Just talked to a business contact of mine at Mercruiser about this. He confirmed my engine does not have this issue, but pre 2009 engines likely will. He also stated, that they have gotten lots of input from there field techs recently about this issue. Many have said that the problem occurs on boats in all climates, but a large portion are on boats in southern/humid climates, like Florida, Alabama, Louisana etc.
Because of the corrosive environment of salt water, and the high humidity. Boats that have been stored on a lift, outside, and that are not used regularly, will have this problem sooner than later. He says that because the boats sit for so long without use, the paint will erode in larger pieces which can clog the system quicker, once the boats gets used. If the boat is used several times per week, the pieces of paint that break loose are often smaller and do not seem to cause problems so soon. The real bummer is, that one day your boat will run fine, and the next day the engine(s) will just shut down. Leaving you stranded, and needing a tow. Plus the fix is about $600 per engine.
I would sure hate to plan a long trip on my boat, and suddenly have this happen, and ruin the trip. I asked him why the he** would they paint these internal parts, and he said he could not comment.
