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lowride14 · 05-12-2010, 11:46

hello friends, I'm new to zink strips, but i do know how important they are.

How many zink strips do you think I have and where would i look to find and service them?

Capt Phil · 05-12-2010, 12:16

Not sure what make your engine is but if you don't have a manual, go over the raw water intake manifold casing and look for a bolt head that isn't doing anything useful like holding the manifold on the engine and unscrew it. There should be a little pocket on the end of the bolt head to insert a pencil zinc. Not a bad idea to close the raw water intake valve before doing that. Suggest you keep a log of when you change them out just like you do with your larger hull and shaft zincs. Any major deviation in how fast they degrade can be a sign of stray electrical current aboard and/or problems in the moorage. Each boat will have a different degrade rate but if it is more than half gone, replace. Good Luck... Capt Phil

lowride14 · 05-12-2010, 13:05

the motors are chevy v6 from 2001, throttle body. they have a cooling system with coolant, and raw water gos into the exhaust

lowride14 · 06-12-2010, 00:12

where elce on the boat might i find them?

WillJacocks · 06-12-2010, 03:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowride14

where elce on the boat might i find them?

Usually attached to the prop shaft, or very close to it.

marc2012 · 06-12-2010, 03:33

Try looking on heat exchanger,bottom,.If there make certain use correct length,tubes in there too long will ruin.marc

lowride14 · 06-12-2010, 12:02

thanks guyys, so on the prop shaft... outside or inside the boat? my drive shaft things where there go threw the hull are all green caroded, should i have one on there too?

perchance · 06-12-2010, 12:35

Fresh water=magnesium anode. Salt water= zinc anode. External anodes on the propshaft and possibly the rudder(s).

Capt Phil · 06-12-2010, 12:54

lowride... look on the shaft between the prop and strut or where the external end of the shaft enters the boat. Also on the rudder as well as on the hull, probably aft quarter. Those are the normal locations. Sounds like you have salt water surface corrosion on your stuffing box packing gland, not unusual. If the boat is new to you, I would repack the gland, soft brush the green stuff off the packing gland and put a little dish detergent on the cleaned bronze surface. Don't let any of the new packing come in contact with the detergent. There is a great thread on repacking a gland else where in the forums with pictures and directions. No biggy!

Sailmonkey · 06-12-2010, 13:01

Looking at your picture, the tube that says "no step" has a brass bolt head on the end opposite the radiator cap. I'll bet this is for the pencil zinc.

The green things you're refering to are called stuffing boxes or packing gland. They're fine green, bronze will do this in a matter of hours in salt water.
but you should have zinc on your shafts in the water. they look like this.