Operating a PVC boat or a metal boat with an outboard motor always carries the risk of damaging communications. Water, sun, friction on the transom and accidental blows are what the owner of water transport faces every day. boat-engine corrugated It becomes not just an accessory, but a vital element of protection.
This flexible sleeve allows you to hide and protect electrical wires, fuel hoses and control cables from aggressive environmental influences. Without proper protection, the insulation of the wires quickly loses elasticity, cracks, which can lead to a short circuit or engine failure at the most inopportune moment.
In this article, we will discuss in detail why you should use corrugated water, what materials are best suited for marine conditions and how to properly install the protection system on your boat. A competent approach to organizing wiring on the transom is a guarantee of long-term service of your motor and safety on the water.
Why is it necessary to protect communications on the transom
The boat's slingboard is a zone of high turbulence and mechanical stress, and it's where the motor is attached, and that's where the wiring and hoses are most stressed when you're driving. Corrugated sleeve takes on the role of the first barrier, taking blows of branches, stones when pulling ashore and constant friction on the sharp edges of the transom.
In addition to mechanical protection, corrugated corrugated acts as an ultraviolet filter, and direct sunlight is detrimental to most rubber and plastic used in wire insulation. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene, from which high-quality corrugated corrugates are made, contain stabilizers that prevent the destruction of the structure of the material under the sun.
⚠️ Warning: Using conventional gray-colored construction corrugated corrugated corrugated corrugated corrugated in water is unacceptable, it has no UV protection and will quickly crumble, losing its properties in one season.
Also worth mentioning is protection against fuels. Gasoline and motor oil are aggressive against many types of plastic. Specialized corrugated is resistant to chemical agents, which prevents the shell from swelling or dissolving when fuel accidentally enters.
For maximum protection, choose double-walled corrugated corrugated: a smooth inner surface facilitates wire stretching, and a ribbed outer one provides flexibility and strength.
Types of corrugated and materials of manufacture
The water accessories market offers a variety of protection options, depending on what you plan to protect and the conditions in which the boat will be operated, the main materials being polyethylene and polypropylene.
Plastic corrugated is highly flexible and elastic, ideal for areas with frequent bending, such as the connection to the lower unit motor or the exit point of the runduk. Polypropylene It is more rigid, it holds its shape better and provides superior crush protection, but less flexible on breaking.
There is also a division by type of design:
- 🔵 Single-layer corrugation: Lightweight and cheap, suitable for protecting wires inside closed hazelnuts or under the skin.
- 🔵 Double-layer corrugation: It has a smooth inner layer, which reduces friction when stretching cables, and a ribbed external for strength.
- 🔵 Gophra with the probe: Equipped with a special wire (probe) inside, which greatly simplifies the stretching of new lines of wiring.
Color marking is also important for outboard motors, and black is the standard because it's the least burnout and the least contaminant, but for complex electrical organizations, sometimes colored sleeves are used to separate power and control circuits.
Criteria of choice: what to pay attention to
When buying corrugated outboard motors, it is not enough to simply choose a diameter. You need to consider a number of technical parameters that will affect the durability of the entire system. temperature exploitation.
The quality material must remain elastic at negative temperatures (up to -40°C) if you plan to keep the boat in an unheated room or transport the engine in winter, and in summer the material should not soften and float in the sun, losing shape.
An important parameter is the IP protection class. For an external installation on the transom, a class not lower than IP65 or IP67This is a very powerful tool that provides complete protection against dust and short-term immersion in water, and although the corrugation itself is not a sealed pipe, the tight fit of the turns and the use of plugs create the necessary barrier.
Comparative table of specifications of different types of corrugated:
| Parameter | Construction (gray) | Car (black) | Marine Specialized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resistance to UV | Low. | Medium | High. |
| Flexibility | Medium | High. | Very high. |
| Resistance to FSM | Low. | High. | High. |
| Life on the water | 1 season | 2-3 seasons | 5 years |
Don't skimp on diameter. Always take corrugated corrugated internal cross-section. It's hard to pull wires through a sleeve full of sleeves, and ventilation inside the beam is essential for heat removal, especially when it comes to power cables.
Tools and preparation for installation
Installing corrugated water on the outboard motor is a process that requires no complex equipment, but requires accuracy. Before you start, you need to prepare all the tools to avoid distractions in the process. You will need a sharp knife or special scissors to cut plastic.
And you can't do without hummock screeds. nylon screed The usual white screeds will quickly collapse under the sun, and the corrugated will start dangling, rubbing against the metal.
You can use a silicone sealant that is resistant to mold and salt water to seal the joints, and a seal or shrinkage to fix the ends. If you plan to make holes in the transom to output communications into the runduk, prepare a metal crown and a drill.
☑️ Preparation for corrugation
It's important to plan the route of the gasket in advance, because the wires should not be hung with loops that can catch on to something, but you can't pull them into the tension, and the optimal way is to lay a track along existing hoses or a rummulus, fixing the beam in a single tourniquet.
Step-by-step installation instructions
The installation process begins with dismantling the old wiring, if any, or preparing a new one. First, cut the corrugated wiring into the required lengths. Cut it at a 45-degree angle, which will make it easier to connect the segments or install plugs and prevent edge bullies.
The way you do this is if you have a probe in the corrugated wire, you tie a bunch of wires to the end with tape, forming a streamlined bullet. If you don't have a probe, you can use a hard wire or a line, push them first and then attach the cables.
⚠️ Warning: Never force the wires if you feel strong resistance, this can damage the insulation against the inner edge of the turns. Use talc or special grease for the cables.
After the wires inside, you need to fix the corrugated transom. Use clamps with increments of 20-30 cm. In places of bending, it is better to reduce the step to 10 cm to exclude a fracture of the sleeve. The ends of the corrugated at the motor and at the control panel be sure to fix with screeds or tape so that moisture does not flow in.
If the corrugated corrugated passes through a hole in the transom, be sure to use pass-through The metal edges of the hole can cut the plastic of corrugated sleeves over time, so the hole must be smooth and treated with anticores.
Secrets of the professionals
How to extend the life of corrugated bends?: In places of permanent fold (for example, at the base of the lower unit), you can put an additional segment of corrugated larger diameter over the main one, which will create the effect of "double armor" and will take on the main friction.
The final step is to check all the connections, and try to move the motor, spin the humming wheel, and nothing should rub, rattle, or pull, and a properly mounted system makes no noise when the engine is running.
Typical errors in installation and their consequences
One of the most common mistakes is to use a too narrow corrugation, where owners try to shove a thick harness into a sleeve of a minimum diameter "back-to-back", causing the wires inside to deform, and when the corrugation is bent, it can burst or block the cable section, leading to the cable being cut. heat-up and melting the insulation.
The second mistake is to ignore the mounting points, where corrugated sloshing loosely rubs quickly against a trawler or screw (if the length is not matched correctly), and the absence of fixation every 20-30 cm turns the protection into a source of problems, creating vibration and noise.
The third mistake is that the ends are not sealed, and the water that gets inside the corrugated ends stagnates, and when combined with the salt, it creates the perfect electrolyte, and if the wire is insulated somewhere, the corrosion will go down the copper vein far inwards, all the way to the motor connector.
The main rule of installation: corrugated should protect, not suffocate. Free space inside the sleeve is necessary for ventilation and prevent overheating of wires.
Also, the compatibility of materials is often overlooked. Some cheap insulating tape or glue can react with the corrugated material, softening it. Always check the chemical compatibility of the consumables used.
Maintenance and maintenance of the protective system
Corrugation for the outboard motor requires minimal but regular maintenance. At the beginning and at the end of navigation, conduct a visual inspection. Look for cracks, scuffs and traces of ultraviolet destruction. If you notice damage in a section of 5-10 cm, do not change the entire sleeve - cut out the defective piece and connect the ends with a special connector or coupling.
Once a season, it is recommended to remove corrugated wires (if the design allows) and blow it with compressed air, which can accumulate condensate, dust and fine debris, which when vibrating acts as an abrasive, rubbing the insulation of the wires.
When you store a boat in the winter, try to keep the corrugated straightened, without sharp clatters. The frost makes the plastic more brittle, and if you sharply straighten the frozen sleeve in the spring, it can crack. Let the material warm at room temperature before manipulation.
Replace the damaged areas in a timely manner is a safety precaution. Don't try to wrap the cracked corrugated with more insulating tape, it will only create an appearance of protection. It's better to replace 20 centimeters of material than then change the burned wiring of the engine.
What do I do if the corrugated cold snap?
If you have to remove corrugated water in the winter and it's frozen or oak, don't break it by force. Warm the site with a building dryer at a minimum temperature or warm air to regain elasticity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I use car corrugated water for a boat?
Yes, but with limitations: Car black corrugated (usually polypropylene) has good chemical resistance and flexibility, but it does not always have sufficient UV protection to stay in the open sun in the water. For a temporary solution, it is suitable, but for permanent use it is better to look for the marking "Marine" or "UV resistant".
What diameter of corrugated to choose for the starter wires?
For starter power wires, which usually have a large cross-section, it is recommended to use corrugated with a diameter of at least 20-25 mm. It is important that the wires enter freely, without effort. The total cross-section of the wires should not occupy more than 50-60% of the internal volume of corrugated.
How to combine two pieces of corrugated corrugated without a special fitting?
If you don't have a special connector, you can use a larger corrugated section like a clutch, put it on the junction of the two ends of the main corrugated and hold it with screeds on both sides, and you can pre-smear the joint with silicone sealant to keep it tight.
Does corrugation damage heat removal from wires?
If you get the right corrugated diameter, it doesn't interfere with normal heat transfer, the air inside the sleeve circulates, and overheating problems only occur if the corrugated wires are tight, without gaps, or if the current is higher than the nominal for a given cable section.
Do I need to lubricate the wires inside the corrugated corrugated?
Special grease for cables makes installation easier and protects insulation. However, using ordinary solidol or lithol is not recommended, as they can aggressively affect some types of plastic insulation of wires and corrugated corrugated corrugated. Use only neutral silicone lubricants.