A call out to Beta 50 owners, newer engines in particular.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by Jason Flare

Subscribed to this thread.

I am having a Beta 50 installed as we speak.

Love the Beta 50. I have not replaced my first anode in 350 hours and 3 seasons. Also have stainless pipe, but have been in brackish Chesapeake Bay 90% of use so far

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Compass790

Bloody dissimilar metals eh!
Good on you for communicating with Beta yr mod. Hope they give you a fistful of anodes & ditch their ss pipe.
Good luck with leaving the dock.

Yes, I wonder if they will change their design?

As for leaving the dock.... sigh. Life just keeps getting in the way.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Love the Beta 50. I have not replaced my first anode in 350 hours and 3 seasons. Also have stainless pipe, but have been in brackish Chesapeake Bay 90% of use so far

Is your engine bonded to the hull anodes in any way? Brackish helps but I wonder if the engine is getting extra protection from elsewhere?

A couple of people I have spoken to who did not have problems turn out to have steel boats. In those cases it is almost certain the hull anodes are protecting the engine.

[Compass790]

Originally Posted by GILow

You’ll love it. Very sweet at about 1800 rpm, but pretty good right through the rev range.

I suspect that if the engine is bonded to the boat’s main sacrificial anodes you’ll have no problems, but if, like me, your engine protection system is self contained I bet you will see the same thing. There are a number of others on the Facebook group having the same problem. A few are now trying Richard’s solution.

He really deserves all credit in this for his lateral thinking and sharp observation. I’m just reporting on using his approach.

Good onya for giving Richard kudos but I have anudr question.
Did you replace ss cover on water pump">raw water pump as well? My guess would be that any sort of bronze wud be betr than the current ss cover.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Compass790

Good onya for giving Richard kudos but I have anudr question.
Did you replace ss cover on raw water pump as well? My guess would be that any sort of bronze wud be betr than the current ss cover.

Actually, good point. No, I have not changed that cover. And I should have made that clear.

I suppose if the anode isn’t lasting quite as long as I’d like I could look at that next, and I would report back, but for now I am optimistic that the pipe changeover will give me an adequate lifespan on the anodes.

Ideally I’d be replacing them no more frequently than every six months, with enough anode left at that point to give me another month of cover if I was delayed in checking.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by GILow

Is your engine bonded to the hull anodes in any way? Brackish helps but I wonder if the engine is getting extra protection from elsewhere?

A couple of people I have spoken to who did not have problems turn out to have steel boats. In those cases it is almost certain the hull anodes are protecting the engine.

I have no drivesaver so the prop shaft coupling is bonded directly to shaft where I have my main anodes. So yes. And that maybe our difference. Out of curiosity how come your engine isn’t bonded?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by malbert73

I have no drivesaver so the prop shaft coupling is bonded directly to shaft where I have my main anodes. So yes. And that maybe our difference. Out of curiosity how come your engine isn’t bonded?

Yep, sounds like your shaft anodes are helping. Nothing wrong with that.

I never set out to isolate my engine from the anodes, it’s just how my engine beds and drive-train are made. I have a polyflex coupling which just happens to isolate the engine from the shaft.

Now that I have (I think) solved the anode wasting problem with the engine I am going to look at bonding it to the main anodes. I can now do so with the confidence that a failure of that bonding wire won’t lead to a disaster with the engine heat exchanger and associated bits.

[Les Noble]

This was originally posted in:
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...-215913-2.html
Old thread, but feedback welcome. Real world results of aluminum conversion with questions. I have an 1986 aluminum 42' sailboat and after 6 year refit on the hard, splashed last August. Decided to switch to DIY aluminum anodes as a friend has his own mill, CNC and lathe. Bought 2 AL plate for the raw material.
https://www.rotometals.com/apn-8-alu...te-1-x-6-x-12/
For the 2 hull anodes, cut on table saw and drill press.
For saildrive; the CNC was tabletop and the AL was very gummy, so more difficult. There was also a void in the plate so had to start over in a different section.
The pencil anode on the engine was cut on lathe. The original zinc was half gone after 5 years. Beta 38 was installed new in 2017 and has an isolated ground. The old anode brass housing was drilled out and AL was pressed in.
The boat as two swing keels, fore and aft. The aft hub that the keel attaches to had serious corrosion and a new one was machined. I added smaller anodes to the hub and keel as there weren't any before.
First cruise: Starting and ending in Norfolk, VA and reaching Halifax, NS, September to Thanksgiving. Lots of motor sailing unfortunately.
Pulled the pencil anode last week and it was gone down to 1/4" left in the brass housing. I winterized the engine after Thanksgiving and used RV antifreeze (No poison in bay). Since then, at the exhaust gooseneck, the antifreeze was pasty/gelled where the anode was. The antifreeze at that end of the heat exchanger had drained down the hose or evaporated. I soaked the gooseneck in vinegar to knock off the hard deposits near the anode location. All the brass was pristine.
The swing keels are in keel boxes with removable plexyglass lid. Removed the aft lid and scrubbed the anode on the hub/keel and they looked good from a foot in the water. Barnacles are colonizing on them and will knock them off when in warmer waters.
I have a reference electrode and have done 3 readings all -1.08ish, Hampton, Norfolk and Bristol, RI.
Questions: Now I am trying to figure out if I have an issue or not. There are other threads about Beta Marine engines eating engine (zinc) anodes and that is a whole other thing. I will make many replacement slugs.
I am researching antifreeze to see if there is a reaction issue. Thoughts on this?
I am second guessing my choice of metal suppliers. Its not outright milspec and I bought a plate of zinc also to switch back if negative results.
Any input appreciated.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by Les Noble

The pencil anode on the engine was cut on lathe. The original zinc was half gone after 5 years. Beta 38 was installed new in 2017 and has an isolated ground. The old anode brass housing was drilled out and AL was pressed in.
Lots of motor sailing unfortunately.
Pulled the pencil anode last week and it was gone down to 1/4" left in the brass housing. I winterized the engine after Thanksgiving and used RV antifreeze (No poison in bay).

Questions: Now I am trying to figure out if I have an issue or not. There are other threads about Beta Marine engines eating engine (zinc) anodes and that is a whole other thing. I will make many replacement slugs.
I am researching antifreeze to see if there is a reaction issue. Thoughts on this?
I am second guessing my choice of metal suppliers. Its not outright milspec and I bought a plate of zinc also to switch back if negative results.
Any input appreciated.

The engine anode is there to protect the bronze tube stack and end caps. It should be zinc, not aluminum. These anodes are readily available at any good marine supplier - you don't have to make them yourself. They come either in the brass end cap or just the zinc. The ones in the Beta are shorter so the store bought ones will need to be cut down (about 1 minute to do) or you can buy the short ones from Beta. A bit pricey maybe but making your own pencil zincs is a waste of time.

Yes, they deteriorate fast. Need to be inspected at least twice a year. Carry a supply of replacements. Also, when you inspect odds are that you will find a piece of the zinc laying in the end cap. The end cap will need to be cleaned when you change the zinc.

I have a 20 year old Beta 50 and that is what I see in mine.

As for your aluminum anodes on an aluminum hull, I am no expert but the anode needs to be more noble than the hull, not the same material.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by stormalong

As for your aluminum anodes on an aluminum hull, I am no expert but the anode needs to be more noble than the hull, not the same material.

Aluminum anodes are not "off the shelf" aluminum, they are an aluminum alloy including other metals such as indium, zinc and manganese among others.