# T-top frame Powder coat peeling off



## wpnsloader (Feb 10, 2014)

Hello forum members.

I need your help. I have a 2011 Tidewater 230CC with T-top. The t-top frame is powder coated and has started cracking and peeling badly. I was wondering if anyone out there tried FlexSeal to recoat an aluminum T-top frame. I would be prepping the frame first by either media blasting or chemical stripping. If FlexSeal is not an option I was thinking of getting is sprayed with Linex marine coating. Any help with would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks for your help and input in advance.


2011 Tidewater 230CC
Yamaha F250 4-stroke


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## MaxP (Jan 31, 2008)

Flexseal is barely a temporary fix. The stuff is junk.


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

When will people learn?

Once a coating covering aluminum is scratched, the aluminum underneath will oxidize...and the paint/coating will start to peel off.

Need proof? Just take a look at painted aluminum SCUBA tanks.

You're better off with an anodized aluminum T-top.

Powder coating is great but in a salt water environment, it will start to oxidize and peel off.

Unless, of course, you are prepared to constantly touch it up.


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## DawnsKayBug (Jul 24, 2013)

I used a white aluminum primer and white paint for my chipping pcoat. Luckily I could do a small section and taped it at the weld so it blended in. After owning a powder coated top I will never own another one. I was looking into the line-X route but have read about some not so happy customers with it in regards to keeping it clean.


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## bwendel07 (Sep 30, 2007)

Before anything let me say I am no expert on this subject but I do have a small powder coating gun and I have done some small things and baked them in a oven to cure. I have also done a few things that needed a touch up that I have coated and then hit with a high temp heat gun to flow the coating and cure it. I have never done this with something like a t-top but if you want to try something we can sand the area down and i can coat it with white powder that I have a bottle of and hit it with a heat gun to see if this could be a fix for you. I do not know if there is a problem with doing this but it seems to me like it might just work. I am in Niceville and would be willing to try it out if you want to tow your boat here some time. I would imagine it would be shorter than a three beer job. If you want to try this let me know and we can set something up. Again i do not know if this will last or not but it could be worth a try.


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## wpnsloader (Feb 10, 2014)

First of all I would like to thank everyone for you replies. 

MaXP - Thanks, after I posted this I did a little more research and found out that Flexseal would be a big mistake.

Orion45 - I'm a little taken back by your reply. I did not choose the T-top that came on my boat as I purchased the boat used. The powder coat first started cracking around the welds due to the flexing of the metal. By the time I realized there was a problem the damage had already been done.

DawnsKayBug - I'm looking into a product called "Permatec". It's another type of spray on bed liner. There's a company over here in Crestview that sprays it then coats it with a clear coat as well. I have seen some of there work on brush guards and it seems to hold up pretty well. Concerned with the cost though $$$$.

bwendel07 - Thank you very much for the offer but as I mentioned above it is very bad off. I have areas up to a foot long that have pealed off and the galvanic corrosion goes much further beyond the power coat than just the pealed area. Again thank you for the offer.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Coatings are thin around the countersunk screw holes in the foot pads.

The tops are installed with stainless screws. The screw spins in the hole now coating is gone and Stainless is in contact with alum.

The perfect makings of corrosion.

There are many ways to fix this problem in the beginning.... but it takes time and effort. You have to isolate the 2 materials.

I've isolated stainless fasteners from alum using very thin shrink tubing in the past.

There is also a product called Tef-Gel...... It comes from the Aero-Space industry.
[All good stuff does.  ]

You have to buy it Online.... No West Marine doesn't have it. In fact no one in town sells it.


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## nathar (Jun 25, 2009)

wpnsloader said:


> Orion45 - I'm a little taken back by your reply. I did not choose the T-top that came on my boat as I purchased the boat used. The powder coat first started cracking around the welds due to the flexing of the metal. By the time I realized there was a problem the damage had already been done.


Maybe he was talking about the _manufacturers_, not you?


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

wpnsloader said:


> DawnsKayBug - I'm looking into a product called "Permatec". It's another type of spray on bed liner. There's a company over here in Crestview that sprays it then coats it with a clear coat as well. I have seen some of there work on brush guards and it seems to hold up pretty well. Concerned with the cost though $$$$.
> .


Don't waste your time and money with that. I've seen a lot of their work and it looks like crap after time. If you are dead set on that kind of coverage go LineX.


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## wpnsloader (Feb 10, 2014)

nathar said:


> Maybe he was talking about the _manufacturers_, not you?


Point made. I did not consider that this early in the morning. Thank you


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## Breeze Fabricators (Oct 2, 2007)

We will pull it. Send out for complete sand blasting pressure washed, acid washed, EPOXY COATED, then plasti-coated. This is the same material you see on chain link fences. The real trick is the prep work and epoxy primer!


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Are you using something like Interlux 2000 as the epoxy primer?


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

wpnsloader said:


> Orion45 - I'm a little taken back by your reply. I did not choose the T-top that came on my boat as I purchased the boat used. The powder coat first started cracking around the welds due to the flexing of the metal. By the time I realized there was a problem the damage had already been done.


I apologize for the confusion. I should have skipped the opening statement.

My comments were aimed at the practice of powder coating T-tops and not at you in particular.


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

MaxP said:


> Flexseal is barely a temporary fix. The stuff is junk.


Your wrong.

The glass storm door I installed in the center floor of my aluminum fishing boat doesn't leak a drop.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Is the aluminum that's showing corroding or is the powercoating just flaking off and eventually you'll have clean tubing???


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## wpnsloader (Feb 10, 2014)

The aluminum is showing signs of galvanic corrosion and the powder coating is flaking off of several different areas of the frame.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Not good, gonna have to be blasted....wondering why I haven't heard "alodine" yet before the epoxy primer gets layed down. Just for flightline stuff?


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## Breeze Fabricators (Oct 2, 2007)

Flightline stuff way thinner, way more flex, then with all the rivoting afterwards coating must be super thin!


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## wpnsloader (Feb 10, 2014)

Very familiar with alodine. Not sure why the manufacture never used it. In this saltwater environment that we play in everything that is metal gets abused pretty bad. Thanks again everyone for your inputs.


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