Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

[Slide]

I have a 1988 Mariner 150 outboard that I plan to repaint and clearcoat for the coming season. I've never painted anything with a gravity feed gun before. I've done my homework and I know the basics of the process, but I have a few questions that may or may not be totally obvious:

-I plan to do my priming with spray can yellow zinc chromate, is this OK to use on both metal and plastic parts?
-What paint product should I use? Is it OK just to go down to the autoparts store and have them color match it?
-Can I get good results with a cheap Harbor Freight gun? Considering I only plan to do this one job (I'd pay for a big paint job), I have no need for an expensive pro gun sitting around
-Do I need a separate gun to shoot clearcoat or can the same gun be cleaned and reused?
-What clearcoat products would you recommend?
-My hull paint is also clearcoated and there are some spots that need touched up, can I use the same clearcoat product?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jmmacky]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Hi Slide. I've just put my outboard back on my boat and now wish I'd cleaned it, painted it and applied new decals while it was still on the stand. Have you got yours off the boat at the moment? I'll follow this thread with interest to see what I can do to improve the look of mine! Sorry I can't answer your questions!

 

[Triangleboater]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

lol, jm I am replying just to see what folks say too. My old outboard needs a paint job really bad

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Hi Slide,
Yes, you can use the HF gun to spray.
You can also skip the clearcoat and just get a good single stage paint at your local auto body paint supply, along with any required reducers and catalysts.
You can also use Rustoleum Professional and add a Hardener to it...here is a link that should be of some help...http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...lly-started-w-pics-384982-10.html#post3302799
Prep, prep, prep is the secret to a good finish.
Practice on some scrap cardboard to get used to how the spray gun works...
Zinc Chromate primer is fine for the aluminum parts. All you need is a light coat.
Check with the store that supplied the paint to verify that everything will work together.
A less expensive primer/filler is good for the plastic parts, but you have to test for the compatibility...make sure it doesn't damage the plastic...

BTW, the above is for a motor that lives on a trailer, not in the water...If the boat/motor live in the water most of the time, you might want to check into marine specific paints...

Another possibility is to buy some spray bombs from someplace like Iboats, that matches the original Mariner color or any other engine color you want and just use those instead of spending money on the spray gun...these are formulated for marine use...Outdrive & Outboard Motor Paint - iboats

I think the clearcoat for the finish repairs on the hull might have to be something Marine related...check here...Topside Boat Paint - iboats

Good luck and have fun!
GT1M

 

[gm280]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

I am presently doing exact what you are wanting info about. In fact I just bought the last two paint colors this afternoon from the local PPG auto paint store. I used Zinc Chromate on all the aluminum parts myself. The only place I could find that stuff was at our local NAPA parts store. I sandblasted everything down to the bare metal and cleaned all the parts before initial priming with that Zinc Chromate primer. Now (providing the weather warms up this week) I will follow that primer up with PPG K36 high build sandable primer. It is a Catalyst type primer that can be used over all the Zinc Chromate primer AND all the other metal parts as well. Then I will sand out any imperfections before spraying the PPG "Shopline" base coat of paint(s). Then I will follow that up with PPG clear coat(s) to give it a lasting shine and protection. I've done this with autos and the finish was unbelievable. But like GT1M stated, prep, prep, prep, and then prep some more. You can equally use single stage paint also. When you get to the actual painting your work is basically over. So you have to make sure your primer coat is as nice as you want the top coat to look. Don't think those little spots will get covered over during the final paint spraying because they won't. So prime and sand and repeat until you are totally happy with your results. I used progressive stages of sand paper starting with 180, then 220, 280, 400, and ending with 600 wet sanding before spraying the base coat of paint. Amazing how nice that looks. And you will love gravity spray guns over siphon fed. You will apply more paint with less over spray and less air pressure using that type of gun, night and day differences. And remember, if you don’t like your finish, it isn’t the end of the world. You can either sand it down again and re-spray or just leave it alone and use the newly learned info on your next project...

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

I have a 1988 Mariner 150 outboard that I plan to repaint and clearcoat for the coming season. I've never painted anything with a gravity feed gun before. I've done my homework and I know the basics of the process, but I have a few questions that may or may not be totally obvious:

-I plan to do my priming with spray can yellow zinc chromate, is this OK to use on both metal and plastic parts?
-What paint product should I use? Is it OK just to go down to the autoparts store and have them color match it?
-Can I get good results with a cheap Harbor Freight gun? Considering I only plan to do this one job (I'd pay for a big paint job), I have no need for an expensive pro gun sitting around
-Do I need a separate gun to shoot clearcoat or can the same gun be cleaned and reused?
-What clearcoat products would you recommend?
-My hull paint is also clearcoated and there are some spots that need touched up, can I use the same clearcoat product?

Thanks in advance!

Here is the deal on the outdrive paint thingy .. Yes you can use spray bombs ( color matched paint put into spray cans ) and clear over them with clear in a can.

Volvo and Merc sells all the stuff you need for their outdrives in cans and it turns out like new. So yes it is possible.

I have done some paint basecoat clearcoat jobs that use a 2 part clear in a can .. Just make sure you puncture it like the direction says. Turned out fabulous.

For an outdrive I would rattle can the thing.

No special guns needed IMHO .. just make sure its prepped right and dont get primer on plastic if its not intended for it ( or if you dont want to spray it with your BCC )..

Good luck mate.

YD.

 

[Slide]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Thanks for the responses!

jm - I don't have it off and I would really like to do this without taking it off, but that might have to happen. It's still too cold here to paint, I'm just picking up materials and planning.

GT - I would like to clearcoat it for durability, and since I have to do the hull anyway, might as well do both. I really want as close to a "like-new" finish and I'll do/buy what I need to to get there. Thanks for the tips on priming - I know that the primer stage is the most important of all! And yes, this is a trailered boat. I didn't choose to put clearcoat on the hull but at least it'll only need to be done every 4 or 5 seasons, and I won't keep it that long.

gm - From what I understand, it's not necessary to sandblast the whole thing down to metal, just give it a good few rounds of sanding so that the primer can take. What do you think?

Yacht Dr. - I actually have two cans of my Mariner gray and a can of clearcoat, but when talking it over with other folks prior, I've heard that I won't get a good durable finish with spray can paint. My dad in particular with 20 years in the boating hobby thinks I'll see it peeling and cracking within a year or two, and that would be no good! What's your opinion there? I really don't mind getting the extra equipment to do this right.

 

[Slide]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Oh, FYI, here's the boat. It's a '79 Hydrostream V-king, original metal flake! Still needs some polishing and buffing but the paint looks fantastic and it will look amazing with a well painted motor and the bad spots fixed.

 

[gm280]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Thanks for the responses!

jm - I don't have it off and I would really like to do this without taking it off, but that might have to happen. It's still too cold here to paint, I'm just picking up materials and planning.

GT - I would like to clearcoat it for durability, and since I have to do the hull anyway, might as well do both. I really want as close to a "like-new" finish and I'll do/buy what I need to to get there. Thanks for the tips on priming - I know that the primer stage is the most important of all! And yes, this is a trailered boat. I didn't choose to put clearcoat on the hull but at least it'll only need to be done every 4 or 5 seasons, and I won't keep it that long.

gm - From what I understand, it's not necessary to sandblast the whole thing down to metal, just give it a good few rounds of sanding so that the primer can take. What do you think?

Yacht Dr. - I actually have two cans of my Mariner gray and a can of clearcoat, but when talking it over with other folks prior, I've heard that I won't get a good durable finish with spray can paint. My dad in particular with 20 years in the boating hobby thinks I'll see it peeling and cracking within a year or two, and that would be no good! What's your opinion there? I really don't mind getting the extra equipment to do this right.

I do understand that you certainly don't need to remove the old paint down to the metal, but I did so I know for certain how it will be refinished all the way back up. So I totally disassembly the entire outboard (yes every little nut, bolt, screw and washer) because I was refurbishing a broken engine and re-ringing it as well. The previous owner didn’t do any maintenance and the foot was totally locked up with total rust, not one drop of any lubricant anywhere to be found. So all new seals, bushings, bearings and “O” rings were bought to replace the totaled parts. Then I found out the lower main bearing had exploded as well, so I completely disassembled everything at that point. So while I had every piece apart I sandblasted and/or wired brushed every part to the bare metal. I have since Zinc Chromated all the Aluminum parts and hopefully this week or weekend be able to spray everything with the hi-build sandable primer in reparation of base coat. You don’t have to do that to yours. I just want as perfect finish as I can get so that is the only reason I took everything to the bare metal to start my refinish. Good luck with your paint finish. I'm sure it will look very nice once you get it all finished. Post your final pictures for us all to see, and have a great day...

 

[Triangleboater]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Sweet looking ride! I was thinking the gravity feed route too, but do I really want that much work??? Rattle can might be the thing for me. Just lots of prep...If mine is chipping in a couple years, it'll be a good winter project.

 

[Slide]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Appreciate it! Since I have some rattle can supplies, I am going to prep and paint the small plastic piece that joins the clamshell cowling at the forward end of the motor. I'll see how it comes out and make my decision whether to go ahead with the gravity feed gun on the rest of it.

I will take pictures/videos if people are interested too! Seems like a few people are working on this kind of job.

 

[jmmacky]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Thanks Slide. I'll be interested in photos etc that you put up!

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Yacht Dr. - I actually have two cans of my Mariner gray and a can of clearcoat, but when talking it over with other folks prior, I've heard that I won't get a good durable finish with spray can paint. My dad in particular with 20 years in the boating hobby thinks I'll see it peeling and cracking within a year or two, and that would be no good! What's your opinion there? I really don't mind getting the extra equipment to do this right.

I would say if its OEM then your good to go.

I have never seen peeling or cracking from rattle can jobs unless its been poorly prepped. .. or miss applied ..

You can do the 2 part with the spray gun thing .. but if your prep is bad then its boned from the get go.

If you already have the cans .. why not try it for a season.

YD.

 

[Slide]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

OK, started tonight! Pics are large so I'm linking them from my imgur. If you spot me doing anything wrong, please let me know. I am still new at this.

Here's all my equipment laid out. This is the piece of the cowling that covers up the clamshell linkage, I'm testing my process on this one. We have the necessities here: heat gun, blue shop towels, zinc chromate primer, degreaser, sandpaper, thinkin' beer, and thinkin' chew. I also used rags and a gallon of acetone. By the beer scale, this was a four-beer job, but I wasted time figuring things out.

First things first, I cleaned it thoroughly with my degreaser, hot water, and a rag. Any excess dirt and grease will just make it tougher so give your parts a good cleaning.

Next I removed the old decals. The heat gun is your best friend! Just be careful, don't let it get TOO hot and deform the plastic. I hit the decals with the heat gun until they started to blister and they came off just fine. Here is the first one removed. It took me a bit to get the heat gun technique right, you can see where I had to scrape straggling pieces. Ideally you just heat gun it until it peels off real easy.

The adhesive needs to come off next. For the first two, I hit it with the DA sander 220 grit to get up excess pieces of adhesive. Between each sanding, I scrubbed it with an acetone-soaked rag. Acetone is nasty stuff so open a window and use gloves! By the last one, I was good at getting the decals off and figured out that you can't use enough acetone. I was able to get ALL of the adhesive off just by working it hard with an acetone rag. Check out the top decal (done last) compared to the others.

Next I got to work sanding the whole thing with 600 grit dry. It took a while to get all the nooks and crannies, and there was a little leftover grime and adhesive. A stiff wire brush worked great to get gunk out of the corners. All sanded up and ready to go!

Last step for today is the first coat of primer. I cleaned everything again with Dawn, degreaser, and acetone - acetone would probably do it all but I wanted to be sure, and conserve acetone. Here's my makeshift paint booth. The "V6" logo at the bottom is a separate stick-on plastic emblem and I have no idea how to remove it or where to find another, so I'm not messing with it. I just laid painter's tape over it tight and used a razor knife to cut along the contours. Here's the first coat of primer applied. I laid this coat on a little thick (first timer!) so I will have some sanding work to do once it sets. The can says 48 hours, so I'll be back at this on Friday.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

That's Plenty of SE primer. You only need a light coat. You should use some Bare metal primer now. Prolly two coats and then your final Color Coats. A good soaking Acetone rag left to soak on the adhesive will allow you to wipe it right off. It might even bubble/peel the paint off too if you let it set long enuf!! I did not see a respirator, hopefully you wore one!!!

 

[jmmacky]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Looks good and the step-by-step guide is great!

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Um.. this is a Plastic part ? Why the Zinc primer ?

Plastic and Acetone it not normally done together .. Lightly yes it can help remove some glue or something.. but not a gallon .

DA sander ? holy cow .. careful now ..

Scotch brights and some cleaner to well as well for repainting your plastic cowels. You dont really want to break through that plastic primer.

Just an observation

YD.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Um.. this is a Plastic part ? Why the Zinc primer ?

Plastic and Acetone it not normally done together .. Lightly yes it can help remove some glue or something.. but not a gallon .

DA sander ? holy cow .. careful now ..

Scotch brights and some cleaner to well as well for repainting your plastic cowels. You dont really want to break through that plastic primer.

Just an observation

YD.

Hmmm, I guess you didn't click the pic links Doc, Looks like Aluminum 2 me!!!!

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

Hmmm, I guess you didn't click the pic links Doc, Looks like Aluminum 2 me!!!!

Hmmm .. Im quite sure I looked at the Pics there Wood !!! chill out dude.

Slide stated ..

OK, started tonight! Pics are large so I'm linking them from my imgur. If you spot me doing anything wrong, please let me know. I am still new at this.

Here's all my equipment laid out. This is the piece of the cowling that covers up the clamshell linkage, I'm testing my process on this one. We have the necessities here: heat gun, blue shop towels, zinc chromate primer, degreaser, sandpaper, thinkin' beer, and thinkin' chew. I also used rags and a gallon of acetone. By the beer scale, this was a four-beer job, but I wasted time figuring things out.

First things first, I cleaned it thoroughly with my degreaser, hot water, and a rag. Any excess dirt and grease will just make it tougher so give your parts a good cleaning.

Next I removed the old decals. The heat gun is your best friend! Just be careful, don't let it get TOO hot and deform the plastic. I hit the decals with the heat gun until they started to blister and they came off just fine. Here is the first one removed. It took me a bit to get the heat gun technique right, you can see where I had to scrape straggling pieces. Ideally you just heat gun it until it peels off real easy.

Thats why I asked if it was Plastic.. because he Said it was Plastic. :facepalm:

YD.

 

[Slide]

Re: Painting an Outboard - Beginner Questions

It is plastic, I have been told that the zinc chromate is OK to use on plastic. I didn't use a WHOLE gallon of acetone on this part - meant to say that I purchased a whole gallon. I didn't use that much of it.