Bent Skeg
 

I was cruising down the channel in the bay, heard a thump from the port engine. Wife was looking back said she was a splash. I saw nothing above the wate rlooking forward. Got back to the dock and the low water pickup's were jambed full of semi rotted wood. I'm guessing the object was a saturated log or driftwood. Only damage other than plugged water pickups is now my skeg is slightly bend 3/8" off center.
Any recommendations on straightening? Safe to do it myself without weakening or is this a pro-shop project.
Port skeg:

Starboard skeg:

Go out and buy a large rubber mallet and hit it until it is straight. That is what a prop repair station will do.
We Mercruiser mechanics do it every day!
Sincerely
Dennis Moore

drain the gear oil and heat with tourch ,being carfull not to get to hot to damage seals then strieghten with hamer and dolly

I always use a helper with a 4''x4''as a back up and then use a 4x4 and a large hammer on the other side:fish:

I like leaving the oil in it to spread the heat out more evenly. Aluminum conducts heat pretty fast. You should use a large rosebud torch tip and just wave it around just below the main part of the bend and whale on it with a rubber or rawhide mallet - do not use a metal headed hammer, use something that spreads the impact load out. Just a few whacks is all you'll need.

As far as the heat, you don't need to go nuts - if the paint is burning, you're TOO HOT. Mix up some dish soap in water and spray it all over the bullet. When the water starts boiling off, you're hot enough. 200 degrees will let the cast aluminum bend without as much of a chance of cracking.

You can get away with it with NO heat, but if it has been bent back previously then you're tempting it to crack...

skeg bent
 

good advice Mcollinstn,if you can find a rawhide mallet THIS is best,

Use a short 2x4 backup about 8" long .

WORK IT SLOW WITHOUT HEAT,THE LOOKS OF THIS SKEG YOU WILL NOT NEED ANY HEAT,TOO MUCH HEAT AND YOU WILL BE WELDING FOR SURE.

and if you know how to drop the drive, this is best as you will be able to lay it on the side and work on a hard metal (flat bench). last resort.

have fun!:D Darin/ Houston Prop

Thanks all for the advise. I will drop the drive, need to check the pump anyway since the water pickups were cloged with wood chips. I do have a propane torch but will try it without heat first on the bench laying flat.

Thanks again, Rob,

Re: Bent Skeg
 

I found one of those a while ago. The company that makes them is here: http://www.garlandmfg.com/mallets/mallets.html