Touch up Engine Rust with Yanmar Paint, POR-15 or other?

[OrangeCrush]

Hello all,

I recently got a new (old) boat with a newish Yanmar that I am keen on keeping in top shape, and there are a few rusty spots that I would like to touch up. The worst spots are on the belt pulley sheaves (see pic).

I used POR-15 on my old boat on a variety of applications (but not a diesel inboard). I was very impressed and I still have some of their silver paint kicking around. That together with their $60 engine paint kit and I think I could do an excellent job of cleaning, prep and touch up. Then again, Yanmar makes their own paint. I don't mind using that and buying the other prep products separately, but I have a feeling that despite the price it's still not as good as POR-15. I know other people use Hammertite or plain old Rustoleum and I am open to these suggestions. What do you think is the best product?

Lastly, one of the places that has rusted is on an injection line where it comes close to this hose (see pic). I presume it has rusted because high temperature near the elbow has caused the paint to bubble and fail. A friend told me to use "header wrap" to protect it but I have a feeling this is not the best advice. Is there something I should put on this spot to protect it besides just repainting and/or using the POR-15 engine enamel?

Any guidance is greatly appreciated, but especially the confident and specific kind!

[laika]

I've used ospho to neutralize the rust and then a bit of spray paint to re-apply. You're engine looks good and I hear you on the desire to keep things as shipshape as possible. I don't think you'll have much luck on the belt pulleys though..paint is not gonna stick there for long and might actually impede the grip of the belt on the pulley until the paint comes off again..

I also just occasionally wash down the engine with some mild soap and fresh water (plug the air intake).

[OrangeCrush]

Revisiting an oldish thread here... I got the POR-15 engine paint kit to touch up the rusty spots and it looks pretty straightforward. The first step is degreasing and washing the engine.

My question right now is how aggressively should one wash a marine diesel engine? How cautious should I be about getting water near things like the alternators and the wiring harnesses? Do you tape or plastic over anything before washing? Anything else to make sure stays dry? Thanks


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