Before I bought the boat, the PO must have left the engine down in the water without a zinc for a while as there is some pitting and corrosion on the lower unit. It isn't serious enough to cause damage, but it is enough that I think I want to try and repair it.
Since I know the risks and costs associated with having a welder try to fill the holes (often results in more damage than it fixes), My thought was sand blast the lower unit, then fill in the pits with something like Marine Tex since it maintains good adhesion to metal, and is safe for permanent below the waterline installation, plus is easy to sand and paint when cured. (I know MT is a little pricy, but it would take at most 3/4 of a small jar to do the whole job, so the $15 for this repair is well worth it for me). Once cured I would sand everything smooth and repaint the lower unit.
The goal being to remove any corrosion left from the lower unit, and reinforce the thinner pited sections, and prevent any future problems. With the added benefit that I can make the lower unit a little smoother more hydrodynamic so it has slightly less drag in the water (not that it sits in the water when sailing anyway).
Does this idea sound flawed and crazy, or does it make sense to you?
Since I know the risks and costs associated with having a welder try to fill the holes (often results in more damage than it fixes), My thought was sand blast the lower unit, then fill in the pits with something like Marine Tex since it maintains good adhesion to metal, and is safe for permanent below the waterline installation, plus is easy to sand and paint when cured. (I know MT is a little pricy, but it would take at most 3/4 of a small jar to do the whole job, so the $15 for this repair is well worth it for me). Once cured I would sand everything smooth and repaint the lower unit.
The goal being to remove any corrosion left from the lower unit, and reinforce the thinner pited sections, and prevent any future problems. With the added benefit that I can make the lower unit a little smoother more hydrodynamic so it has slightly less drag in the water (not that it sits in the water when sailing anyway).
Does this idea sound flawed and crazy, or does it make sense to you?
