there are routinely questions about different ways to paint an outdrive, but rarely accompanying pictures to show what kind of result you can expect for a given way of doing it. Here's what i did the other day and consider this a decent, but far from anal retentive job. Sorry I didn't think to take pictures before shooting primer on it...
the basic steps followed:
removed everything that didn't need to be there, taped up all possible places thayt anything could damage rubber or other parts.
stripped using aircraft spray stripper. three times until most pf the paint was gone
carefully degreased washer the entire drive with 1. degreaser, 2. xylenes, 3. acetone and 4 dish soap and water (lemon fresh Joy).
used a da sander with 80 grit pads to remove areas of pitting, etc... smooth out casting flaws and irregularitites especialy in the watted portion of the lower.
worked up to 320 removing scratches as I went, and manually sanding places that could reach with air or electric sanders using paper or cloth wrapped around large popsicle sticks, pieces of wood, fingers, etc...
patched holes from previous owner whale tale mount using thickened epoxy (was too impatient to wait for marinetex to harden), after it hardened, cleaned up with 220 and then 320 on the da.
blew it off with compressor to remove as much sanding dust as possible.
washed with dishsoap and water, degreased with xylenes then cleaned with por15 metal prep solution, riinsed with water and let dry
shot two light coats of dupont nasson two part self etching zinc chromate primer.
after drying, followed with one medium coat and then a wet coat after letting it get good and tacky. Used dupont fullthane in black 9dx8 chrysler color code - the same jet black as the dodge ram pickups are painted).
I did the same with the drive bellhousing, rams and transom assembly.
Used a $10 harbor freight gravity fed detail gun, good 3m respirator with combination particulate (removes aerosolized iso), and charcoal (vaporized iso and solvents) filters. new cartridges used and did it outside in the back yard with a light breeze. Otherwise, cheap portable compressor, only two bugs a little dust. After hardnes for another several days if I get ambitions, light wet sanding with 1000 or 1200 grit and then buff it out, but it really looks fine now for what I intended... My experience is that the same paint with careful prep works great on engines and engine parts and stays well adhered in the water, etc... you can also get it mixed in merc racing blue if you so desire...
fyi...
ps. fullthane is a high gloss acrylic urethane and is easily hard enough and durable enough to paint a boat with... and the section I tried below the waterline is holding up fine int o the second season now
the basic steps followed:
removed everything that didn't need to be there, taped up all possible places thayt anything could damage rubber or other parts.
stripped using aircraft spray stripper. three times until most pf the paint was gone
carefully degreased washer the entire drive with 1. degreaser, 2. xylenes, 3. acetone and 4 dish soap and water (lemon fresh Joy).
used a da sander with 80 grit pads to remove areas of pitting, etc... smooth out casting flaws and irregularitites especialy in the watted portion of the lower.
worked up to 320 removing scratches as I went, and manually sanding places that could reach with air or electric sanders using paper or cloth wrapped around large popsicle sticks, pieces of wood, fingers, etc...
patched holes from previous owner whale tale mount using thickened epoxy (was too impatient to wait for marinetex to harden), after it hardened, cleaned up with 220 and then 320 on the da.
blew it off with compressor to remove as much sanding dust as possible.
washed with dishsoap and water, degreased with xylenes then cleaned with por15 metal prep solution, riinsed with water and let dry
shot two light coats of dupont nasson two part self etching zinc chromate primer.
after drying, followed with one medium coat and then a wet coat after letting it get good and tacky. Used dupont fullthane in black 9dx8 chrysler color code - the same jet black as the dodge ram pickups are painted).
I did the same with the drive bellhousing, rams and transom assembly.
Used a $10 harbor freight gravity fed detail gun, good 3m respirator with combination particulate (removes aerosolized iso), and charcoal (vaporized iso and solvents) filters. new cartridges used and did it outside in the back yard with a light breeze. Otherwise, cheap portable compressor, only two bugs a little dust. After hardnes for another several days if I get ambitions, light wet sanding with 1000 or 1200 grit and then buff it out, but it really looks fine now for what I intended... My experience is that the same paint with careful prep works great on engines and engine parts and stays well adhered in the water, etc... you can also get it mixed in merc racing blue if you so desire...
fyi...
ps. fullthane is a high gloss acrylic urethane and is easily hard enough and durable enough to paint a boat with... and the section I tried below the waterline is holding up fine int o the second season now
