OMC Saildrive corrosion of lower end
 

My wife and I recently purchased an S2 8.0 with the OMC saildrive. After reading as much as we can find, has anyone electro plated (or can it be done) the lower end to help or stop corrosion? We want to be able to go from fresh to salt water but want to keep the motor viable. Any suggestions please?

There is a yahoo group for saildrive owners that you might want to join and ask the question there. As far as I can tell, most people strip the lower unit down to the bear metal and apply some type of epoxy coating to protect the metal.

Mine is painted Red then white epoxy 4-5 mil thick so when the antifoul gets scraped it easy to tell if you have gone to far, in 25 years she looks new Im in the process of stripping back my bottom after the last owner left her for four years growing shellfish.

Saildrive lower unit
 

Hi there,

we VCTAR only each spring as necessary. Have a few zebra mussels hiding up where you cant see. Use magnesium anodes. Can't comment on electroplating.
saildrive owners on the previous post is correct, will help you a lot.

Spud

Burlington Bay
Ont.

Re: OMC Saildrive corrosion of lower end
 

I have an OMC sail drive on my 25' C&C. To date I have only had to replace the water pump impeller. I did a google search for OMC sail drive and the second hit was a site by Keith Ford and his destroyed lower unit. All I can say is WOW! He re-motored with a Volvo. He will have the same thing happen to the new motor as his last. He states that there is an issue with the aluminum on the OMC lower unit. He really/clearly has another issue with the boat not related to the old OMC sail drive. Reading this kind of nonsense drives me crazy. My boat was 11 years old when I bought her, now 19 years later the motor is still good to go. My advice to potential buyers is the OMC motor is a good motor as long the PO/or present owner paid/pays attention to proper maintenance unlike Mr. Keith Ford.