Need suggestions for painting drive
 

This spring had some corrosion mostly around prop to drive area. So I removed corrosion and feathered back before using chromate primer and Mercury paint. Didn't put in water for 3-4 weeks. Pulled boat with 4 months in fresh water and same thing. Also the Mercury black turned dull alone looks like it wore off to expose primer. Did I do anything wrong or is this just life?

thanks

No rattle can paint is going to hold up being in the water for 4 months and its doubtful any automotive paints would hold up either for 4 months in the water. The factory merc paint is some secret recipe.

I messed up the lower on my boat when the anchor I was using didn't hold and the lower hit the sandy bottom. I just used Rust-oleum and that was 3 years ago and it still looks great.

Yeah, but was it left in the water for 4 months straight???

I have used a metal prep, metal etching primer, and polyurethane paint (Imron) and it's held up well, but I didn't leave it in the water either. Merc coatings are some kind of magic stuff!

magic stuff, guess that's not in the rattle can they sell(LOL)? Talked to local boat shop and he's had good luck with blasting old off then epoxy primer and Imron. Usually gets 2 seasons. Last year I ordered MarPro zinc chromate primer which was about 50% more than Moeller brand sold locally, but didn't get it on time(backordered). Pro had more ingredients according to MSDS. So I'll give the pro a try for next season and see if there's a difference?

I use https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rust-Oleum-...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

and

https://www.acehardware.com/departme...-purpose/17072

I've had descent luck on the gimbal rings and bell housing. Paint looks good/new even after 3 seasons.

the drive it's self seems to be more difficult to keep black. the good news is, I just throw on another coat this fall. long as the metal isn't rusting away I think it's the best of what I can do at home. Mercury works with brand new clean aluminum, then go through 20 cleaning steps, then powder coat the thing, then bake it in an oven at 1000 degrees for a few hours... something I just can't do at home...

the merc stuff in a can is more difficult to work with, and doesn't seem any better than this black.

I'd love to know about any home paint jobs that hold up better.

Happens alot around here. People redoing there drives every few years but not their ‘zincs’. I’m on a really fresh water lake in which most boats I work on stay at a dock for 3-4 -5 months.

Few older boats that owners let me replace them (zincs) every 3-4-5 years have drives that look pretty damn good. Drives with stsinless props eat anodes quicker.

If you have a auto paint store near you see if they have a 2 part paint they can put in a rattle can. It has a button on the bottom of the can that release the hardner. Someplaces can also mix different colors for you.

Best luck I had getting paint to stay on my lower was put automotive clear over the black. Holding up so far.