Marine Paint Question for Engine Bracket

[PNW_Drifter]

Hi Guys, I currently have my engine off the 228 engine bracket and it was chipped and corroded on one side. Not pitted much. I ground off all the existing powder coat to bare aluminum and sealed/primed with 4-5 coats of Interlux Interprotect 2000e. I know that epoxy primer works well with bare aluminum underwater.

But I have an issue. It's supposed to be top coated. What do I top coat it with?

I don't require bottom paint but the boat currently has an old coat of black bottom paint.

Should I coat it with Interlux Brightside topsides paint then add bottom paint to the lower half?

Brightside Polyurethane - Interlux | Fisheries Supply

Save More on Your Interlux Brightside Polyurethane at Fisheries Supply. Excellent Customer Service, Ready to Ship. Marine Supplies Since 1928!

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or

Should I coat with Interlux VC Performance Underwater Epoxy? It's like hard slick smooth bottom paint that I can wet sand smooth but has no anti-fouling? https://www.fisheriessupply.com/interlux-vc-performance-underwater-epoxy-with-teflon

I don't have much experience with painting but would like a smooth paint job that looks good.

 

[PNW_Drifter]

thanks for the reply but I’m actually asking About which paint to make my bracket look good. I’m not gonna bottom paint the top of my bracket. I don’t really need bottom paint at all.

 

[DennisG01]

I don't have a specific answer for you, but I can tell you what I would do in this situation. First, I would tend to err towards "better safe than sorry" and just use the same manufacturer's topcoat paint. Second, for things like this when I'm not quite sure - I'd would just call Interlux directly. Often a 5-minute phone call is more productive than 3 hours of internet research - plus you would be getting an expert answer directly from the horse's mouth.

From their website:

Call +1 800 468 7589 or email us at interluxtechnicalservice@akzonobel.com.

I'll add... if the boat isn't staying in the water, then a "topside" paint is fine to use - you don't really need one that is approved for below the waterline (not that it would be bad to do so, of course). I've used Pettit EasyPoxy topside paint on many projects, including some boats that are only in the water for the day - never had an issue. But I'd still contact Interlux in this case.

 

[Ky Grady]

I used Awlgrip on my bracket. It's held up well. Don't have any after pics, but I have a before pic.

 

[PNW_Drifter]

I should have asked you what you did earlier KY. I searched this forum and just found people arguing with no useful recommendations. Did you spray it?

I think Interlux 2 part epoxy is pretty good stuff, I'm not worried about corrosion now just got to make it look good. If I had to do again I'd probably do something different? Leaning toward the VC high performance epoxy since I can wet sand it smooth and it should be hard.

 

[Ky Grady]

I should have asked you what you did earlier KY. I searched this forum and just found people arguing with no useful recommendations. Did you spray it?

I think Interlux 2 part epoxy is pretty good stuff, I'm not worried about corrosion now just got to make it look good. If I had to do again I'd probably do something different? Leaning toward the VC high performance epoxy since I can wet sand it smooth and it should be hard.

I actually rolled it on. Used a hotdog roller. I bought the additive that allowed me to roll it and it pretty much self leveled and came out pretty nice. When I get home tonight, I'll see what I bought exactly. It's in the pic, just behind the other cans.

 

[Ky Grady]

Here ya go PNW,,,,

 

[PNW_Drifter]

Thanks looks like good stuff. How did you know what paint system to use?

 

[Ky Grady]

Thanks looks like good stuff. How did you know what paint system to use?

I'm friends with a highly respected fiberglass repair business in South Carolina. They do all my work along with many of the dealers in Charleston. They recommended it, so of course that's what I used. They have good luck with it, so why go against the grain and try something different not knowing the outcome.

 

[PNW_Drifter]

All done. Except wet sanding and recauking. I sprayed the final 4 coats of VC high performance epoxy, laid down very smooth with harbor Freight gun. Wish I had sprayed all as roller left texture on base coats of epoxy primer.

I didn’t plan on doing any of this, just wanted to hang my new to me motor. But one chip led to another and pretty soon I was into a full on project. I was lucky to buy paint locally in Seattle because the whole state just shut down for nonessential workers.

 

[PNW_Drifter]

Side note, what’s the highest anyone has mounted their motor on a bracket? I don’t want mine getting swamped when I Slow down anymore.

 

[DennisG01]

The bracket looks great! What gun from HF did you use?

Not having a Seafarer, I can't answer your question directly. But an extra inch isn't going to make any real difference in regards to what you asked. It could, though, cause the prop to ventilate on plane under certain conditions. Swamping, though, is common to many, many boats when coming off plane IF you slow down too fast. The way to avoid swamping is to simply slow down... slower. Slow down to where the boat levels off (bow comes back down), then back off the throttle smoothly and there won't be any swamping.

 

[Ky Grady]

Side note, what’s the highest anyone has mounted their motor on a bracket? I don’t want mine getting swamped when I Slow down anymore.

I'm in top hole on bracket and third hole from top on motor. I can run at 6100 and 41 mph with 4 blade prop with my F225, 2 people, half a tank, no curtains. Haven't noticed any swamping issues.

Factory setup is 2nd hole down on motor.

 

[leeccoll]

Top hole on bracket also, third hole from top on motor as well.

5600 and 38 mph WOT at elevations between 3796 to 6224 feet.

Very nice Drifter!

 

[PNW_Drifter]

Thanks for the "hole" recommendations, that's what I was looking for. This is the first boat I've owned with a bracket. I noticed right away the 3' extra hanging the motor back REALLY makes the motor lower in the water when coming off plane. Even coming off plane as slow as possible was pushing the pan of outboard underwater.

Anyway I think the rule of thumb is you can raise the outboard 1" (higher than bottom of hull) per foot of setback. Shallow water guys probably push it more. I need to measure it as it's hanging off the crane but my try for 4th hole from top on motor. Worst than can happen is a I'll cavitate a bit and lower it to the 3rd hole. If that looks crazy bolted on then it's the 3rd hole for sure.

 

[PNW_Drifter]

What gun from HF did you use?

This one: https://www.harborfreight.com/paint...-feed-air-spray-gun-with-regulator-62381.html

There's lots of settings to keep track of spray pattern air/paint ratio. Wish i had a bigger test piece because on every coat you need to put gun back together and settings get messed up. On my last coat I had the settings wrong and sprayed kind of dry vs nice smooth wet look. It had my test piece totally painted by then so couldn't see my pattern.

Oh well, can wet sand if I care.

Thinned to 5% with Interlux product as reccomended. It's 40-50 degrees here so had 3 heaters and a tarp tent to get it to cure within 2-3 hours.

 

[DennisG01]

Thanks for the "hole" recommendations, that's what I was looking for. This is the first boat I've owned with a bracket. I noticed right away the 3' extra hanging the motor back REALLY makes the motor lower in the water when coming off plane. Even coming off plane as slow as possible was pushing the pan of outboard underwater.

Anyway I think the rule of thumb is you can raise the outboard 1" (higher than bottom of hull) per foot of setback. Shallow water guys probably push it more. I need to measure it as it's hanging off the crane but my try for 4th hole from top on motor. Worst than can happen is a I'll cavitate a bit and lower it to the 3rd hole. If that looks crazy bolted on then it's the 3rd hole for sure.

Yes, you are correct on the general recommendation of 1" higher. And, as you noted, you don't really know till you try, though. FYI... ventilation, not cavitation. Two different things.

 

[DennisG01]

This one: https://www.harborfreight.com/paint...-feed-air-spray-gun-with-regulator-62381.html

There's lots of settings to keep track of spray pattern air/paint ratio. Wish i had a bigger test piece because on every coat you need to put gun back together and settings get messed up. On my last coat I had the settings wrong and sprayed kind of dry vs nice smooth wet look. It had my test piece totally painted by then so couldn't see my pattern.

Oh well, can wet sand if I care.

Thinned to 5% with Interlux product as reccomended. It's 40-50 degrees here so had 3 heaters and a tarp tent to get it to cure within 2-3 hours.

Thanks for the link, Drifter. I actually have one sitting on my shelf that I have yet to use - bet it's the same one! I guess we can't argue too much for $30, though.

 

[PNW_Drifter]

It’s a great gun. I redid an Arima with it too. Doesn’t spray upside down that well. But I got the bottom done.

 

[Fishtales]

That came out very nice. Super job.