Lower unit paint for 2019 Mercury pro xs 4 stroke

[ferris65]

Hello
Did a little shallow water rubbing and want to touch up the paint on my lower unit
Is the verado grey available through mercury the correct color?
TIA

[FD209]

Yes

[thommo59]

Yes it is

[BoilermakerZ519]

Just refinished mine and was weary of painting it and it just come off when exposed to turbulent water and sand.

this is what I did...

lightly sanded the skeg
wiped clean w acetone
sprayed w Mercury primer x 2
sprayed with mercury silver paint x 2
sprayed with clear coat x 2

might be overkill but it survived my first day out. And also made sure I waited for 30-60 min between coats on all. Waited a few days to allow to cure before exposing to water.

good luck.

[EuropeanAM]

Good info... though most of these are not clear coated.

Ferris- if you would, please be sure to review the Announcements at the top of the Forum, and be sure to provide the Required Info (serial number) when posting. Thanks!

[BoilermakerZ519]

Just refinished mine and was weary of painting it and it just come off when exposed to turbulent water and sand.

this is what I did...

lightly sanded the skeg
wiped clean w acetone
sprayed w Mercury primer x 2
sprayed with mercury silver paint x 2
sprayed with clear coat x 2

might be overkill but it survived my first day out. And also made sure I waited for 30-60 min between coats on all. Waited a few days to allow to cure before exposing to water.

good luck.

wanted to update after a season with the repaint: I would say it lasted half the season. It’s back to what it looked like before the repaint. I am wondering if I need to reconsider the primer I am using? I used Mercury light gray primer 92-802878 52.

OP or others did you have better results?

[Pulsare2020]

I more or less did what you described and bought the paint from Don. I did not clearcoat but was thinking that would help some more. I think I cleaned it with mineral spirits and acetone. It was cool at night when I did it, so I put an insulated bag around the lower unit, with a 60W light bulb in the bad, overnight and then used the boat about 2 days after that. I have only used it 3 time, but so far it has stayed on. Based on your post, it sounds like it will disappear after a half season, so I should know more next year.

[EuropeanAM]

A lot depends on how much bare metal you have exposed. In most cases, it's necessary to use a self-etching primer (such as zinc chromate) where significant metal is bare/exposed.

[SilverFox579]

Here are a few tips that might help. Make sure the metal temp is stabilized per recommendation prior to and after spraying. Follow MFR's recommendation for recoating, extending recoat times can actually reduce adhesion of subsequent coats. I would not use anything except wax and grease remover (I use waterborne only) on the bare metal prior to applying an etch primer, which I always use on aluminum. Acetone, mineral spirits, and even real lacquer thinner (not hardware store stuff) can, and do, cause adhesion problems. Never touch the bare aluminum you will transfer skin oil to the surface.