Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

Both the skegs on my Bravo I drives have damage to the leading edges (1988 Bullet) that I would like to repair. Anyone have any experience with SKEGGARD, a bolt-on skeg? Do they affect perfomance?

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

Doraymond,
Depending on how bad the damage to your front scag edge not sure if I would mess with it. The scag guard I would think would only add more drag to the outdrive.
If they are bad just have the scag replaced by a welder.
My .02.

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

I think the Skegguard is 99.95 ? I had mine repaired and it was 45.00 ...plus we all are speed concious and the Skegguards would hurt that ....

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

Some have said they think it actually weakens the skeg because of the 2 drilled holes needed to install. You can buy OEM replacement skegs for $25. Actually they 're just cut off skegs from Merc that are from damaged drives. Paint and all. They just cut them off right under the tordeo. You can buy one and cut out the section you need and have it welded to your drive for the new look. I did this last yr on mine. Can't see the repair now even if you know it is there. Repair, don't cover. :D The marker marks are along the repair weld, just marking pits needing more touch up after rough grinding the weld.
Note: not sure if the shape is different from your '88 to the current drives.

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

Thanks for the help guys, I new there was no easy way out.

Do I have to have the drive gutted to weld on a new skeg? Have to worry about the heat affecting the internals and seals?

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

I had mine repaired a few years ago and I don't believe the drive was was taken apart

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

It depends on how close to the actual gears and seals you have to weld. If you are repairing just the lower part of the skeg, you won't have to disassemble. If the whole thing is missing, you will.

Steve H

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

Typically we require the lower unit to be removed from the drive. Then we hook her up to an air system which reduces the heat from the welding. This typically prevents any problems from the heat.


Julie

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

At the company I owned we repaired many skegs through the years, We never took any of them apart and had no problems. However, if the broken part had to be welded close to the gear case we used wet rags and sometimes water to keep the area cool to be sure that we did not damage any seals or other parts.All welding was done with TIG welders and water cooled torches.

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

Doraymond,
As mentioned above I had a skeg replaced on a prior boat that I owned with the works inside and as long as they don't let it get hot you should be fine.

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

Thanks Guys, both my skegs have only minor damage to the leading edge, again, not to take a short cut, but has anyone experimented with epoxy filler? None of the damage is greater in size than a quarter.

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

If you have missing areas the size of a quarter it is a very minor weld repair. There would be no reason to replace the entire skeg due to minor pieces missing. The weld material is added to the missing area and refinished. If you have smaller nicks, 1/8" of smaller, those can be sanded out, the leading reshaped and painted.

The welder would be able to make the decision whether it is more cost effective to replace the entire skeg or just replace the missing area. For extreme performance applications a welded on skeg is not acceptable, but for most boaters a welded on skeg is very strong and should not cause any problems.

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

I smacked a log on Lake Cumberland a few years ago and cracked a piece about the size of a quarter on the leading edge of my Bravo 1 skeg. During the inspection after the incident, the piece came off.

Believe it or not, I consulted a welder and he suggested J.B. Weld..... Well, I thought it over then tried it. I cleaned the area and applied the J.B. Weld to the piece and the skeg. After it cured I sanded and painted the entire skeg. That repair lasted the entire time I owned the boat. It never cracked again or showed any sign that it was not going to stay in place.

Just a thougth cause it was cheaper than welding...

Re: Repairing Damaged Skegs
 

Daytripper - I was thinking JB Weld as well, I guess I have nothing to loose except for the cost of the product and a little labor to apply and finish. If it doesn't work, I'll weld on new skegs. Thanks for everyone's help.