Zinc Anodes

[HangOutdoors]

I am thinking to change out my Anodes for Zinc ones While we boat for a week in the salt water. Thoughts? Also does anyone have a source for them? Should I just buy some 1/2" Zinc Plate, not sure from where, and cut and drill it to mount up?

 

[fatboyroy]

change it after you get back from florida, unless its gone already.

 

[fatboyroy]

wait you dont have zinc? i guess change it before going to florida lol

 

[HangOutdoors]

Pretty sure all Yamaha's don't have zinc from the factory. I was under the impression they are all Magnesium or possibly aluminum.

 

[fatboyroy]

OK need to check mine, did not know that.

 

[HangOutdoors]

OK need to check mine, did not know that.

Perhaps others can chime in, I am just regurgitating what I have read.

 

[fatboyroy]

Ok just checked pretty sure mine is zinc …They probably install base on geography/where its sold

 

[1BadTundra]

There is mounts on both sides of each jet pump... Would it be good to put a Zinc on one side and aluminum on the other on each pump? We boat at the lake where its fresh water, and on the bay where the salinity can get pretty high at times. Would there be any negative result by having both on each jet pump?

 

[HangOutdoors]

Zinc Anodes came in today. Will be mounting them to oposite side of jet pumps from the Magnesium ones.

 

[HangOutdoors]

So, I had a chance to take my existing anode this evening to the metal shop down the road he was going to make me up a bracket for the zinc ones. He indicated that it isn't magnesium. He is very certain it is an Aluminum composite. He didn't do a chemical test, but he works with metals of all types and he has been doing it for 40 years, if that carries any weight.

He has a piece of zinc stock that is about the same size as my OEM anode and it is much heavier.

So this got me thinking. Why would Yamaha put Zinc on some boats and something else on others like Magnesium. They probably wouldn't. No way to tell where the boat will be used unless it is by geography and that doesn't mean squat, since people whom buy boats near the oceans may never take their boats out into salt and just boat in the lakes. If you have zinc ones, it wouldn't be good for freshwater use and if you have magnesium it wouldn't be good if you are in salt water. From what I am understanding Aluminum is a middle of the road Brackish water, etc. I would bet that all the anodes on our boats are the Aluminum Composite, which is interesting since there is aluminum back around the jet pumps.

From what I gather, having one Magnesium and one zinc would be best for boats that see both types of water.

Perhaps it is not even an issue to be worried about and just run with the Aluminum composite ones that came OEM and call it good?

Any thoughts or wisdom on the topic?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I had read some where that it was a good idea to clean the anodes of the corrosion that forms on the outside of them to allow them to work their best.

 

[HangOutdoors]

So I found this chart, browsing around. If it is accurate, and I just pulled it off an article, then it would seem that if our anodes are Aluminum or an Aluminum Composite and I believe our pumps are aluminum, than it would be the right choice across all types of water.