I let a friend borrow my boat for the weekend and he had abit of an accident. It seems he hit something submerged at the lake and he gouged a hole at the tip of the lower unit (the bullet-like nose) and it was deep enough that the oil leaked out. I'm sure he ran the boat for at least one day like that (he didn't know the oil had leaked out). My question is, can it be welded back shut, or do I have to buy another lower unit? The gouge is about 1/8 th of an inch wide and about an inch long. Are there boat shops that can help me out, or do I need a new lower unit? Any help, and/or advice is appreciated.
<br />Depending of which drive you have, both the housing and the internal part are available as spares. Be prepared though - this is not cheap stuff!<br /><br />Weld is a possible solution but you need a shop to look at it to decide if it is right in your case.<br /><br />You also need to check your gears and bearings etc. inside the drive.<br /><br />Get a firm offer and compare to the price of a replacement - link on this site.