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So i finally got out the wire brushes to see just how corroded my keel bolts were in the bilge after 30 years. they ended up cleaning up very nicely with no signs of corrosion. even washers underneath look pretty good. now that my bolts are clean and bilge is dry i want to possibly coat the tops of the bolts to keep them clean.
they are 316 stainless. i read about coating them with epoxy but that seems like a major headache to clean off especially since i plan on dropping the keel next year to redo the seal and check bolts.
anyone have other suggestion to coat them? clear silicone? a corrosion inhibitor like CRC?
\Are you on a fresh water lake? If you are moving from fresh water to salt i would consider it, i would think a good wire brushing then epoxy.
If your boat is going to be in the same environment as the last 30 years, i just do not see an upside to putting anything on them.
A wise man once said, "If it aint broke do not fix it."
So i finally got out the wire brushes to see just how corroded my keel bolts were in the bilge after 30 years. they ended up cleaning up very nicely with no signs of corrosion. even washers underneath look pretty good. now that my bolts are clean and bilge is dry i want to possibly coat the tops of the bolts to keep them clean.
they are 316 stainless. i read about coating them with epoxy but that seems like a major headache to clean off especially since i plan on dropping the keel next year to redo the seal and check bolts.
anyone have other suggestion to coat them? clear silicone? a corrosion inhibitor like CRC?
I wouldn't cover them, I have seen them uncovered after that long and they're fine. But as suggested its the salt waters' ability to move around that keeps them alive. Now the part you don't see is the wild card, dropping the Keel is the only way to know for sure. Sounding the studs may be viable but tricky, of course occasional torqueing and if one breaks off in the process then you're pretty screwed.
Agree. In other words leave them bare. If dampness gets under any coating they will suffer from crevice corrosion. The stainless you have on deck is shiny because it is exposed to air.
Your wire brush was stainless or bronze wire, right ?
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