Painting a motor question...

[JRO_1399]

I'm getting ready to repaint my 93 Johnson 200. I bought the OEM paint at a local marine shop and they answered a couple questions but I just wanted to confirm with the experts here. I was told no primer required. Is that true? Also what should I use after a light sanding to clean the motor before painting? I want to paint the lower unit a different color. Is Rust-oleum commercial grade sufficent for the lower unit? I've painted a cowl before so not to concerned there just worried about the parts that will be in or under the water. Any tips or input appreciated. Thanks

[dixieman18]

sorry not an expert but if it were me, id prob go ahead and use a sandable primer on the cowl and then sand it down to look for dings or high/low spots that could be filled in (im no expert but i am picky bout those kind of things). primer may not be required but a good paint job starts with a good prep and fixing dings and imperfections is a good place to start. after the primer, sanding, primer, sanding, etc. i just wiped the whole cowl that i painted down real good with acetone to clean it and then i threw on some paint.

hopefully someone can chime in on the lower unit but my first instinct would be that it may work but may not be the best option. i know most of the commercial lower unit paint is a zinc chromate.

[JoeTPR]

My motor was grey and I repainted it evinrude blue. The paint on the lower unit chips a little bit in spots. I used primer on it and that may have been the problem. But I really think any spray paint thats going to be under the water level is going to chip. Its not baked on like the original paint.

[JRO_1399]

Thanks. Great Info guys.
Anyone else?

[ChampioNman]

Trick to doing a lower if you can't "bake it" is to use zinc chromate primer. Your local Evinrude dealer will have it. There are also many different colors of paints designed to be underwater. Be it Evinrude/Johnson, Merc, Yamaha, choose the color you want. Keep in mind the decals for your motor are no longer available from BRP. If you wish to keep them on if they are in good shape use gorilla tape to mask them off. You will need two rattle cans of paint to do a good job on your cowl. Prep work is the main ingrediant for a good job.

[calfish1]

lightly sand / scuff
wipe with mek (use gloves)
then use a self etch primer. make several lght fog coats till covered. then paint and clear coat (optional)
if you dont use a self etch type primer, the paint will just flake off


Modified by calfish1 at 9:42 PM 2/11/2011

[oldhippie]

on the omc i had,1 thing i found out,do not apply to much primer{if you decide to use it} and do not apply to many coats of paint,your motor toter will gouge the thick paint, i run a merc now and merc oe paint is 100 times better the the omc stuff,,,,,,,

[thilltony]

I've painted a number of them. In MY experience, here is what has proven to give the finest, most durable results...

1. Wipe the engine down with lacquer thinner, wearing gloves. Don't skimp here. Get every little molecule of oil/grime off! VERY important!!! Do it TWICE!

2. Mask your decals if you can't find replacements. Use an exacto knife to make exact. Better yet, go on Ebay and find some decals.

3. Sand every square inch with 1,000 grit paper. You can use an orbital in the big areas to speed up the process, but don't bear down. You only want to texture the surface, not take it off.

4. Blow off with compressed air. Don't clean again, unless you find an oily spot and you MUST.

5. Re-sand any areas cleaned after sanding. Freshly-sanded surface is the VERY BEST surface to paint on!

6. Use the factory paint straight from the can, constantly shaking. Mist the surface until it wets out fully, then STOP as soon as a good shine forms. (takes practice)

7. As soon as you get the coat right, PULL OFF MASKING! Much easier if done while the paint is still wet

8. If you mess up and drip paint, don't worry, let it dry, sand areas with 1,000 grit, then apply another coat. Better if you don't do this, but no big deal.

9. Then use a UV lamp to bake the finish, moving it every 8 hours or so, unless you have several lamps. After the initial dry, sunlight works well, too, but beware of birds and other stuff getting on it while fresh. DO NOT RUSH THE DRY PROCESS. IT TAKES <u>AT LEAST</u> TWO OR THREE DAYS FOR THE PAINT TO CURE FULLY!

9. After a full cure, seal the paint (I like using Nu-Finish Polymer) Then wax and buff a day or two later. If done right, it will look like a brand-new engine.

<u>I agree with the dealer about not clear-coating or priming.</u> If you do it right, the factory can paint makes a VERY nice and durable finish, especially if you didn't sand all the way through the original.

I would also recommend that you paint the ENTIRE engine with the factory paint. DO NOT USE RUSTOLEUM!!!! It is made for STEEL, not aluminum!!!!

Only bare metal/corrosion would I prime. Only prime areas where factory primer is gone. <u>Get the primer from the manufacturer.</u> Sand with an orbital sander, 600 grit, making the metal shine. Prime those areas enough to fill the imperfections, then sand into surrounding area with 1,000 grit after it's nice and dry. Then paint L/U as described above.

Two-tone paint jobs are novel, but you retain a lot more value if you paint the entire engine with the factory paint. If you intend to leave the boat in the water with the engine down for freezing weather, you need to top-coat with marine anti-fouling paint. Make sure to take off the screens and paint inside the L/U water cavities, if that is the case!

This is my experience. I hope it is helpful.

-TH


Modified by thilltony at 2:16 AM 1/29/2011

[Bassman Ia.]

TWO OR THREE DAYS FOR THE PAINT TO CURE FULLY!------ When I was squirting paint, I would tell the owners not to seal it up for 60-90 days-----still breathing.

Wax and grease remover, scuff, tack rag, squirt paint--- no primer unless you took it down past the factory primer ( unless filling pits and scratches )

[SlumpGumpy]

well my skeg is down to bare aluminum, i have a little bondo work to do around the skeg, and some normal chips around the front cone.
my yamaha dealer gave me a 3 can paint system. I think it's base, color, then clear. should i worry about priming my bare areas?

[JRO_1399]

Ok so I started painting my dads motor as a warm up for mine. Were using the same color on both. After putting a few light coats on we started putting it on a little heavier. Now the motor has what looks like dust covering the cowl and some spots on the lower parts. Its not actual dust but more of a paint residue. What am I doing wrong and is there anything I can do about it? Can it be sanded with a fine grit or polished away? Thanks for all the help guys

[Bag 5]

Here's my 2003 225HO after repaint and new decals, painting lower unit now with a urethane as my paint guy recommended.

[JRO_1399]

That looks freaking sweet

[Neubs24]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by offdtop &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

Here's my 2003 225HO after repaint and new decals, painting lower unit now with a urethane as my paint guy recommended. </td></tr></table>
Are those Iguana decals? I have a FICHT too and that is sweet

[edgewood2]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by offdtop &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

Here's my 2003 225HO after repaint and new decals, painting lower unit now with a urethane as my paint guy recommended. </td></tr></table>

That looks awesome.

[Jim285pro]

Use self etching primer on the lower unit.

[Bag 5]

http://www.e-manmotorsports.co....html

I didn't know about iguana when I redid mine , I can say the quality is awesome and I am in no way associated with them. I ordered and had in my hands within 4 days!!! And thanks guys for the compliments the pictures don't do justice

[calfish1]

dont use rustoleum thumbdown:
use a self etch primer on both.
scuff paint lightly then use the primer in a few very light coats. then go ahead and paint with the oem.

[JRO_1399]

Thanks for all the replies Probably gonna start on it this weekend. If it turns out half as good as the one posted above ill be happy. Thanks

[DLAB]

Im about to start the same process, My painter said to wet sand it with 4-600? Its an older style merc cowling, Lots of Crevices and bumps, how long is this gonna take? and anymore info would be appreciated