Outboard repaint - need suggestions on materials

[vroom ZOOM]

Hello

I needed a new hood for my 'zuke, so I got one for cheap, but it was real sun faded, with the paint all flaking away. I sanded it and painted with merc rattle cans (took about 7 of them) and it did not turn out well, quite dull, and I must have not sanded enough, because the texture was rough where the old paint flaked away. So now I need to repaint it again. I was thinking about imron but that stuff is so poisonous I wouldn't want to touch it with a 10 ft pole. I'd like to use a BC/CC system, not a single stage, which will allow me to mix ghost pearl into the clear. Anyone know if I should use acrylic urethane or poly urethane. Would water based clear be okay on an outboard, or do I need to go oil based? Thanks.

 

[Emerger]

Hello

I needed a new hood for my 'zuke, so I got one for cheap, but it was real sun faded, with the paint all flaking away. I sanded it and painted with merc rattle cans (took about 7 of them) and it did not turn out well, quite dull, and I must have not sanded enough, because the texture was rough where the old paint flaked away. So now I need to repaint it again. I was thinking about imron but that stuff is so poisonous I wouldn't want to touch it with a 10 ft pole. I'd like to use a BC/CC system, not a single stage, which will allow me to mix ghost pearl into the clear. Anyone know if I should use acrylic urethane or poly urethane. Would water based clear be okay on an outboard, or do I need to go oil based? Thanks.

The few times I've painted outboards I've always used OEM rattle cans. They can be ordered as a part number or by year. To get the gloss you need the OEM color and a clear coat on top.

 

[Chris1956]

If you want a good color match, you will need OEM paint. Perhaps you can buy it by the quart and spray it. You will need an airless sprayer or compressor and HVLP sprayer.

This year I did my Johnny and Merc OBs. I used a Rustolium marine enamel, white for Johnny and gloss black for Merc, with a HVLP gravity feed spray gun and compressor. The result was only OK. I would use a better marine enamel, like Brightside, to do it again.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Hello

I needed a new hood for my 'zuke, so I got one for cheap, but it was real sun faded, with the paint all flaking away. I sanded it and painted with merc rattle cans (took about 7 of them) and it did not turn out well, quite dull, and I must have not sanded enough, because the texture was rough where the old paint flaked away. So now I need to repaint it again. I was thinking about imron but that stuff is so poisonous I wouldn't want to touch it with a 10 ft pole. I'd like to use a BC/CC system, not a single stage, which will allow me to mix ghost pearl into the clear. Anyone know if I should use acrylic urethane or poly urethane. Would water based clear be okay on an outboard, or do I need to go oil based? Thanks.

all 2-part paints are poisonous, many solvent based (1-part) are too. hence the reason you need proper PPE to spray paint.

rattle cans are junk. you need a 2-part paint on a boat motor.

many of us use rustoleum with a hardener see link 14 https://forums.iboats.com/threads/how-tos-and-other-great-information.283508/

no, a water based clear isnt going to cut it.

 

[vroom ZOOM]

The few times I've painted outboards I've always used OEM rattle cans. They can be ordered as a part number or by year. To get the gloss you need the OEM color and a clear coat on top.

yep, I did too. Except that my 200 took about 10 of them. Here they are $20 each, and then the paint quality did not turn out well. for smaller jobs like lower units they are nice, but not for a total repaint.

 

[vroom ZOOM]

If you want a good color match, you will need OEM paint. Perhaps you can buy it by the quart and spray it. You will need an airless sprayer or compressor and HVLP sprayer.

This year I did my Johnny and Merc OBs. I used a Rustolium marine enamel, white for Johnny and gloss black for Merc, with a HVLP gravity feed spray gun and compressor. The result was only OK. I would use a better marine enamel, like Brightside, to do it again.

I do have the compressor and HVLP gun. I don't need to do a colour match since I am doing the entire engine. I don't think it is ok to use brightside for underwater use. I was going to go to a paint shop and buy some of the PPG stuff for BC/CC system, but I don't know what to ask for, acrylic or poly?

 

[vroom ZOOM]

all 2-part paints are poisonous, many solvent based (1-part) are too. hence the reason you need proper PPE to spray paint.

rattle cans are junk. you need a 2-part paint on a boat motor.

many of us use rustoleum with a hardener see link 14 https://forums.iboats.com/threads/how-tos-and-other-great-information.283508/

no, a water based clear isnt going to cut it.

I did look through that thread, and it seems like bud used the valspar stuff. Seems like it is the acrylic urethane. BUT that was a SS paint, I am going BC/CC. I guess I will try find polyurethane CC and then if I can't I guess I will be fine with the acrylic. Once I am done I will post back with results.

 

[Chris1956]

Briteside is for above waterline use. However, as long as the motor is tilted up out of the water, it is fine. It will not fail until submerged for a few days.

 

[vroom ZOOM]

Okay... so I decided to go with a 2 stage urethane from sherwin williams. Will keep you all posted on how it works out. So far I got the primer down and yes I did forget to tape off the anodes .

 

[Scott Danforth]

You should have removed the anodes

 

[vroom ZOOM]

I actually prefer to tape them off then I don't mess up the bond or cover the bonding area or threads with paint. Maybe there are other reasons to remove that I don't know about? Anyways I managed to get the first basecoat down today on the hood and lower unit. Full hiding will be achieved after the second basecoat. I used Spectracron epoxy fleetprime by PPG for the primer, and then Sherwin williams ATX for the basecoat. The ATX goes on really nice, no orange peel or runs. The primer though would orange peel if I applied it thicker, which I did in order to fill in scratches and dents. It's a high build primer, so it's meant to do that, the only thing is that if you want a smooth finish you need to sand down the orange peel, which is what I did.

Here is a pic of the hood, its fairly old, so I am not expecting a perfect finish, but so far it is turning out pretty nice. I will lay down more basecoat in order to fully hide the primer and avoid orange peel which can occur if too much paint is laid down at once. Sprayed at 24 Psi with a 1.4mm nozzle.