What would cause the paint in an engine compartment to chip off in mass.

[POINTER94]

Looking at a boat and it checks out great but the engine compartment seems to have lost or is losing all of its white paint leaving exposed fiberglass. I am thinking there may have been some off gassing from a battery but I have not seen this before. Everything else seems good and I had it surveyed and there is no rot or excess moisture buildup anywhere in the engine compartment or transom.

Any ideas?

 

[Another retired guy]

Re: What would cause the paint in an engine compartment to chip off in mass.

Maybe heat?

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: What would cause the paint in an engine compartment to chip off in mass.

Looking at a boat and it checks out great but the engine compartment seems to have lost or is losing all of its white paint leaving exposed fiberglass. I am thinking there may have been some off gassing from a battery but I have not seen this before. Everything else seems good and I had it surveyed and there is no rot or excess moisture buildup anywhere in the engine compartment or transom.

Any ideas?

Might be gelcoat that was sprayed inside. May be due to flexing? Or poor application process.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: What would cause the paint in an engine compartment to chip off in mass.

Chemical imbalance.....oil/fuel leak or a botched cleaning job with acidic wash.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: What would cause the paint in an engine compartment to chip off in mass.

It's not really much of a concern because it could be from many things, poor prep, cheap paint, etc, it can be left as is or cleaned up and repainted, because it's nothing more than a cosmetic issue you can do what you want.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: What would cause the paint in an engine compartment to chip off in mass.

Thanks guys. I believe that it is harmless, but it looks horrible and I worry about something that may break down the fiberglass. I don't think it is a per se issue but knowing what could cause this tells me something about how it has been treated. Besides it is just strange.