Anodes for 2015 212x

[Haycor]

Hi
A little confused on what anodes I need to purchase for my boat. I've only had it 1 summer and didn't change them before, I want to now. I am in fresh water so I believe it is magnesium that I require. I just can't find the exact part #'s of what I need. I don't think I am looking to replace the engine anodes but the exterior ones for use.
Thank you!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

the factory ones are usually magnesium take one off and hold it in your hand if it is lite it is magnesium if it is heavy it is zinc

 

[Canuckjetboater]

@Haycor ..... we have had a big conversation about this. Yamaha USA and Yamaha Canada have both told me they factory install a "composite" alloy anode(s) that work best in all conditions. I boat if fresh water and wanted magnesium anodes and could not find them. The "off the record" advice I was given was to repurpose some magnesium ones to fit the bolt patterns but was also advised to replace the Yamaha OEM ones if I had any warranty claims as changing the anodes to non-Yamaha approved would void corrosion warranty related items. As I'm sure you know the rule is. Fresh=Magnesium, Brackish=Aluminum and Salt=Zinc. Right now I have the Yamaha factory-installed composite anodes which I watch carefully.

 

[212s]

fresh water so I believe it is magnesium that I require. I just can't find the exact part #'s of what I need. I don't think I am looking to replace the engine anodes but the exterior ones for use. Thank you!

What do they look like now? Are they pitted and corroded?

As @Canuckjetboater says, they seem to be composite material. I watched mine last year to see if they pitted and they didn't. But I also checked all the metal parts of the pump areas and no signs of corrosion, so they seem to working fine in fresh water. We boat in the same water downstream from you so you should be ok with the factory anodes.

 

[212s]

the factory ones are usually magnesium take one off and hold it in your hand if it is lite it is magnesium if it is heavy it is zinc

I get what you're saying, but the problem with that is how much does a small brick of magnesium or zinc weigh?

Some kind of reference would make it much easier. But if Yamaha is right and these are composites, weight could be deceiving.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

It is like picking up aluminum or lead you will know right away most were magnesium

 

[Canuckjetboater]

What do they look like now? Are they pitted and corroded?

As @Canuckjetboater says, they seem to be composite material. I watched mine last year to see if they pitted and they didn't. But I also checked all the metal parts of the pump areas and no signs of corrosion, so they seem to working fine in fresh water. We boat in the same water downstream from you so you should be ok with the factory anodes.

@Haycor and @212s ...... as 212s stated we boat in essentially the same water. The anode on my pump (2020SX195) showed some slight action (pitting) after being in the water from May to September last year - but I did not see any pitting on any of the underwater metals. *****Note: I wet slip BUT there are no power pedestals within 100 feet of my slip. IF and I repeat IF power pedestals were nearby I would be more concerned because pitting/galvanic action are greatly accelerated in the presence of stray electrical currents (found almost certainly in all marina slip areas with power pedestals and particularly in the presence of boats with poor/non-existent galvanic isolators and older wiring.) As well, most marina electrical wiring introduces stray current into the water (that's why no one should swim in a marina's waters). IF I was wet slipping around power I would definitely make sure I had the correct composition of anode. From what I have been told I would not be happy with the OEM anodes I now have and would install Magnesium. NO one (Yamaha USA or Yamaha Canada) could or would tell me what composition the OEM anodes were - which I found very frustrating. If you do not wet slip you should be OK. If you wet slip away from power you should be OK. If you wet slip with power pedestals I would: 1. Make sure my continuity cable(s) was/were well-connected and 2. Check the anode on my pump (as the proverbial canary in the coal mine) and if it showed rapid pitting I would re-purpose Magnesium anodes. When I had my twin Bravo lll X drives at a power pedestal optioned wet slip (about a mile from where I now wet slip my 2020SX195 boat) I had to replace the massive Magnesium anodes on them EVERY year due to pitting/sacrificial action. @Haycor .... hope this helps. If you want clarifications - just fire away.

 

[Haycor]

@Haycor ..... we have had a big conversation about this. Yamaha USA and Yamaha Canada have both told me they factory install a "composite" alloy anode(s) that work best in all conditions. I boat if fresh water and wanted magnesium anodes and could not find them. The "off the record" advice I was given was to repurpose some magnesium ones to fit the bolt patterns but was also advised to replace the Yamaha OEM ones if I had any warranty claims as changing the anodes to non-Yamaha approved would void corrosion warranty related items. As I'm sure you know the rule is. Fresh=Magnesium, Brackish=Aluminum and Salt=Zinc. Right now I have the Yamaha factory-installed composite anodes which I watch carefully.

Thank you. That is interesting and explains why I can't find magnesium anodes for the boat. The previous owner had the boat in the water in a slip all summer, I only got it in June. The metal around the intakes is very corroded and if what you say is correct, that explains it. I am actually having the metal refinished now and I keep it on a boat lift so hopefully with the factory anodes I am ok.

 

[Haycor]

@Haycor and @212s ...... as 212s stated we boat in essentially the same water. The anode on my pump (2020SX195) showed some slight action (pitting) after being in the water from May to September last year - but I did not see any pitting on any of the underwater metals. *****Note: I wet slip BUT there are no power pedestals within 100 feet of my slip. IF and I repeat IF power pedestals were nearby I would be more concerned because pitting/galvanic action are greatly accelerated in the presence of stray electrical currents (found almost certainly in all marina slip areas with power pedestals and particularly in the presence of boats with poor/non-existent galvanic isolators and older wiring.) As well, most marina electrical wiring introduces stray current into the water (that's why no one should swim in a marina's waters). IF I was wet slipping around power I would definitely make sure I had the correct composition of anode. From what I have been told I would not be happy with the OEM anodes I now have and would install Magnesium. NO one (Yamaha USA or Yamaha Canada) could or would tell me what composition the OEM anodes were - which I found very frustrating. If you do not wet slip you should be OK. If you wet slip away from power you should be OK. If you wet slip with power pedestals I would: 1. Make sure my continuity cable(s) was/were well-connected and 2. Check the anode on my pump (as the proverbial canary in the coal mine) and if it showed rapid pitting I would re-purpose Magnesium anodes. When I had my twin Bravo lll X drives at a power pedestal optioned wet slip (about a mile from where I now wet slip my 2020SX195 boat) I had to replace the massive Magnesium anodes on them EVERY year due to pitting/sacrificial action. @Haycor .... hope this helps. If you want clarifications - just fire away.

Thank yo for the details. It is starting to make sense now. I am actually passing by a Yamaha boat dealer tomorrow and will ask them. When I had Bravo II drives on another boat years back it was a simple process.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Thank yo for the details. It is starting to make sense now. I am actually passing by a Yamaha boat dealer tomorrow and will ask them. When I had Bravo II drives on another boat years back it was a simple process.

@Haycor ..... yes, one thing about Mercury was that you could order zinc, aluminum or magnesium anodes easily from a number of suppliers to fit their drives. It will be interesting to see what version of the "Yamaha anode story" you get from the dealer!

 

[Haycor]

Thank yo for the details. It is starting to make sense now. I am actually passing by a Yamaha boat dealer tomorrow and will ask them. When I had Bravo II drives on another boat years back it was a simple process.

So I stopped in in Friday. They told me that Canadian boats have magnesium and IS boats have zinc. Not sure I believe that but either way I ordered a set from them.

 

[212s]

So I stopped in in Friday. They told me that Canadian boats have magnesium and IS boats have zinc. Not sure I believe that but either way I ordered a set from them.

That doesn't make sense...lots of US boats are in freshwater, and lots of CDN boats are in salt. Manufacturers can't just assume boating preferences.

I asked around and couldn't get a solid answer from my dealer, Yamaha rep, or Yamaha customer service, but I doubt they're magnesium as @Canuckjetboater would probably have seen a lot more erosion on his wet-slipped boat. Mine is trailered and has almost no erosion. The possibility of them being hybrid exists which is what my dealer mechanic believes because he can't order optional anodes, only 1 choice is offered by Yamaha. And I can't image the Yamaha engineers are that dense when it comes to anodes and boat protection.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

The ones I checked actually had stickers on the back saying they were magnesium the stickers were old and falling off but it was obvious they were magnesium so we added zinc to the other side of the pump I even add zinc to my jet pumps on all my skies like I said magnesium is lite and zinc is heavy huge difference in weight. in this picture I put one on the pump and one on the ride plate you can see the corrosion on them also

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Well here's one for the books!!!!!Got an answer from Yamaha about adding a second Anode to the other side of the jet pump as some forum members have done. Bought a 6mm-1 tap (13/64ths) to tap it to the same thread size on the starboard side as on the port side (as you know the same profile mounting piece is there). I was told - get this - if I added a second anode I could alter the proper sacrificial action of the design and actually increase erosion/corrosion of the nearby metals. I have never heard this in my life as switching from zinc or aluminum to magnesium will definitely increase the sacrificial action in the area as the magnesium will sacrifice faster and that WILL protect nearby metals better. On top of that I was told the evidence of a tap thread at that housing point could violate my extended warranty. Trade publications seem to have a lot of respect for Yamaha engineering. That said, I have never heard so many conflicting and nonsensical comments regarding sacrificial anodes from a manufacturer in my life. It is absolutely beyond dispute that: Zinc is best for salt, Aluminum is best for brackish and Magnesium is best for fresh. I have seen zinc on fresh and the surrounding metals were badly corroded/eroded I have seen magnesium on salt and the magnesium sacrificed super fast but at least the surrounding metals were protected. It makes me nervous to be using any composite instead of using as pure a magnesium anode as possible in fresh water. Thank God I'm not wet slipped near power. I can think of no rational reason why Yamaha does not offer the three choices or at least zinc and magnesium! This is one of the most basic boating "facts" and one that has been known for decades.

 

[212s]

If I recall correctly, someone on this forum lives down the street from the Yamaha factory. Perhaps they can pop over to the factory and talk with the techs there to find out what's up?

 

[Haycor]

That doesn't make sense...lots of US boats are in freshwater, and lots of CDN boats are in salt. Manufacturers can't just assume boating preferences.

I asked around and couldn't get a solid answer from my dealer, Yamaha rep, or Yamaha customer service, but I doubt they're magnesium as @Canuckjetboater would probably have seen a lot more erosion on his wet-slipped boat. Mine is trailered and has almost no erosion. The possibility of them being hybrid exists which is what my dealer mechanic believes because he can't order optional anodes, only 1 choice is offered by Yamaha. And I can't image the Yamaha engineers are that dense when it comes to anodes and boat protection.

I agree. Different answer every person you ask. I’m on a lift anyway so not a huge deal for me but the aluminum is pretty pitted already.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I just checked a 2021 Yamaha and it definitely did not have zinc anodes so I would suggest adding zinc for salt water use. leave the others on as well