Bent Skeg
 

I dropped my drive to today, the award for my effort was a 20 degree bent in the skeg. How do I bend it back?

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...kegbent1-1.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k.../skegbent2.jpg

thanx

ouch, it's a nascar boat....turn left, turn left!!! :)

Bert,
I have taken a wooden block and 5lb hammer to a skeg and straightened it. That bend isnt that bad.. I would lay it on something solid.. wood. And then a wooden block on top of it and tap on it with the 5lb hammer.. It will take some force to move it back, but it will move. Just make sure you have the main part of the skeg supported, with the lower inch or two away from your support. Take an easy whack at it and see if it moves.. A little more and keep checking it. Work it slowly and it will go back into place.

Hope that helps.
Dick

DO NOT heat it up........ the other way to do it is to dolly the skeg back with 2 hammers using 1 on the back side and the other for striking i use 21/2 or 3 lbs ers myself just ask anyone who knows me..... between props and skegs i could keep an army employed by the way works for tweeking props as well

Why no heat CL (just wondering)?

I've always had good luck using an adj. wrench that fits the bend (where the end of the wrench meets the beginning of the bend) and applying slow, even pressure to the bed.

Go back to the mallet I have done the cresent before and snapped it off:eek: had better luck with a mallet.

Me too. Thought that it can't take but a little tweaking to bend it back with a wrench. After all, just how much sudden force was involved to bend it when an underwater object was hit?

A little tweaking, resulted in a little snap.

Take a "C" clamp ( or 2) and two boards ....Skeg in the center and squeeze it back flat ... m

aluminum espetially cast aluminum doesnt take to heat to well
you would do more damage than whats worth it
aluminum has unique properties and you would be almost at permanent deformation before seeing any benifits from the heat....... basically melting a hunk of the skeg off wich will have to be rewelded
stick to the hammers
clamps sounds good to!!!!!!