Should I paint my prop?

luvinlife

My 270 has a Volvo DP with formerly painted stainless steel props. They had been painted with Petit Hydrocote a few times and who knows what before that, and they were not that smooth or clean.  I pulled them today and sanded, wire brushed and used paint remover to get them down to bare metal. I’d love to leave them bare metal but I wonder if that’s a good idea. We are in salt water for 5 months a year in Rhode Island. What would you treat them with, if anything? 

reneechris14

Leave them bare, swin down in the summer with a scotch bright pad and give them a little rubbing. If you use a steel brush it will leave deposits and they will rust. A stainless wire wheel on a drill polishes them up nice.

diggin2day1

I’ve always heard that stainless props should never be sanded or wire brushed... I think it causes pitting issues. 

rasbury

When I got over spray on mine from painting the out drive, did not stay long!

Handymans342

If you use your boat it will stay clean

LaRea

Once I painted mine with Primocon metal primer and Trilux antifouling paint.  It was just leftovers from painting the drives, but I did a careful job of it. 

I drove the boat 8 miles to haul out for maintenance, and the paint was gone.  That was the first and last time I painted the props.

Dream_Inn

I would go without paint and just take an old washcloth or scotch bright (as mentioned) whenever you are in the water.  Definitely better to have bare if possible.  I know in my area that most people do not paint their SS props (we are in brackish water).

luvinlife

Too late on not using steel wire brush on them, oh well.  Might just try waxing them a few times and putting them in for the season. 

diggin2day1

luvinlife said:

Too late on not using steel wire brush on them, oh well.  Might just try waxing them a few times and putting them in for the season. 

I found out the same way... after I wire brushed the stainless props on my old Maxum! Lol

Willhound

I beleive the thought is that the wire brush leaves microscopic scratches with low carbon steel deposits in them which promotes galvanic reaction, therefore pitting etc. Just thinking out loud, but would a quick shot of muriatic acid or some such help remove that? Probably not?

luvinlife

Willhound I have heard that muriatic acid is not recommended on any metal. That is why I was thinking wax?

bella-vita

I clean my props every year with muriatic acid,I do remove them first so I don’t get the acid on anything else.

davidbrooks

I just spent hours trying to strip off the prop paint i put on last year.  Don't do it again.  Still haven't gotten it all off.  I honestly don't think that it helped at all vs leaving it bare.

craigswardmtb

I use a stiff poly brush that I put on my drill..  it does a great job of cleaning any growth off. I also use toilet bowl cleaner and scotch pads on areas I can't reach with the drill. 
I have read the only paint that works well is Prop Speed..  it is however insanely expensive....  I would only consider if I was in the water year round  

luvinlife

I will clean my props as well as I can and put them back on bare. I can brush them off from time to time if I see growth. We shall see! 

Cableguy Greg

I clean my props and trim tabs every year with diluted muriatic acid. Then I wash with soap and water. It cleans them up really well.

luvinlife

Thanks Greg, I will try exactly the same thing. 

Ian

Cableguy Greg said:

I clean my props and trim tabs every year with diluted muriatic acid. Then I wash with soap and water. It cleans them up really well.

Last year was the first time I used this method and they sparkled like never before! When hauled for winter they actually looked cleaner than they had in the past when hauled. Placebo effect maybe but they do look cleaner, once out of the bunker I'll clean them up again before launch.

Ian

Willhound said:

I beleive the thought is that the wire brush leaves microscopic scratches with low carbon steel deposits in them which promotes galvanic reaction, therefore pitting etc. Just thinking out loud, but would a quick shot of muriatic acid or some such help remove that? Probably not?

You may have something there as prior cleaning of mine had been with brushes etc and so that may explain why this year they do in fact look better after hauling seeing as I used the acid last year.

06Rinker270

Does anyone paint their trim tabs or just clean and leave them bare?

aero3113

Mine are painted, I wish they weren’t.

Spyderweb

@aero3113 painted as in bottom paint?

aero3113

Yes, my trim tabs have bottom paint on them. I’m sure I can easily remove it.

PickleRick

Try using pontoon cleaner for film on props/trim tabs.  I think 5 gallons at socar chemicals is 50 bucks.  I clean wheels and my metal roof with it as well.  

To remove stubborn old paint see you have some shops near by ask about sand blasting with walnut shell to clean.  Small engine shops, motor cycle shops etc. Or buy the stuff at harbor freight

Black_Diamond

If you used steel bristles on your SS props, you will get corrosion. UNLESS you passivate them. 

For reference:

https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/how-to-passivate-stainless-steel-parts

06Rinker270

My tabs were painted some years ago and it has slowly been coming off.  I take my sander to them every year to get off barnacles and growth.  I always think about painting them but never do.  Curious of the antifouling paint worked well on the tabs...

06Rinker270

Sanding props with standard sand paper is bad?  I have been doing so for years.

Willhound

Anything that can scratch them. There is evidence that even the smallest scratch can increase the possibility of galvanic corrosion. Use a light acid solution (i.e. toilet bowl cleaner, muriatic acid) and a softer scrubber like a nylon pot scrubber and rinse with clear, cool water.

dropout

I recently purchased a salt water boat out of Charleston SC and now keep on Lake St Clair, Mi.

The outdrives and tabs have some type of painted coating on them. Is this salt water specific? Or special paint or coating? I'm looking to repaint them the same.

How about the bottom paint, is what's on there now salt water?

mattie

Not sure about what to recoat existing tab surfaces, etc, with....

But, be sure you replace all your anodes with magnesium alloy for fresh water. I'm sure you know that already, lol.