Outboard Decals That Peel Off After Four Years

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Author Topic:   Outboard Decals That Peel Off After Four Years

fisingNJ4ever posted 04-23-2010 03:23 PM ET (US)
I have [a model year 2005 Boston Whaler] Montauk bought new in [calendar year 2006] and the decals [on the outboard motor] are peeling off. What is the story? Has anybody else had this happen? I only trailer [the boat] back and forth to the [J]ersey shore and I cover it in the winter. Why aren't the [decals on the outboard motor] lasting longer? How much are replacements [decals for the outboard motor]? [Who sells] them besides Mercury?
Buckda posted 04-23-2010 05:14 PM ET (US)
1) Yes, they should last longer than that. My 1986 Mercury still had original decals in 2004 when I sold it.
2) Your dealer is probably the best source for replacement decals. Buying on E-BAY or other non-authorized sources is contributing to criminal activity (copyright infringement). Lots of people say it's no big deal, but I think that the small things reveal a lot about character. Don't let such a small thing define yours.
3) see if your dealer will show mercy on you and get you a new set under warranty....it's possible.
Good luck!
Ridge Runner posted 04-23-2010 07:39 PM ET (US)
Ever put you hand on that engine on a 90 degree summer day? Almost all Mercury decals will start to peel, I have had 6 or 7 Mercury's all the same after a few years in the sun.
jimh posted 04-23-2010 08:19 PM ET (US)
Last year when I sold my 1992 outboard motor its decals were in perfect condition. My motor was not made by Mercury. The decals were original with the the motor which was 17 years old.
Replacement decals for an outboard motor are available as repair parts. Typically each decal is priced about $5 to $10. You can figure that you'll probably need a minimum of six decals, or about $30 to $60 for a set. There are many forgeries of decals available. Check with some forgers for forgeries of the original decals.
bluewaterpirate posted 04-23-2010 09:01 PM ET (US)
My 2002 Opti (8 years old) still has the original decals not one issue .... 3721 hours on the motor and still running strong. Got another one in the shipping crate waiting to be installed when I need to replace the old girl.
dnh posted 04-23-2010 09:02 PM ET (US)
Yamaha decals cost a lot. I just paid $300 for replacement decals on my engine. They didn't peel off; I had my engine painted.
kwik_wurk posted 04-23-2010 09:30 PM ET (US)
I have several motors of various age and brand (but mostly Mercs).
Out of the six outboards (and one I/O) have two peeling sticker problems:
The Merc outdrive (alpha gen II) is loosing stickers. It is actually the enamel finish on the cover of the sticker that is breaking down. The sticker itself is perfectly readable. But these are all below the waterline once the boat is afloat, so no worries yet.
The other is both paint and decals on a 2004 Yamaha T9.9 cowling. Specifically the rear plastic insert the has the indented Yamaha name. (Sadly looks like hell, but this is the least of this motor's problems.)
I find the amount of time the outboard spends in direct sunlight affects stickers the most (and paint). All my motors have hoods for them.
And there are such things as bad batches of stickers. You see the same thing on cars every now and then, a newer (circa 90's) car with peeling paint.
mtwilling posted 04-23-2010 10:26 PM ET (US)
The decals on the back of the cowling on my '04 115 hp Merc peeled badly. I checked with a dealer and they wanted in excess of $150 for a decal kit. I went to a local sign shop and for $8 he made me a nice replacement. That was last summer and so far, so good.
Knot at Work posted 04-24-2010 09:12 AM ET (US)
Mine are peeling also... I use a razor, clean em up and move on.. when the cowling decals are finally gone, I plan to custom paint it anyways.. if Mercury doesnt want to keep the name on the cowl, no prob.. I think a cowl painted like the Raiders or Saints Football helmet will look just as cool.
gnr posted 04-24-2010 10:32 AM ET (US)
I'd love to see a trend of custom painted cowls.
Let's follow the biker's lead and get creative.
boatdryver posted 04-24-2010 07:08 PM ET (US)
I keep mine covered to, like Kwik_wurk, hoping that will extend the life of the decals.
How about it? those of you talking about replacing decals, is this in spite of covering the cowlings when not in use?
JimL
handn posted 04-25-2010 01:19 PM ET (US)
When mine started to peel off after two years, I finished the job.
No sense in replacing them. The cowls are black; everyone knows they are Mercuries and the unadorned black cowls are a statement about quality control.
Tohsgib posted 04-26-2010 10:48 AM ET (US)
Peeling decals is usually limited to modern Mercury engines. I blame this on a couple things. First the sun, second the cowling has no paint. The cowling is color impregnated plastic and maybe that is why they don't stick very well to them. I keep my engine under cover because Suzuki decals have a tendency to fade being they are red. My decals look like showroom along with the rest of the engine. If you want your expensive engine to look nice either cover it or have it clearcoated..or both.

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Author	Topic: Outboard Decals That Peel Off After Four Years
fisingNJ4ever	posted 04-23-2010 03:23 PM ET (US) I have [a model year 2005 Boston Whaler] Montauk bought new in [calendar year 2006] and the decals [on the outboard motor] are peeling off. What is the story? Has anybody else had this happen? I only trailer [the boat] back and forth to the [J]ersey shore and I cover it in the winter. Why aren't the [decals on the outboard motor] lasting longer? How much are replacements [decals for the outboard motor]? [Who sells] them besides Mercury?
Buckda	posted 04-23-2010 05:14 PM ET (US) 1) Yes, they should last longer than that. My 1986 Mercury still had original decals in 2004 when I sold it. 2) Your dealer is probably the best source for replacement decals. Buying on E-BAY or other non-authorized sources is contributing to criminal activity (copyright infringement). Lots of people say it's no big deal, but I think that the small things reveal a lot about character. Don't let such a small thing define yours. 3) see if your dealer will show mercy on you and get you a new set under warranty....it's possible. Good luck!
Ridge Runner	posted 04-23-2010 07:39 PM ET (US) Ever put you hand on that engine on a 90 degree summer day? Almost all Mercury decals will start to peel, I have had 6 or 7 Mercury's all the same after a few years in the sun.
jimh	posted 04-23-2010 08:19 PM ET (US) Last year when I sold my 1992 outboard motor its decals were in perfect condition. My motor was not made by Mercury. The decals were original with the the motor which was 17 years old. Replacement decals for an outboard motor are available as repair parts. Typically each decal is priced about $5 to $10. You can figure that you'll probably need a minimum of six decals, or about $30 to $60 for a set. There are many forgeries of decals available. Check with some forgers for forgeries of the original decals.
bluewaterpirate	posted 04-23-2010 09:01 PM ET (US) My 2002 Opti (8 years old) still has the original decals not one issue .... 3721 hours on the motor and still running strong. Got another one in the shipping crate waiting to be installed when I need to replace the old girl.
dnh	posted 04-23-2010 09:02 PM ET (US) Yamaha decals cost a lot. I just paid $300 for replacement decals on my engine. They didn't peel off; I had my engine painted.
kwik_wurk	posted 04-23-2010 09:30 PM ET (US) I have several motors of various age and brand (but mostly Mercs). Out of the six outboards (and one I/O) have two peeling sticker problems: The Merc outdrive (alpha gen II) is loosing stickers. It is actually the enamel finish on the cover of the sticker that is breaking down. The sticker itself is perfectly readable. But these are all below the waterline once the boat is afloat, so no worries yet. The other is both paint and decals on a 2004 Yamaha T9.9 cowling. Specifically the rear plastic insert the has the indented Yamaha name. (Sadly looks like hell, but this is the least of this motor's problems.) I find the amount of time the outboard spends in direct sunlight affects stickers the most (and paint). All my motors have hoods for them. And there are such things as bad batches of stickers. You see the same thing on cars every now and then, a newer (circa 90's) car with peeling paint.
mtwilling	posted 04-23-2010 10:26 PM ET (US) The decals on the back of the cowling on my '04 115 hp Merc peeled badly. I checked with a dealer and they wanted in excess of $150 for a decal kit. I went to a local sign shop and for $8 he made me a nice replacement. That was last summer and so far, so good.
Knot at Work	posted 04-24-2010 09:12 AM ET (US) Mine are peeling also... I use a razor, clean em up and move on.. when the cowling decals are finally gone, I plan to custom paint it anyways.. if Mercury doesnt want to keep the name on the cowl, no prob.. I think a cowl painted like the Raiders or Saints Football helmet will look just as cool.
gnr	posted 04-24-2010 10:32 AM ET (US) I'd love to see a trend of custom painted cowls. Let's follow the biker's lead and get creative.
boatdryver	posted 04-24-2010 07:08 PM ET (US) I keep mine covered to, like Kwik_wurk, hoping that will extend the life of the decals. How about it? those of you talking about replacing decals, is this in spite of covering the cowlings when not in use? JimL
handn	posted 04-25-2010 01:19 PM ET (US) When mine started to peel off after two years, I finished the job. No sense in replacing them. The cowls are black; everyone knows they are Mercuries and the unadorned black cowls are a statement about quality control.
Tohsgib	posted 04-26-2010 10:48 AM ET (US) Peeling decals is usually limited to modern Mercury engines. I blame this on a couple things. First the sun, second the cowling has no paint. The cowling is color impregnated plastic and maybe that is why they don't stick very well to them. I keep my engine under cover because Suzuki decals have a tendency to fade being they are red. My decals look like showroom along with the rest of the engine. If you want your expensive engine to look nice either cover it or have it clearcoated..or both.