spray can type costs 2x the brush on when you look at it ounce for ounce. How much you use depends on how many coats. I do end-up using part of a spray can just to be sure I get good coverage in the hard-to-access areas. What you will quickly see with the brush-on type is that you get a much thicker barrier. Perhaps you can westmarine for updated pricing on both...?

 

[comsnark]

The spray cans I use say "1 can per drive". That generally gives 1 1/2 coats. . maybe two if I put on thin coats.

This is the stuff I used last year: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/140944/377%20710%201002/0/Paint,%20Varnish%20&%20Teak%20Oil/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710%201002&Ne=0&Ntt=Paint,%20Varnish%20&%20Teak%20Oil&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&page=CategoryDisplayLevel1&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=5000&subdeptNum=4&classNum=229. Yes. . I did prime the drive before applying the topcoat.

As far as corrosion goes. . .works great in combination with zincs. (I am in salt). Note that I have Alpha's, and not the more corriosion prone (so I hear) B-III's.

As far as antifoulant: HORRIBLE. I have had both thick slime AND barnecles after six months. My boat mechanic, upon questioning, said "All the outdrives around here look just like yours". My boat hauler, upon questioning, said "Use the brush on stuff that they put on pontoon boats". By that I presume he means this tri-lux stuff.

Despite being touted as "anti-fouling". . . it don't work worth a darn in NJ for anti-fouling.

Two questions: (1) Is the tri-lux good for aluminum, (Is this the stuff you mean: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...=true&storeNum=5000&subdeptNum=4&classNum=229 ?)(2) How about the high temperature? (isn't the outdrive metal warm?).

I presume this TriLux isn't the same stuff I am putting on the hull, right? I am slightly confused by the statement in the product information which says it is good for fiberglass as well.

Aluminum hulls, outdrives and props require paints such as Vivid, Trilux 33, Trilux Prop and Drive Paint and Alumaspray that do not contain cuprous oxide, which reacts destructively with the aluminum.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/westadvisor/10001/-1/10001/AntifoulingPaint.htm

Just to be more confused: I found this: Trilux 33 in a spray can: (if you dig down on this site: http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa/default.asp ) Does this stuff work?

Frankly. . .I don't care if I brush or spray. I just want something that works. My hull looks fine. . .after six months, only slight evidence of slime right at the waterline, which comes off readily. Outdrives. . .scraping. . .powerwashing. . scraping. . .ick. What really works?

 

[boatrboy]

I have had great luck with this process;

1) Sand drive. I do not go down to bare aluminum but there were some spots peeking thru. Basically I took off all the shiny spots
2) Apply two coats of Primocon primer (Interlux). I use a small roller (about 1" dia) for the most part and hit what it can't reach with a brush.
3) Spray 2 coats of Interlux outdrive paint (Trilux 33). I am not sure that the roll-on Trilux (with out the 33) is exactly the same but I have had extremely good luck with the spray, so why change. I use at least 2 cans for the outdrive, housing and cylinders.

My friends have asked me what the secret recipe is as my drive always look better than most. I am in Bridgeport, Ct, so salt water for 5-6 months is where she sits. Mid seasons I scrapped some barnacles from the cavitation plate, but only a few.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Mark

 

[Maritime Matt]

gerryb has it dead on. Take it from someone in the business, I've used them all. I bought a quart of Trilux about 5 years ago and am still using it. Brushing it on puts a much thicker coat on and is Much more cost efficient. Only use the spray can where you can't get to with the brush. I'll be using it on my newly purchased 85 260da 260Alpha package this spring. Feel free to call with any questions. 609-812-5195. Matt.

 

[boatrboy]

I have had great luck with this process;....
2) Apply two coats of Primocon primer (Interlux). I use a small roller (about 1" dia) for the most part and hit what it can't reach with a brush.
3) Spray 2 coats of Interlux outdrive paint (Trilux 33). I am not sure that the roll-on Trilux (with out the 33) is exactly the same but I have had extremely good luck with the spray, so why change. I use at least 2 cans for the outdrive, housing and cylinders.Mark

I re-read my post and noted I had my "33's" reveresed. - sorry

 

[Taradise]

Trilux. Where can you get it and what is the expected retail $?