Buying a boat w/ broken lower gear ????

[beachcraft]

Hi,<br /><br />I am going to buy a boat w/ some damage to the fin of the<br />lower gear and the propeller was also broken. <br />The boat ran over some rock of the bottom of the lake.<br />How can I be sure the gear is o.k?<br />I turn the propeller and I can not feel any sound from it.<br />The owner said it is o.k.<br /><br />How can I test to make sure it is really o.k?<br /><br />Thanks in advance ...<br /><br />BeachCraft

 

[12Footer]

Re: Buying a boat w/ broken lower gear ????

I would be more concerned with the prop shaft and seals than I would be with the skeg.<br />Rotate the prop while looking at the prop nut.There should be no wobble.<br />A replacement prop can be purchased. They are not cheap.<br />A stainless steel attachment can be bolted to the remnant of the skeg called a "SkegGard".They are not cheap iether.<br /> <br />I would drain the lower unit,and inspect the condition of the lube. You are looking for water contamination,and particles of metal in the lube.<br />If so, the gears may be damaged.

 

[petryshyn]

Re: Buying a boat w/ broken lower gear ????

No matter what you do, there is always the risk of further damage cropping up later. Driveshaft splines could be stressed but still holding, gears can be fractured but holding, crank key sheared. Do as 12'er says, but be aware, its still a crap shoot.....

 

[FlyBoyMark]

Re: Buying a boat w/ broken lower gear ????

On another note, being a a marine and aircraft specialty fabricator and weldor for 18 years previously...you can have a new skeg fashioned from a piece or 1/4" or 3/8" aluminum. After MIG welding it can be ground to shape with 40, 50, 60 grit sanding disk and finish grind with 120 grit disk. Prime and paint till the next time ya strike somethn". The weldor must use MIG and know what he's doing with the proper filler alloy, 4043 is NOT the rite stuff! TIG welding willl heat up the housing too much and you will have blown seals. The whole job should cost anywhere from 50 to 100 bucks and take no more than 45 minutes and can be done on the boat. Make sure the weldor grounds ONLY on the lower housing or the new skeg part thru NO bolted joints or shafts!!!!!

 

[beachcraft]

Re: Buying a boat w/ broken lower gear ????

Hi,<br /><br />Thanks for all responses. I will check for gear oil for some metal part and the gear shaft to make it will be o.k.<br /><br />For the welding, the owner told me the same cost to repair it.<br />I got a good deal on this one. The extra saving will help me to replace the lower unit if it is required.<br /><br />Beach Craft

 

[dhammann]

Re: Buying a boat w/ broken lower gear ????

Had the same thing happen to me, hit a boulder (Was marked with bouy at one time, but got destroyed by idiots on jet skis--I hate 'em). It was a hard hit and broke off most of the skeg and trashed the prop. One of the first signs to look for is diffucult shifting. If it shifts OK you may be out of the woods. Get a dial indicator and check prop shaft runout. Mine was .005 which hasn't caused any problems yet. Next buy a skeg guard, that is better than putting heat on your unit and you can do it yourself in 5 minutes and it will look great. Life is too short to worry about crap shoots...go for it and enjoy the water.

 

[jgmilberg]

Re: Buying a boat w/ broken lower gear ????

If the oil is new looking it could have been changed so it all looks good when in reality it is torn to shreds inside. If possible, ask the guy to go with you on a boat ride to test the unit, and see how it performs. The Skeg can be replaced rather cheaply by a good shop. I would worry about the seals and prop shaft. <br /><br />Keep in mind that you are looking a damaged goods and you should make your offer accordingly. Call a few boat shops and ask how much to fix/rebuild/replace the drive unit. If it was me I would take a minimum of 50% of the replacement cost off of the maximum offer for the boat. Also you will want to go over the hull with a fine tooth comb, just to make sure there is no shrapnal damage on the transom and hull.