Clean and paint an Alpa One outdrive
 

Ive read tons of posts on numerous sites but am still unclear. To clean, I've come to the conclusion to use 4:1 muradic acid:water, but to paint (some bare aluminum) I'm not clear. Do I prime, what paint, etc?

Any feedback is welcome.

Re: Clean and paint an Alpa One outdrive
 

Hi sirbb, click on this link and open the second PDF file (ImportantInfo), Page 1A-7 explains prep and painting. Here's a brief post when I refurbished our Bravo III leg, hope it helps too! Click here.

WetWilly

Re: Clean and paint an Alpa One outdrive
 

Thanks I had read the manual, that was one of the placed where I got the Muriatic acid idea. I had talked to English Color (Automotive paint store) and they did not recognize the Ditzler name and numbers and thought maybe this was something outdated. Alao they never heard of a alodine treatment.

anyway I will talk to Sherwin Williams automotive today.

Where did you get the Zinc Chromate Primer, so far this is also eluding me.

I must be talking to alll the wrong people.

Re: Clean and paint an Alpa One outdrive
 

Around here, you can find it at most hardware stores.

Re: Clean and paint an Alpa One outdrive
 

Hi sirbb,

Guess English Color never worked with an old Jaguar XKE or AC Cobra (both are aluminum bodied)... :confused:

Alodine treatment is a chemical process for aluminum used to provide corrosion protection and surface preparation for paint and adhesives. Alodine is a strong oxidizer and does a chemical conversion of the aluminum's surface (oxidizes it) and it's the best way to prep it for painting as paint is suppose to bond to the alodined surface better.

Z202 is correct, most hardware and marine suppy stores should carry Zinc Chromate Primer. I purchased mine through a local West Marine store.

As for the paint recommended by the Mercruiser, it does appears the numbers are a bit old so I have a call out to an expert on Ditzler Paints and expect a call back this coming Monday. For your reference, Ditzler Paints is part of PPG and all auto paint stores should know PPG very very well.

Later,
WetWilly

P.S. - Funny that the Mercruiser manual states the following "IMPORTANT: Do not use any type of aerosol spray paints as the paint will not properly adhere to the surface nor will the coating be sufficiently thick to resist future paint blistering." , yet they sell an aerosol spray paint for their outboards, jet drives and sterndrives... It's Mercury Phantom Black, Part # 92 802878 1.