Broke off my skeg

[DYLBOSS]

So a few weeks back I posted a thread up about hitting some rocks, and I bent the skeg on the lower unit in doing so. Had some advice about trying to tap out the bend in it. Well, I tried this last night and basically made things worse. Apparently my tap is a little stronger than I though. The whole skeg snapped off

So I'm planning to have this welded back on, but I have a trip planned for tomorrow. Will I be ok to run the boat in this condition, or is this a bad idea? Not doing anything special, just gonna be cruising around. What should I expect the boat to feel like if I do run it?

Thanks.

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I've seen people post on here that the skeg's main function is to protect the spinning prop. I wouldn't take advice from anyone who hasn't ran without a skeg...and I have not so my .02.

 

[DYLBOSS]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I've seen people post on here that the skeg's main function is to protect the spinning prop. I wouldn't take advice from anyone who hasn't ran without a skeg...and I have not so my .02.

Yeah, I've heard that too, but seems like the skeg would also serve a purpose for helping to turn, or even prevent wander.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Broke off my skeg

no problem; be careful not to hit anything

 

[DYLBOSS]

Re: Broke off my skeg

no problem; be careful not to hit anything

Thanks. Yeah, I've got a spare prop on board.

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Broke off my skeg

Bummer! Aluminum really does not like to be bent back, probably had been struck on something before, who knows....

Originally Posted by korygrandy View Post
I've seen people post on here that the skeg's main function is to protect the spinning prop. I wouldn't take advice from anyone who hasn't ran without a skeg...and I have not so my .02.

Yeah, I've heard that too, but seems like the skeg would also serve a purpose for helping to turn, or even prevent wander.

I have run an outdrive with just the remnants of the skeg on it, and it really did not handle much different. Really hard turns were not quite as succinct as they had been, but it handled fine. I sure was a bit more nervous about whacking the prop into something directly though!

 

[hawkf250]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I've ran many motors with out skegs and with skegs and could not tell you the difference between them as far as peformance or turns. the primary resoning for the skeg is prop protection. be careful running in shallows now, if you hit ground the prop is gonna take all of the impact. other than that run it and have fun. My friend has never had a skeg on his merc 150 and has run it for the last 7 years like that.

 

[DYLBOSS]

Re: Broke off my skeg

Interesting comments, thanks. What doesn't make sense to me is that replacing a $100 prop is a lot cheaper than fixing or replacing the lower unit. I don't understand the logic of the prop protection here from a design perspective. I can see that would prevent you from being stranded if the prop was mangled, but still don't get the $$ logic.

 

[Searay87]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I ripped my skeg off and I mean toally off last summer with nothing but the seam left. I ran it that way for 3-4 outings and the only thing I noticed was the steering was sketchy at low speed.

I had a local machine shop weld on a new one for $100. The local marine service shop directed me to another shop that wanted $600. He was going to remove the outdrive, drain the gear oil and replace the seals and purge with nitrogen to prevent arcing to the gears and damage to the seals. The shop manager where the repair was performed gave me the same warning but his welder whom I knew through work said he could do it by making multiple passes with ample cooling so as to not heat up the oil. I've run it all this season without any problems. I've spoken with other boaters that have had their skegs replaced in a similar manner.

Some good advice I've read is to keep a close eye on the lower unit for any sign of gear oil leakage.

 

[hawkf250]

Re: Broke off my skeg

Interesting comments, thanks. What doesn't make sense to me is that replacing a $100 prop is a lot cheaper than fixing or replacing the lower unit. I don't understand the logic of the prop protection here from a design perspective. I can see that would prevent you from being stranded if the prop was mangled, but still don't get the $$ logic.

Well, Im not an engineer so I really cant get into the scientific part of the design, but the common sence side of things is if you dont have a skeg and your running pretty fast and hit the bottom or a rock there is a high probability of bending / breaking a shaft/seals , stripping gears or cracking and bending the housing its self.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I have run an engine with a skeg 1'' long and didn't really notice a differece, it certainly won't hurt anything so no big deal.

 

[DYLBOSS]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I ripped my skeg off and I mean toally off last summer with nothing but the seam left. I ran it that way for 3-4 outings and the only thing I noticed was the steering was sketchy at low speed.

I had a local machine shop weld on a new one for $100. The local marine service shop directed me to another shop that wanted $600. He was going to remove the outdrive, drain the gear oil and replace the seals and purge with nitrogen to prevent arcing to the gears and damage to the seals. The shop manager where the repair was performed gave me the same warning but his welder whom I knew through work said he could do it by making multiple passes with ample cooling so as to not heat up the oil. I've run it all this season without any problems. I've spoken with other boaters that have had their skegs replaced in a similar manner.

Some good advice I've read is to keep a close eye on the lower unit for any sign of gear oil leakage.

Thanks for the tip with the welding. I'll have to mention that to the guy I'm going to have do the work. By the way, my skeg is totally gone too. Just a 1/4 inch lip at the bottom of the gear case remains.

 

[dlngr]

Re: Broke off my skeg

Just think how much junk can be in the water,tree branches,twigs,lumber-stuff that bounces off the skeg instead of getting twisted around the prop.That's what the skeg is for.

 

[SeanT]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I'd go out in a familiar lake without a skeg. Unfamiliar water, likely not.

 

[EricJRW]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I thought I've seen bolt-on skegs, or are those just to protect your existing skeg? Seems to me the idea was to bolt (or screw) the new skeg over the "stump" of the old skeg.

 

[DYLBOSS]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I'd go out in a familiar lake without a skeg. Unfamiliar water, likely not.

Yeah, did this last weekend. I did notice that the boat tended to wander more at low speeds, and I had a more difficult time steering at low speeds, was constantly compensating.

Anyway, the boat is at the shop getting a new skeg welded on as I write this. They're doing it for $200. Couldn't beat that price.

 

[cymru]

Re: Broke off my skeg

I thought I've seen bolt-on skegs, or are those just to protect your existing skeg? Seems to me the idea was to bolt (or screw) the new skeg over the "stump" of the old skeg.

I put a Blackfin skeg on my Honda 90 this summer. It goes over what is left of the old skeg and stays put with adhesive. About 80 bucks if I remember.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Broke off my skeg

Dont know if you have enough skeg left, but take a look at these on the iboats site.



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