Busted skeg repair question….

[Shark Bait]

Is this fix as easy as welding the busted piece back on (which I have) or is it more involved than that? It makes me a little nervous about heat damage since the back edge is so close to the housing. If it ends up being more than a simple weld on and go project I will probably invest the time in taking the kicker off the boat and into a shop. What do you think? Where would you have the repair done?

Sorry no exciting story to go along with this one. :redface: Did it in the driveway.:sick: It is a 9.9 Yamaha.

Thanks.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/2138Bustedskeg.jpg

[12pulls]

Vanweld in Verbort can fix it. Nick is very good and honest to boot!

[Catching Nemo]

I did this to my 130 and it couldn't get repaired because of potential heat damage. It was an insurance claim, so the whole lower unit was replaced. For about $150 get the Clackacraft propguard ( here (http://www.clacka.com/propGuard.htm) ). It will be cheaper than a lower unit and it will give you prop protection the same/better than a skeg. I don't think you will notice the skeg is gone performance wise.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/405512.jpg

[pkg40]

I wouldn't try welding it myself, because fo the risk of damaging the casing. A professional welder should be able to tell you the real deal. If it was mine (yes I am cheap and a poor welder), I might try to use a couple of pieces of sheet aluminum and JB weld epoxy to build up the skeg. I have been amazed by what I could fix using those materials.

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[1pump]

I took a chunk out of the skeg on my Merc 25 about 15 years ago. Almost as bad as sharkbait's, but not quite.
I had a local prop shop weld it up (I didn't have the missing piece) and it looked as good as new. $65.

There seems to be quite a bit of reluctance these days for shops to repair anything when they can just sell you a new unit. I went thru this recently with a damaged prop. I used to go to Beaver Marine because the owner was a good guy and would fix anything. Now he's gone, and I have to resort to buying new props because the other shops just want to sell parts rather than repair anything. I guess I don't blame them, but I hate spending $110 instead of $50.

[Woody]

I watched this show several months ago on DIY. Seems simple enough, if you're handy.


Shipshape Boating (http://www.diynet.com/diy/shows_dssb/episode/0,2046,DIY_14307_25814,00.html)

[Keta]

I've seen many welded without problems.

[1pump]

There is a stainless steel bolt-on replacement skeg that I've seen around, but I think you need to have most of your skeg intact to give it something to attach to.

[chynook]

Any good weld shop can do the skeg work. The key to low heat is to work in small areas, never allowing the heat to build up in any one area. The stainless repair kits, I would be wary of due to the electrolysis that is created when stainless and aluminum are attached together below the waterline. I built a removable stainless transducer mount for my sled, and the damage it did to the hull in less than a week was not repairable. I left the boat moored in the Columbia for 5 days, and it burned the hull to the point of pitting on the transom.

[Shark Bait]

Thanks for the help and ideas. Those of you who sent me a PM with info I will be contacting you shortly when things calm down around here.

Thanks again! :wave:

Shark Bait

[woodnwacko]

looks like you got lucky, i busted the skeg on my bayliner a few years ago, (but much higher up) took the lower unit off and took it to a machine shop, they welded it up and smoothed it out, has worked great since then!

[Boat Doc']

We do those all the time, as long as your careful about not generating to much heat it works great, either use the old peice or fab a new one. We leave the oil in the gearcase and let it act as a heat synch and havn't had any problems.