Saturday, August 8, 2009

CONTINUING PROJECT: REPAINT OUTDRIVE UNIT

Update: 8/9/09
Instead of writing a new blog each day, I am just editing this entry to keep all the pics together.


One coat of the new paint took the entire can, but the job's not yet done.


Primer applied. The damage to the exhaust was there when we bought her.


Post primer shot


Taken today after removing the props


Outdrive after sanding the worst of the corroded paint off



Shaft splines showing what's left of the grease from last October.
Click to enlarge then look at the screw just above the skeg fin.
That's where my drive oil drain plug is. We will service the drive oil since we've come this far.


Lower unit of the Volvo Penta DP-S outdrive showing early signs of corrosion on the day we brought her home. She really needs repainting now, as you see in the pics above.


Monday morning update:
I sprayed the new paint on but one coat took up the whole can and it's not enough of a coat.
I ordered another can of paint and will have to wait for it to be shipped by Friday.
While working down there I found another zinc anode that must be replaced.
Today's order from Marine Parts Express was the zinc (28), hex screws and washers (21), can of paint (13), tub of prop grease (25), drive oil (25), pump for drive oil (16) for a total of $125, with my 10% discount. I also saved sales tax over a local dealer. I try to focus on what we're saving by having me do all this myself.

I have booked my hotels for the week and depart for the Atlantic coast today.


Sunday night update:
The primer has been applied. I will shoot the paint before leaving town for work Monday.


Saturday night:
Home in Port Charlotte
Heavy downpour for the last two hours

Today I started my next DIY (Do It Yourself) project on the boat. The outdrive has to be repainted every few years as a normal part of maintenance. In order to do this I had to first remove the Duoprops. Volvo requires the props to come off every year in order to re-grease the shaft spline. The outer prop is a 30mm socket ($7) and the inner prop requires a special tool from Volvo ($50) and of course the inner tool was a 1/2" ratchet connection so I had to buy a new ratchet ($27). If you don't remove the props and re-grease the shaft spline, you run the risk of having the inner prop hub corrode and freeze to the prop. This is what happened to us last October (see blog entry from 10/20/08) and just the prop service cost $300. Purchasing these tools once to DIY from now on makes the expense worthwhile.


I still had a hard time getting the rear prop off, today, so I had to buy a rubber mallet ($5). That did the trick. I decided I will make this prop service a twice annual item to keep the grease fresh. After pulling the props I got out my Corner Cat sander and started sanding off some the worn and flaking paint. Not long into the job, the rain started falling. It hasn't stopped now for 2 hours.

I will update more tomorrow.

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