Stainless Steel Trim Rams Pitting

In order for the anodes to afford protection to the rams, the rams must be part of the circuit.

Check for continuity between the rams and the engine.

Is this the same outboard you had when you said: Need a Low Electrical Resistance Oil

I guess none of the suggestions helped?

You might get to know the Yamaha owner and take a look at his set-up.

And the dealer says?

It's not necessarily stainless steel. Chrome is the common plating for such items, I bet. Chrome can be plated onto common steel to provide a hard surface, good for wear. I don't think stainless can be plated. I doubt hydraulic rams are stainless, it's soft and expensive. Usually the oil protects the chrome. Best bet is to have the rams retracted into the cylinders for protection. Cheap chrome jobs rust quick. Are the rams made in CHINA?

Buy American, my new motto.

You can plate corrosion resistant steel. It's a tricky process requiring rapid processing.

But, why would you want to?

I like your suggestion of retracting the rams.

Just 'cause you asked: When I worked in a machine shop, we made parts for Dow. A stainless part was hard chrome plated in the wear area to make it last longer.

I apologize if this is off the mark, but, I'm wondering if you are getting oxidation and pitting," because" the motor is being raised out of the water, are you giving it a freshwater wash every time you do this? I'm thinking that you might be better off leaving the motor in the water. If this is salt water, and you are exposing the lower end to air every time your not using it, this could be the problem. Those anodes only help when it is submerged.

Just did a little poking around on the internet. Found a Mercury site with a list of FAQ's. My previous post was wrong. You don't want leave motor in water. They did stress the importance of fresh water wash after, "every" use, combined with a spray down of all external metal parts with an anti corrosion oil, "every time", making sure not to get it on the anodes,as it will reduce their effectiveness. Good Luck!

Try storing the boat in the oil spill area. The surface oil should keep the corrosion down.

If the problem is still going on, you should be working with the product manufacturer. Chances the corroding part is not stainless steel.

What is the location of the suzuki anodes? I do know that the Mercury's and the Yamaha's have anodes right below the engine mounts, but they also have some anodes on the shaft of the engine itself. It might be possible that the suzuki only has anodes on the shaft and when you trim the outboard out for storing, these are lifted clear of the water having no protection.

Also, what is the water level relative to your trim rams? if these rams are at the water line, as I expect it is, a very severe situation also arises. I tend to agree with the earlier suggestion of trying to keep the outboard trimmed down.

If, as your post seems to say, the rams are submerged when the engine is lifted out of the water then it seems to me that Unredundant has identified the first test needed.

If the rams (submerged) are not connected to the sacrificial anodes (which need also to be submerged at the same time) then the rams have no protection.

The solution is simple and obvious, ditch the Puzuki and buy a Yamaha...