Intake grates are corroded and looking for options

[Haycor]

Hi. I purchased my 2015 212x this past summer and the grates underneath are quite corroded. I’d like to refinish if that is an option rather than the expense of purchasing new. The boat sat in the water with the previous owner. Anyone have experience with this?
Thank you

 

[drewkaree]

No experience with these, but it seems like you're in the perfect situation - you want to refinish these rather than purchase new, if possible, and you have the fallback of simply buying new to replace them if your refinishing project doesn't work out.

I'd say start by taking them off and hitting them with some sandpaper to see if that makes a dent on these, if so, you might want to have them sandblasted. Not sure a standard spray paint would hold up, but they do make epoxy paints that would be more durable for something like this, I'd think.

 

[zipper]

Check to see if an anode is present and working on top of the ride plate, where this screw attaches an anode. If you take them off to refinish, clean them well and use an epoxy primer/paint to cover the aluminum. Do not paint the area where the anode connects on top of the ride plate, you need a good bond here. This is the second 2014/15 M/Y I have seen like this in the last week. Bad powdercoating? The other is this thread. https://jetboaters.net/threads/my-drives-are-in-rough-condition-what-would-you-do.30197/#post-490661

As well as the ride plate anodes, how do the pump anodes look? I assume a freshwater boat by your location.



Our 07, does not look too bad, after being slipped in Lake Champlain for 4 seasons. Both marinas were new with new electrical systems. Anode screw clearly seen. The pump cleans up.

 

[mrcleanr6]

a light media blasting then they must be coated in epoxy primer.

 

[Seadeals]

Here is a thread where I treated and refinished mine.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/diy-steering-cable-replacement-pump-pulls-cone-lube-check.8059/

 

[212s]

Hi. I purchased my 2015 212x this past summer and the grates underneath are quite corroded. I’d like to refinish if that is an option rather than the expense of purchasing new. The boat sat in the water with the previous owner. Anyone have experience with this?
Thank you

Fellow Canuck here east of you around the Kingston/1000 Islands area. @Canuckjetboater is also a new jetboat owner a little further east of us and might have some insight to how well his slipped boat did this past summer?

No experience either yet with corrosion - we bought our first jetboat this summer too but we trailer so no corrosion at all here. Sounds like @zipper might be on the right track here - if the anodes are missing or badly corroded it would contribute to the pitting on the plates. Aluminum isn't hard to work with though so refinishing should be a viable option.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

@212s and @Haycor ......If I may, some background for context: I had lived on the water (fresh) from 1980 to 2008 with my boats on lifts, so no experience with corrosion. That changed when we sold in 2008 and moved to a waterfront condo on the St. Lawrence. Owned several bow riders which we kept at our own condo boat slip - again no corrosion as the boats were in fresh water + no power to the slips (a HUGE issue). That changed when we bought several big cruisers over the next few years. We had to take these to marinas due to their size and requirements for power. Man - then I saw corrosion - on fellow boater's boats in the marinas (three different) that we had slips at. IMO there are different levels of corrosion potential, the worst is being wet slipped in salt water in a slip surrounded by slips with power pedestals. IMO waaay too many boats do not have proper grounds or galvanic isolators and too many marinas leak power everywhere and I mean everywhere. Fortunately, I have always been slipped in fresh water. The marinas we were slipped at did have serious power leakage problems as did many nearby boats (yes, I tested the water). I protected my boats by making sure my underwater through hulls were grounded and there was continuity to my drives. I also had top quality galvanic isolators and the BIG one for most of us Yamaha owners.....I changed the anodes frequently!!!!! I was also able to purchase OEM magnesium anodes from Mercruiser for the twin I/O drives on each boat.*****Respectfully - remember: Zinc for salt, Aluminum for brackish (salt/fresh/pollutant combo) and Magnesium for fresh.......Direct reply to @212s: Our 2020 SX195 was wet slipped this year from May to last week. I deliberately asked for a slip away from the docks with power pedestals to reduce stray electrical currents in the water. I turned-off my battery when not in the boat. I tried to purchase replacement magnesium anodes but was told none were available BUT that the Yamaha supplied anode(s) was an aluminum/magnesium composite - don't know if that's true. Examination of my jet pump, ride plate and intake grate a few days ago showed the mildest possible (IMO) form of corrosion - just some random spots of white powder. My anode did show some obvious corrosion activity but did not look significantly worn. Nevertheless, I will replace it anyway as anode corrosion is deceptive. Anodes can appear to have suffered little reduction yet the surface has been acted-upon in a manner that makes them less effective - yet not appear so to the eye. Bottom line: I am happy with the very, very slight signs of corrosive activity. I will try to source a pure magnesium anode over the Winter or maybe modify one but I will have to get written permission from Yamaha as I have 5 year warranty and don't want to void it by adding "aftermarket" unapproved accessories. If I can't find a magnesium anode(s) and ones that Yamaha will approve in writing I will install a new Yamaha OEM one (I have one already). The big killers of underwater metals in FRESH water are stray electrical currents (boats/marina electrical) in combination with ineffective anodes. So stray current + poor/wrong anodes = big trouble!****Respectfully it is better to address metal corrosion on underwater metal boat parts before the metal suffers obvious damage. Keep the underwater metals painted!!!!! Don't get behind the curve. There is excellent advice on this forum and this thread on how to repair and/or re-paint corrosion damage. I have helped friends clean and prep their I/O drives and apply specialty primers and two stage epoxies which are very effective. This Fall I scrubbed my underwater metals with a scotch brite pad then sprayed Yamalube on them before storing the boat in a heated warehouse. This Spring I will repeat the process a week or so before launch. After the scrubbing, if I notice any bare spots I will apply yamaha approved primer/paint before coating with Yamalube anti corrosion. No question I will have to address corrosion at some point, but my plan will be to sand and paint long before I need to use a soda-based compressor gun blaster or grinder to remove the corrosion. @212s and @Haycor....hope this helps as a reference point! I guess the three of us (plus a lot of forum members) will now be waiting for Spring!!!!!

 

[Mike Clark]

So, mine were not as bad as yours, but I just taped off the boat all around the grates, used several different size wire brushes, to get most of it cleaned and scrapped off. Next use acetone to wipe all down. Let dry. The spayed painted with etching metal primer. Two good coats. Let dry, then sprayed regular rustolum black enamel paint.
,looks like new and that was 3 years ago. Can get paint at any Lowe’s, cheap and effective.

 

[212s]

As well as the ride plate anodes, how do the pump anodes look? I assume a freshwater boat by your location.
View attachment 135405

@zipper I just took a look under the plates and I can't see a screw or anode at this location. That doesn't mean much though as it's dark now and I wasn't lying down as it's raining right now, so maybe I can't see it with a flashlight from the rear. I'll check again on the weekend when it's dry and crawl under to see if I have that on mine. If so, didn't know anything about them. I only know about the large block on the side of the jetpump, and inside the engines. Are there more hidden away somewhere?

 

[Canuckjetboater]

So, mine were not as bad as yours, but I just taped off the boat all around the grates, used several different size wire brushes, to get most of it cleaned and scrapped off. Next use acetone to wipe all down. Let dry. The spayed painted with etching metal primer. Two good coats. Let dry, then sprayed regular rustolum black enamel paint.
,looks like new and that was 3 years ago. Can get paint at any Lowe’s, cheap and effective.

@Mike Clark ....awesome! BTW.....many, many boaters and even some shops fail to use acetone as a "wipe-down" prep before priming and painting! The acetone cleaning is an integral and needed step to ready the surface for primer and paint. I used to use cheese cloth - the type used for fine furniture lacquer prep - as it doesn't leave fuzz on the surface like some shop cloths will. Great points Mike!

 

[212s]

My anode did show some obvious corrosion activity but did not look significantly worn.

Can you post a pic? I'll get a pic of mine and we can compare how much of a difference there is between slip and trailer. Mine looks worse than the zinc ones I had on my old boats...which leads me to think they might actually be a composite which is what the tech told me when I spoke with him at the dealer.

I guess the three of us (plus a lot of forum members) will now be waiting for Spring!!!!!

Shoosh...I'm holding out hope for getting out this weekend or next if the water levels come back up a bit! We don't give up till freezing temps require us to winterize. Yamaha's are supposed to be self-draining, so if the waterbox is blown out there's no issue if a few freezing nights come along followed by a warm day. We keep our fingers crossed until we can't.

 

[zipper]

@zipper I just took a look under the plates and I can't see a screw or anode at this location. That doesn't mean much though as it's dark now and I wasn't lying down as it's raining right now, so maybe I can't see it with a flashlight from the rear. I'll check again on the weekend when it's dry and crawl under to see if I have that on mine. If so, didn't know anything about them. I only know about the large block on the side of the jetpump, and inside the engines. Are there more hidden away somewhere?

As far as I know, that is all of them. I have not, in person, seen the newer pumps, ride plates and bonding wire setup on the reverse gate, so I do not know what the 2020 M/Y looks like as far as sacrificial anode placement/continuity. I can clearly see two anodes on top of my ride plates. I know my 07 is different, but Yamaha seems to be addressing corrosion better now than what I have seen on these two 14/15 M/Y boats.
IDK if there was a bad batch of powder coating in that time period or if they missed the bonding/continuity of all that metal. Mine are 13 YO and still look pretty good.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Can you post a pic? I'll get a pic of mine and we can compare how much of a difference there is between slip and trailer. Mine looks worse than the zinc ones I had on my old boats...which leads me to think they might actually be a composite which is what the tech told me when I spoke with him at the dealer.

Shoosh...I'm holding out hope for getting out this weekend or next if the water levels come back up a bit! We don't give up till freezing temps require us to winterize. Yamaha's are supposed to be self-draining, so if the waterbox is blown out there's no issue if a few freezing nights come along followed by a warm day. We keep our fingers crossed until we can't.

@212s .....I'll see if I have a picture. Our boat is now in the "heated" Gan 401 Storage warehouse. There was some surface pitting of the main anode attached to the jet pump. If I have it right - your boat is a 2020, fresh water used and trailered. I can't see why you would have any visible corrosion of your anode(s) at all.

 

[212s]

@212s .....I'll see if I have a picture. Our boat is now in the "heated" Gan 401 Storage warehouse. There was some surface pitting of the main anode attached to the jet pump. If I have it right - your boat is a 2020, fresh water used and trailered. I can't see why you would have any visible corrosion of your anode(s) at all.

There isn't much, more like some mild surface activity which is good, means they're working. There is absolutely no corrosion of any kind visible on the pumps, still looks brand new. Perhaps the silicone spray has helped or not. I'll post a pic tomorrow of the anodes in daylight.

 

[212s]

As far as I know, that is all of them. I have not, in person, seen the newer pumps, ride plates and bonding wire setup on the reverse gate, so I do not know what the 2020 M/Y looks like as far as sacrificial anode placement/continuity. I can clearly see two anodes on top of my ride plates.

Yeah I'm pretty sure I don't have those on my ride plates. I'll check in the daylight tomorrow to confirm.

 

[Haycor]

Check to see if an anode is present and working on top of the ride plate, where this screw attaches an anode. If you take them off to refinish, clean them well and use an epoxy primer/paint to cover the aluminum. Do not paint the area where the anode connects on top of the ride plate, you need a good bond here. This is the second 2014/15 M/Y I have seen like this in the last week. Bad powdercoating? The other is this thread. https://jetboaters.net/threads/my-drives-are-in-rough-condition-what-would-you-do.30197/#post-490661

As well as the ride plate anodes, how do the pump anodes look? I assume a freshwater boat by your location.

View attachment 135405

Our 07, does not look too bad, after being slipped in Lake Champlain for 4 seasons. Both marinas were new with new electrical systems. Anode screw clearly seen. The pump cleans up.

View attachment 135421

Thanks. Everything else looks good. Only the grates. Thanks for the advice. I will check.

 

[Haycor]

@212s and @Haycor ......If I may, some background for context: I had lived on the water (fresh) from 1980 to 2008 with my boats on lifts, so no experience with corrosion. That changed when we sold in 2008 and moved to a waterfront condo on the St. Lawrence. Owned several bow riders which we kept at our own condo boat slip - again no corrosion as the boats were in fresh water + no power to the slips (a HUGE issue). That changed when we bought several big cruisers over the next few years. We had to take these to marinas due to their size and requirements for power. Man - then I saw corrosion - on fellow boater's boats in the marinas (three different) that we had slips at. IMO there are different levels of corrosion potential, the worst is being wet slipped in salt water in a slip surrounded by slips with power pedestals. IMO waaay too many boats do not have proper grounds or galvanic isolators and too many marinas leak power everywhere and I mean everywhere. Fortunately, I have always been slipped in fresh water. The marinas we were slipped at did have serious power leakage problems as did many nearby boats (yes, I tested the water). I protected my boats by making sure my underwater through hulls were grounded and there was continuity to my drives. I also had top quality galvanic isolators and the BIG one for most of us Yamaha owners.....I changed the anodes frequently!!!!! I was also able to purchase OEM magnesium anodes from Mercruiser for the twin I/O drives on each boat.*****Respectfully - remember: Zinc for salt, Aluminum for brackish (salt/fresh/pollutant combo) and Magnesium for fresh.......Direct reply to @212s: Our 2020 SX195 was wet slipped this year from May to last week. I deliberately asked for a slip away from the docks with power pedestals to reduce stray electrical currents in the water. I turned-off my battery when not in the boat. I tried to purchase replacement magnesium anodes but was told none were available BUT that the Yamaha supplied anode(s) was an aluminum/magnesium composite - don't know if that's true. Examination of my jet pump, ride plate and intake grate a few days ago showed the mildest possible (IMO) form of corrosion - just some random spots of white powder. My anode did show some obvious corrosion activity but did not look significantly worn. Nevertheless, I will replace it anyway as anode corrosion is deceptive. Anodes can appear to have suffered little reduction yet the surface has been acted-upon in a manner that makes them less effective - yet not appear so to the eye. Bottom line: I am happy with the very, very slight signs of corrosive activity. I will try to source a pure magnesium anode over the Winter or maybe modify one but I will have to get written permission from Yamaha as I have 5 year warranty and don't want to void it by adding "aftermarket" unapproved accessories. If I can't find a magnesium anode(s) and ones that Yamaha will approve in writing I will install a new Yamaha OEM one (I have one already). The big killers of underwater metals in FRESH water are stray electrical currents (boats/marina electrical) in combination with ineffective anodes. So stray current + poor/wrong anodes = big trouble!****Respectfully it is better to address metal corrosion on underwater metal boat parts before the metal suffers obvious damage. Keep the underwater metals painted!!!!! Don't get behind the curve. There is excellent advice on this forum and this thread on how to repair and/or re-paint corrosion damage. I have helped friends clean and prep their I/O drives and apply specialty primers and two stage epoxies which are very effective. This Fall I scrubbed my underwater metals with a scotch brite pad then sprayed Yamalube on them before storing the boat in a heated warehouse. This Spring I will repeat the process a week or so before launch. After the scrubbing, if I notice any bare spots I will apply yamaha approved primer/paint before coating with Yamalube anti corrosion. No question I will have to address corrosion at some point, but my plan will be to sand and paint long before I need to use a soda-based compressor gun blaster or grinder to remove the corrosion. @212s and @Haycor....hope this helps as a reference point! I guess the three of us (plus a lot of forum members) will now be waiting for Spring!!!!!

Thank you very much for the details and advice.

 

[Frank Marshall]

I'm mostly in fresh water, but some brackish and some salt. I haven't had much in the way of corrosion issues. I've been evaluating the boat bonding (grounding of all water exposed metal together) due to fishing concerns. The proper voltage attracks, rather than repels fish. I've put an ohm meter on lots of boat surfaces, and found most are not bonded to the jet mounted anode. For example the intake grate is not. Finding that, I've run bonding wires to many interior bolts to bond more metal exposed to water. I'm sure that would help with your grate issues.

 

[212s]

There isn't much, more like some mild surface activity which is good, means they're working. There is absolutely no corrosion of any kind visible on the pumps, still looks brand new. Perhaps the silicone spray has helped or not. I'll post a pic tomorrow of the anodes in daylight.

Ok took a pic today of the mild surface corrosion. Pic doesn't do it justice...it looks worse but the light under the swim platform throws it off a bit. I'll try another tomorrow from the back at an angle and it might be better. Still has 10x the corrosion that my zinc had on the old boat:

 

[212s]

Yeah I'm pretty sure I don't have those on my ride plates. I'll check in the daylight tomorrow to confirm.

Just to confirm that when checking today in the daylight, there's definitely no anode on the ride plates anywhere. The only one I can find is the large one on the side of the jetpump like in the above post.