Protect your outboard motor with anodes from West Marine.

One of the most pernicious problems faced by outboard motors and other marine engines is galvanic corrosion, which if not prevented can result in expensive damage. The best way to prevent galvanic corrosion is to protect your outboard motor with a set of sacrificial anodes.

Sacrificial anodes prevent galvanic corrosion.

When the aluminum lower unit of an outboard motor is immersed in water, it becomes anodic to other metal parts such as the stainless steel prop shaft, fasteners or oil drain plug. Left unprotected, the case will sacrifice itself in a galvanic reaction with the other parts. Sacrificial anodes take the place of the aluminum case as the most reactive metal parts and as such will sacrifice themselves in the galvanic reaction. The trick is to periodically change your anodes to ensure that you always have protection. As a rule of thumb, we suggest you change your anodes when they are 50 percent deteriorated.

Types of Outboard Motor Anodes and Anode Kits

Examples of outboard anodes include trim tab anodes, gear case anodes and transom anodes. Rather than purchasing anodes individually, we suggest you purchase them as a kit which contains all the anodes you need for your make and model of outboard motor. West Marine sells anode kits under the Martyr brand. Kits are available for most manufacturer’s outboard motors including Mercury, Evinrude, Tohatsu, Yamaha and more.

Anode Materials

Anodes and anode kits are offered with a choice of materials — zinc for saltwater, aluminum for salt or brackish water and magnesium for freshwater.

Available Anode Brands

Brands of anodes available at West Marine include Martyr, Sea Shield and Sierra.