stay current and anode?

[carboncow]

OK we've restored our older Wellcraft V20 with a 1991 Yamaha 225TXRP. I know this is not a Yamaha specific question but you are currently the only smart outboard guys I know...

The boat has been in the water (freshwater) for 5 days. He lived it's previously life in Fla and Ma...so lots of salt.

All new external anodes and the one at the bottom (again only in freshwater 5 days) looks like it just spend a month in the ocean. Lots of salt/mineral deposits on it.

Is this because it's new?
Because there is still salt in and around engine from it's previous life?
Because we have some stray current from wiring in our new electrical?

I believe all the new anodes were zinc.

Sorry no photo...my buddy is relaying this to me 2nd hand as I won't see the boat until this weekend.

[DennisG01]

"currently the only smart outboard guys I know..." Talk about "buttering us up"! Although I'm not sure I quite make it into the "smart" category.

It's the wrong anode composition. And, yes, it does sound like (from your description) that you have zinc anodes on there. They are becoming inactive - so you want to change them out soon.

The proper composition for your area will be either aluminum or magnesium. The best thing is to check with locals (that have been around a few years) and see what they're using.

Don't buy on the internet from some fly-by-night place simply based on cost. You may get inferior anodes.

Personally, I like the Navalloy aluminum from Performance Metals (Made in the USA in PA, too!). They can go in any type of water and are a hybrid of the typical Aluminum metal and perform a little better.

[carboncow]

grrrrr....

I bought them from boats.net and other reputable online sellers and never saw an option other then zinc.

We had a mismatched lower unit (thus no really way to cross reference) and the only one that fit was also zinc...very frustrating. I'll research your suggestions.

So what about the internal zincs that we never touched. This is not labeled a "fresh water series" engine...what did it most likely get from the factory and if it's zinc inside what's going to happen in there?

I saw some posts online that said he won't deteriorate the metal quickly, just get buildup and not do it's job well. Any thoughts to that logic?

I'd love to get a couple months of use out of these before we pull the boat for the season and put the right ones on in the fall...if that's an option.

[carboncow]

I should add I see why I didn't think of it...I ordered what was on boats.net such as 6G5-45251-02-00 and it makes no mention of material. When I look that number up on amazon and others it also doesn't say what it's made of!!

Damn you Jim!!!!

[DennisG01]

Yes, the build up is a zinc hydroxide film (or something like that) which renders the anode useless.

As far as the internal ones go... You're good with the Yamaha brand there as they are aluminum. For that matter, you could get Yamaha brand everything if you wanted to. If that part you mentioned is Yamaha, then it should be aluminum and shouldn't be causing that problem... Unless it's just a very, very light coating from sitting around - just brush it off and see what happens.

[rodbolt17]

cant lie on the internet.
I saw that on the net.

[carboncow]

Yes, the build up is a zinc hydroxide film (or something like that) which renders the anode useless.

As far as the internal ones go... You're good with the Yamaha brand there as they are aluminum. For that matter, you could get Yamaha brand everything if you wanted to. If that part you mentioned is Yamaha, then it should be aluminum and shouldn't be causing that problem... Unless it's just a very, very light coating from sitting around - just brush it off and see what happens.

Thanks. I'm a proxy for my buddy who has our newly restored boat up on Lake Erie...I'm going to guess he's speaking about the rotating skeg anode as this was the ONLY one we didn't get from boat.net via a Yamaha number. He made it sound like the lower mount but I"m guessing that skeg one is the concern.

I'll check back on Sunday with more intel for future searchers.