Painting an outboard engine-any tips?

Author Message   Sal Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 04:34 pm:    Each year for the past 3 seasons I've gone through the task of painting the main and lower unit of my engine, but by the end of the season, there are areas that flake off. I do prep the area- that is it is first washed, then cleaned with mineral spirits or paint thinner to remove any oil residue, then sanded to roughen the surface and to smooth out chipped/flaked areas and finally washed down again to remove residue. What else do I need to do to avoid this job year after year. Thanks for your reply.   Kim Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 07:44 pm:    Getting paint to stick to aluminum alloys, is an art. First use only paint, and undercoatings made for aluminum. These may differ as to whether it is for salt or fresh water and above or below the waterline. Contact your local Marine store and ask for Petit paint systems. That is who I have the best luck with. Good luck and keep us posted. Kim   Sal Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 08:32 pm:    Thanks Kim. Will check it out.   Sal Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 08:58 pm:    Kim. One thing I forgot to mention. I bought this paint from West Marine (Temco? spray paint to match the color of an Evinrude) So perhaps i still did something wrong   Jon Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 12:55 pm:    Sal, I wouldn't do the final wipe w/ mineral spirits - the best bet is to use alcohol or acetone. Mineral spirits leave some residue behind, alcohol or acetone cuts almost anything, dries instantly and makes a very dry surface for painting. I have gotten by fine by using simple rust-oleam, without a primer - it only gets taken off after I run it through the sand. In addition, you don't have to take all the paint off - just the loose stuff. If you are permanently leaving that engine in the water, you might want to consider epoxy or poly paint. Part of the problem might just be that your lower unit gets sandblasted from the waters it's run it - there's nothing you can do about that. Jon   Bubba Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 06:16 pm:    Jon is right about the acetone. I use urethane paint and a touch-up gun. Several automotive paint companies make urethane paints to match outboard OEM colors. Dupont and Martin Senor are the biggest players. I've had great luck with Martin Senor. You can have it mixed up at NAPA stores.   Tonyob (Tonyob) Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 11:14 am:    Sal, Use the primer that is made for aluminum. Apply multiple thin coats. Don't sand between coats; spray onto the still tacky paint. Let it dry completely. Sand the primer lightly. One pass with 320 paper will do. Apply the finish coat the same way. When you think you have enough paint on, spray it once more. Tony   Joereeves (Joereeves) Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 12:10 pm:    Sal..... Your initial post contains a false e-mail address. Was that intentional or a error? The best primer for aluminum I've encountered is green Zink Chromate primer. If painting in cool weather, it's best to heat the aluminum with a propane torch with a blow torch tip.... just get it warm. You can carefully heat the paint after spraying also.... just don't get too close to the paint. Joe   Larkbill Posted on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 10:52 am:    There is a link on AOMCI.org which has great tips on painting outboards, plus he sells paint to match older outboards.   kodiak Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 11:48 pm:    the time I spent with OMC. we allways used a tack cloth to wipe it down right before painting.

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