Outdrive clean and paint

[IanC]

I have twin Volvo Penta 280 outdrives, on a second-hand Colvic Traveller 28 foot aft cabin motor cruiser I have just bought, that seem to be in bad shape. What should I do to make them look nice and last long? How do I clean them? What paint should I sue? Should I also anti-foul them? Are there any things to especially look out for or to avoid?

 

[BarryH]

If your going to keep it on a mooring then antifoul would be the best. You can get antifoul for the drives specially formulated for them, being made of ali and all.
If your going to all that trouble, It'll be a good idea to change all the seals while your at it. Cos your going to change the oil arn't you. Drain that off and the colour will give a good indication as to the condition. If its at all milky, you've got water getting in somewhere.

Cleaning, elbow grease and plenty of it!!

 

[Col]

Agree with B.H. international do a Volvo coloured outdrive antifoul. Don't use hull A/F.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>

 

[Guest]

i have found that a 2 pack epoxy primer covered by a 2 pack poly gloss coat works well on my silette outdrive. alternatively, i think some people use cellulose paint, though i cannot vouch for it myself

 

[BarryH]

If your going to use a normal paint finish, its best to use an etch primer on any bare ali.

 

[spannerman]

Hi Ian, as a Volvo mechanic, I would definitely recommend that after painting you should antifoul the them, its amazing how many knots you lose through fouled drives. Having tried many types over the years I have found that Hempel aerosol antifouling for drives very good, my boat runs at 36 knots and the a-fouling stays put whereas a lot of others erode too easily.
Regarding the oil change if the oill is milky and I would expect at least one to be so, as Volvo drives seem to leak more than Mercruiser drives, dont worry however they survive having water in the oil 9 times out of 10. If there is water, flush out thoroughly with diesel and let allow to drain, the most common cause is fishing line round the prop shaft which damages the seal, also the seal behind the shift mechanism on the rear of the upper gear housing is very prone to leaking, and now there is a modified seal. Also use new o rings on the drain plugs and remember to fill from the bottom approx 2.5 litres on these drives. regards Steve