painting an outboard

[boater1234]

Hi to all.I just have a 2 quick easy questions i hope.What is the best stuff to clean a few spots off with i just sanded to repaint that won't damage the rest of the paint?Like purple power,or like an orange cleaner.It's not a big spot and i don't want to use acetone but i just want to make sure it is good and clean.It's down to the bare metal in a few small spots but the rest of the surface is painted nice.

One other question is i noticed that the paint is very thin on these outboards,it's a 2001 15hp 2stroke merc.It doesn't take much pressure to get the paint down to bare metal.I may just do the whole outboard over just to have a project to do.So if the rest of the paint is in great condition and i want to paint over it do i just give it a really good clean down with like a good degreaser and just put the factory paint right over the good paint with no primer.Or do i sand the whole motor down to make it rough and start over with primer and paint.

The paint is good on it now i just want to make it a little thicker and add a few nice coats with a nice clear coat sealer.Any help on this one would be great.

 

[DJ]

Re: painting an outboard

1. Clean any grease/oil with a good degreaser.

2. Wash any bare metal spots with a solution (50/50) of vinegar and water.

3. Prime any bare spots with zinc chromate primer.

4. Paint.

Forget the clear coat.

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

Now what about the rest of the outboard that has good paint on it already as i just might put one or 2 more coats over it as it is so thin on the motor.Do i just paint right over it with the factory paint after i degrease it.What is a good degreaser?I have grease lightning,but it says don't use on painted surfaces.Also why no clear coat?

 

[5150abf]

Re: painting an outboard

Get all the grease off and at least scuff it or the paint may not stick, if you sand it you know you got everything.

Also if the bare metal is aluminum you will want to use an etching primer or the paint won't stick to it, it goes on really thin and is translucent yellow/green and you only need to prime the bare metal.

When I did mine the paint looked good but I found alot of it came off pretty easy so I took it all the way down and started over, now I know that is is good paint and it will last for years.

With paint you get out of it what you put in and 90% is prep, I have @ 20-25 hours in mine and 2 of that was actually painting and clearing.

 

[DJ]

Re: painting an outboard

.What is a good degreaser?I have grease lightning,but it says don't use on painted surfaces.Also why no clear coat?

Any of the degreasers available at auto parts stores have worked for me. The "Gunk" brand always worked well.

Clear coat can be tricky. I've always had adhesion problems with it. The shine I got from high quality enamels was fine.

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

Ok maybe i will just paint what needs to be painted and leave the rest as it is fine.Will it be ok with just a good self etching primer or do i need to use zinc chromate primer?

 

[JimS123]

Re: painting an outboard

I was under the impression that Zinc Chromate was outlawed some time ago because it is a carcinogen. Maybe you can buy it elsewhere, but in the USA it was replaced by self etching. I' painted my first outboard in the 1960's, and personally the SE works fine.

Prime any bare spots with SE. The painted areas need no more primer, but they will need to be sanded, otherwise a new topcoat will peel.

Use "Boat 9" (high strength 409) for degreasing, or any auto engine cleaner /degreaser. If you decide to topcoat the whole motor after priming bare aluminum spots, use acetone on the pre-painted spots and the need for sanding will be reduced.

Don't paint over decals - remove them first. Only clearcoat new decals, not the whole motor.

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

No jim i got the real zinc chromate from moeller right in front of me.It is a yelllow primer.

Unless it's a new formula,as i have never used this stuff before and it says on the back of the can use in a wide vetilated area along with the 1000 other precautions.

Also what would be a good grit sandpaper to use for the whole motor if i go that route?Also how much should i sand it down because the paint is thin to begin with.It doesn't take much to get down to the bare metal.

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

Ok i want to make sure i have this right.
On the painted areas i need to degrease it then i can sand away?Once i sand the painted areas which is most of the motor what do i use to clean the whole motor down from the dust just before i paint?Do i use straight acetone,diluted acetone or something else altogether?

I know on the bare metal use vinegar+water to clean it and wash it down with freshwater u say,then prime it with either self etching primer,or zinc chromate.do i have to sand the bare metal areas after i put the primer on or will it tack up ok just to put paint over it?Now after i prime it then i want to paint the whole motor.

How many coats of primer will be good?How long should i wait between coats?
How long do i have to wait for the primer to dry to top coat it?
How many finish coats should i put on?Also how long do i wait between coats?

 

[5150abf]

Re: painting an outboard

The etching primer is different than regular grey primer, it is translucent and you don't need a lot of it, liek i said you will be able to see right through it but it eats into the metal to give the paint a good bond.

With sanding all you need to do is scuff it, you don't need to remove all the paint just rough it up to give the new paint something to stick to, I use 400 grit.

No you don't need to sand the primer and a single coat should be fine and I woudl wait a good 2 hours before painting just to be sure.

I would go with 2 coats of paint with at least an hour between caoots, it really depends on your temp and humidity, the hotter and lower the humidity the faster it will dry but it better to go with fewer thin coats than a couple heavy, less chance of runs and sags.

 

[JimS123]

Re: painting an outboard

There are more than one way to do it. Here's what I do:

Degrease. Sand any bad areas with 240 grit, be sure to featther it out toward the good areas. Finish sanding the whole motor with 400 grit. I finish cleaning with straight acetone, followed by a wipe down with a tack rag.

I use self etching primer from NAPA. Its a yellowish green and is not transparent unless you put too little on.

Prime the bare spots with a light coat, wait 10 minutes and recoat. At this point it should be several mils thick and completely mask the bare silver color. Wait 1 hour to topcoat.

I use Marine Enamel from North York Marine to duplicate factory colors on motors where OMC paint is not availalble any more. If I can get oem I get it from a local Evinrude Johnson dealer. If I am using a common color like dull aluminum, red or black, etc. I use NAPA hi temp engine enamel.

1 hour after priming topcoat with a light film coat to cover the whole motor. Wait one hour and put the final wet coat on. Wait 48 hours to mask and apply a second color, if a 2-tone job is needed. Wait 20 minutes after the second 2-tone coat, then remove the masking tape. Use $20 a roll tape from an auto body store, not 99c tape from Wal Mart.

Wait 7 days after the final paint coat, then apply the decals. Wait 7 days after decal application, then topcoat the decals with clear enamel from a hobby store.

I don't use clear coat because it does not duplicate a factory finish. If you do decide to clearcoat for whatever reason, it needs to be done 1 hour after the second top coat.

The primer has a no-sand window of several hours. In other words, if you prime today then wait a few days you'll have to sand the whole motor again. The topcoats I use have a window of between 1 and 3 hours, with a long cure time (at least 2 days and in some cases up to 7). So, if you recoat after the window it will blister the paint. If you stick to the 1 hour 1 hour time it will come out OK. If you don't have the time to dedicate at least 3 hours in a row, wait till you do.

Just read the instructions on the particular paint you will be using. It will give cure and recoat times.

Here's a couple motors I did in recent years.

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

Thanks guys for all the info.

 

[DJ]

Re: painting an outboard

At least you care.

I see mega $$$ boats all polished up and a nasty/dirty outbaord hanging out back. I could never figure that one out.

Even the "project boats" here on iboats. They do EVERYTHING to make the boat right and leave the engine to nasty.

It's like having a classic show car and leaving the trunk full of dead mice!

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

I can't understand that myself DJ.Even know i only have a 12' jon boat with a 15hp merc,i care a great deal about everything i own because i have had to earn everything i ever had so i treasure it more.

I just had a brand new 16ft cc key largo stripped from me because of economy reasons and i was devestated over it.I worked so hard for that boat and in 2yrs i lost it.I spent $15,000 cash for it and sold it with 20hrs if that like brand new for $7000.So now i'm starting from the bottom all over again like i did 15yrs ago with a 12' jon boat.But at least i can still go on the water right.

I know you may laugh but i catch more fish in my small jon boat then in my bigger one because i live on the west coast of fl were there is no water in the winter time as the tides run so low there is almost no water.So it benifits me somewhat for fishing anyway and much cheaper to fill up with 6 gallons then 25 gallons of gas.Here is a few pics of my old boat and you will understand why i am so upset.Oh well one day i will have a nice boat again.

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

Also i have one more question.I'm using mercs factory paint and i'm not going to do the whole outboard.I'm just going to fix the spots i need to.So my question is how long do i have to wait for it to dry before i put it back into the saltwater.I know the can says it dries fast,but i'm sure it has to cure somewhat i would think.

 

[JimS123]

Re: painting an outboard

I don't know about merc paint specifically, but most paints require a minimum of 48 hours to cure. If it were me I'd wait at least 7 days.

If your'e only going to spot paint, be sure that areas any where near the spots are completely degreased. Obviously you won't be able to sand alot, but you need to ensure that no wax is there.

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

Thanks jim.

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

I'm not sure if i did this right but it is coming out looking rough instead of smooth on it.Was i suppose to sand down the self etching primer because it says you don't have to.Unless the paint isn't heavy enough.I'm trying to put a few light coats of paint so it doesn't run.I put on 3 light coats of primer and i'm going to put on 3 light coats of paint and one decent one at the end,i hope it looks better then what it is.

Plus when i take the tape off i have to sand down some of the areas that look bad and feather them in and touch it up.I'm sure it won't come out perfect but at least i tried and there will be way more paint then the factory put on which i think would protect it more i guess.

 

[JimS123]

Re: painting an outboard

No, you don't sand the primer. Sounds like your coats are too thin; you don't have a continuous film.

Painting is an art and can't be taught. Practice practice practice. In the old days the OEM stuff was laquor. Shoot it and buff it out and you almost couldn't screw it up.

You last coat needs to be as thick as it can be without running. Experiment on a scrap piec of metal. Two coats should work, 3 are needed very seldom. Don't keep adding more and more light coats; it'll just make it worse.

 

[boater1234]

Re: painting an outboard

Well jim it's kinda hard to explain what going on because i have never done this before.So here is the best i can do and i hope you understand as i'm new to this.When i put the self etching primer on it had like a sandy look to it so i figured the paint would cover it up.Well thats not the case as it looks like sandy paint on it on not a smooth finish.

The only thing i think i can do is let it dry till tomorrow and sand down the paint one more time with like 800 or 1000 grit to smooth it out then clean with acetone then repaint one more time.Does this sound right.

I think if i sand down the paint a little it will come out much better.