Rebecca Beck shares how she improved her outboard cowling.
I removed the outboard cowling from a 50hp Yamaha outboard engine that had been sun-damaged and the paint had blistered and bubbled up, writes Rebecca Beck.
It was, therefore, cosmetically in poor condition.
Using a hot-air gun on a medium setting I softened the decals and then easily removed them.
![A Yamaha outboard engine cowling](https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2024/08/edPBO302.prac_projects.IMG_0635.jpg)
The refurbished cowling looks as good as new. Credit: Rebecca Beck
This process took approximately one hour, so removing them and the glue this way saves a lot of time in the long run.
Next, I used a wet and dry 200-grit, firstly by adding a little washing-up liquid, which makes the finish smoother.
Then I moved on to a 400-grit and finally an 800-grit paper until it was smooth to the touch.
![An outboard cowl](https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2024/08/edPBO302.prac_projects.IMG_0638.jpg)
The outboard cowling smoothed off to remove all the blistered pain. Credit: Rebecca Beck
Following that I washed and rinsed the cowling down and allowed it to dry.
Once dry I used a tack cloth to remove any dust residue.
After that, I applied a spray paint undercoat, which was applied three times.
I allowed 30 minutes for the paint to dry between coats, then used 800 grit to smooth the surface before applying two coats of spray lacquer, allowing drying time in between.
![](https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2024/08/edPBO302.prac_projects.IMG_0639.jpg)
With a new coat of spray paint the cowling is much improved. CreditL Rebecca Beck
I used Halfords spray paint as I found the perfect match and it was a lot cheaper than a marine spray paint.
Once the paint was thoroughly dry I replaced the decals (which I’d found were available online). Job done.
Continues below…
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Enjoyed reading How to refurb a scruffy outboard cowling?
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