Marine Adhesives

Adhesive Products for Boats and Outboard Engines - Resources & Information

Like gasket makers, marine tapes, and sealants, Marine Adhesives are necessary to prevent water infiltration, engine fluid leakage, and to reinforce hardware on your boat and outboard. PartsVu offers a complete selection of Marine Adhesives from top boating product suppliers to help you boat safely and with peace of mind. 

Need help servicing your outboard engine? PartsVu regularly publishes helpful how-to guides and other valuable maintenance information to help boaters to service their outboard engines. Browse our outboard maintenance blog for a wide range of relevant topics and see the FAQ section below, covering everything you need to know about maintaining your boat in confidence. 

Marine Adhesives FAQ

What should I know about Marine Adhesives?

Here’s some info you need to know about Marine Adhesives:

• Never mix/match marine sealants and adhesives. While these products may serve the intended purpose in a pinch, long-term usage can spell disaster when an adhesive needs to be removed and can’t be (or a sealant unexpectedly fails during operation). For example, a hydraulic sealant is meant to withstand the high pressure needed for the operation of your trim and tilt motor, but can clog internal passageways if you use it as a water pump sealant.
• Is sealant adhesive? This is a common question among new boaters, and the answer is that it depends. Sealants are generally used to prevent loss of fluids/air and block infiltration of contaminants, while adhesives are used to permanently/semi-permanently bond two surfaces together. 
• RTV tape and RTV sealants are very useful in marine applications for electronics, fuel systems, and more. First, RTV stands for room temperature vulcanizing, which means that it begins to cure immediately upon being exposed to air. RTV tape is also water-repellent, adhesive and holds its shape, which means that you can use it to prevent small leaks (like RTV sealant for gasoline) or seal electronics when heat shrink tubing and other products are not available.
• When deciding to choose a gasket maker vs gasket, original gaskets are always the better option. Remember, most outboard engines are designed with particular tolerances, which the manufacturer created a gasket material to accommodate. While gasket makers are useful when you don’t have a gasket on hand, choose an OEM gasket when you have the option.
• Should i use gasket sealer with a gasket? To answer this question, refer to your owner’s manual and product description. In most cases, a gasket sealer is not necessary to form a seal when using a gasket - or it may even infiltrate your engine and cause damage. Plus, when it comes time to service your outboard, removing both a worn gasket and unnecessary gasket sealer is extra work. 
• Is gasket maker an adhesive? No, most gasket makers are made from silicone-based products. While there are some adhesive properties when the silicone is first applied, gasket maker acts more like a removable gasket than a permanent adhesive. 
• When in doubt, always replace marine hardware with new parts instead of adding sealants and adhesives to fix loose, leaking, corroding, or failing components. While adhesives and sealants can stop leaks, there may be deeper problems that may need to be addressed like internal corrosion or mechanical failure that even the best sealants for boats can’t fix. 

What outboard engine tools should I have onboard?

Even if you don’t do your own maintenance, all boaters need some basic boat tools in their marine tool kits to help them out of a jam. Of course, if you plan to do your own maintenance or a portion of your own maintenance, you’ll need to be a bit better equipped.

So which boat tools should you have onboard? The following are our recommendations and the reasons behind them. Of course, the tools you should have onboard are significantly dictated by the type of boating you do. As a practical matter, a near-shore, freshwater boater needs fewer tools than an off-shore boater. While a problem close to the shore can be an annoyance, a problem off-shore might be a whole different matter.

• Fuel filter wrench—good idea to have on board if you get enough water or debris in your fuel system that a fuel filter change becomes necessary.
• Adjustable band filter wrench—you may need to change your fuel/water separating filter if you have water in your system or if you got some bad gas at the marina. US marinas nearly always sell high-quality filtered gasoline, but marinas in the Bahamas are notorious for selling contaminated gasoline.
• Prop nut wrench—carrying this wrench only makes sense if you carry a spare prop. Many boaters carry a spare inexpensive aluminum prop in case they spin a hub or bend a blade so severely that it wobbles.
• Deck fill key/deck plate key/spanner wrench—these universal tools are designed to open all types and sizes of deck fill lids and shackles. Many of these tools also include bonus tools like bottle openers. Perfect for a cold one after fishing.
• Toolkit—if you have room on your boat, all-purpose toolkits can come in handy. 
• Pliers—channel lock, standard, and needle nose
• Leatherman–a very helpful all-purpose tool.
• Rigging knife
• Serrated knife—for cutting rope, your all-purpose tool might include a serrated blade.
• Flashlight
• Emergency plug set—in case a leak manifests while you are out on the water.
• Battery booster pack
• Battery terminal cleaner
• Zip ties—because we all know that you can fix almost everything with zip ties and duct tape.
• Duct tape

How do I protect the exterior of my outboard motor?

For the exterior of your Outboard Engine, coat these surfaces with anti-corrosion products like Corrosion Guard. This rust inhibitor forms a water-resistant barrier on both painted and unpainted surfaces. We recommend using it at every service interval with a liberal application to all metal engine surfaces. You can also use it on outdrives, lower units, and power trim motors.

The marine environment is one of the harshest on the planet. This is why protecting your boat from corrosion is extremely important. For premium defense against rust, we highly recommend this product.

Also, PartsVu carries a wide selection of Marine Spray Paint. The durable enamel coating of these spray paint products, in factory-matched colors, provide excellent coverage against the elements - everything you need to restore or customize your cowling cover.

As is the case with any painting task, surface preparation is very important. Note that paint may fade over time on an outboard motor exposed to the elements over time, so the factory-fresh color supplied in this can may not match older paint exactly. Therefore, the application area may need to be larger to provide for proper blending of the color.

How do I take care of my outboard engine’s exterior? 

PartsVu offers a wide array of polish and sealant products that will restore a lustrous shine to paint, chrome, glass, and smooth plastics like visors, engine cowlings, windshields, and gauges. For your Outboard Cowling and Casing Assemblies, you can expect to repel dust and dirt to keep a long-lasting, ship-shape shine. 

Additionally, boaters can use products like Yamalube External Engine Cleaner, a powerful engine degreaser and engine cleaner, to remove grease, mud, and grime. It is safe for use on most rubber, plastic, and painted metal surfaces.

How do I perform a 100-hour service on my outboard engine?

To ensure proper engine function, it’s always best to service your outboard engine every 100 hours after the initial break-in period (first 10 hours) and after the first maintenance interval (at 20 hours). 

As an example, the following is a Suzuki outboard 100-hour service checklist to help you service your engine properly. Refer to your owner’s manual for your particular engine make and model for an exact list of 100-hour maintenance tasks: