question on refinishing corroded outdrive parts

[woodrat]

In my struggle to find a new transom assembly for my Bellboy, I found that the one on my parts boat just might work if I change over the hydraulic lines as well. But it has some corrosion and pitting here and there, and in one spot a bit of a gouge in a mating surface that someone must have prematurely taken a screwdriver to.

I've been reading the pages at mercstuff.com, specifically about corrosion and repainting, and I was wondering: If I clean out all the pitting down to bare metal, is it OK to fill the holes in smooth with JB weld before going on to the painting steps, including the metal prep phosphate solutions?

I had been hoping to have this boat ocean ready in a couple of weeks, but I have to work a lot starting tomorrow and it is looking like I will not have it done that soon if I take the time to totally disassemble the parts and clean and repaint them. And as much as I want to get out in the ocean this summer, I think I would be much better served by a carefully cleaned, repainted and refurbished drive back there that I don't have to always wonder about....

I just want to make sure that the JB weld will be stable through all of the phosphate treatments and priming and painting. Otherwise, I will just clean out the pits and paint them as they are...

 

[Rob454]

Re: question on refinishing corroded outdrive parts

I saw this alluminum brazing rod that you use a propane torch to fill in stuff like that or breaks in alluminum parts. I forgot who made it but when I find it Im gonna get some. Probably will work better than JB weld
Rob

 

[Don S]

Re: question on refinishing corroded outdrive parts

Moving to Boat Restoration and Building

 

[rebuilt]

Re: question on refinishing corroded outdrive parts

Hi Woodrat. I respect your desire to do it right. I can tell you of my experience with JB Weld. I JB'ed a broken distibutor shaft back together in an old Volvo station wagon. I broke it trying to get the distributor out to replace the rubber o-ring. It was broken clean in two. It was aluminum. Never
had a minutes problem with the distributor after the repair.

I had an old Dodge D-250 with the gas tank in the cab behind the seat. It had developed a hole in the bottom of the tank and was leaking gas. I lived way out in the sticks at that point and had to get to work. I pulled the tank, then sanded around the hole, and feathered two layers of JB over the hole. Drove the truck for 2 years after that with no leaks. Seems to me that if JB will hold up to raw gasoline, it will hold up to a zinc chromate primer. (If that's what your're using. It's what we used in the Navy on aluminum.) It's very difficult to sand once set. I absolutely believe in the stuff. Good luck on your repair. KR