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Any suggestion on how to straighten a bent skeg? I've looked on line and have a few ideas but not sure which one is the best method. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

how high up on the skeg are we talking? have any pics?

I've straightened up prop blades and skegs before with minor injuries. My experience tells me that you can't bend aluminum back into place with slow, steady pressure. I would heat it a little and try tapping it while holding a block or another hammer head on the back side.
If the injury is too great, or if there is a chance you are going to crack your gear casing and do more damage, just take it to Waivel Porter's place down in Woodville and let the pros deal with it.
I had a boat mechanic tell me years ago to apply a little heat to stuck steel bolts in an aluminum outboard block, then jar them loose with a quick jolt on the ratchet handle. He only used the smaller ratchets when he worked and he could hit them with the palm of his hand and make it work. The reason I was at his shop was that I tried the slow and steady method and pulled out the aluminum threads with the bolt.

Good Luck - Steve Stinson

Heat definitely helps, but I'm very scared of applying heat that close to the foot. I worry about the bearings and guts inside the foot.

Which rock did you hit? LOL

I agree, I wouldn't put too much heat on the skeg in fear of melting/compromising the seals in the lower unit. Depending on the severity of the bend, maybe adding a skeg protector?? If you do weld on a new skeg or heat up and bend back, I would redo the seals in the lower unit to make sure you don't get water intrusion and potentially screw up the lower unit.

Heat the skeg just below the spot where it is bent. Also use blocks to bend it back so the pressure is evenly displaced. I have had had two skegs rewelded on my outboards in the past. The heat generated from that far exceed what you are doing. Neither time did it effect the lower unit in a negative way. You can also put a wet rag on the gear casing to limit the heat exposer.

Chipped a stainless prop and banged up a skeg that I need to deal with. Rock about 100 yards south of Grey Mare.

take it to porters marine

Thanks for your responses, sounds like porters is the way to go. I don't know how it was bent, it's my buddy's boat that he just bought. Buyer beware.

I'll second, third and fourth taking it to a shop. I tried to straighten a bent skeg once by heating it and then hitting it with a wooden hammer while holding a block on the other side and all I accomplished was breaking almost half the skeg off. As mentioned, a slightly bent skeg can be covered with a skeg protector.

Skeg guards are bad news, they create a weak point. Take it to porters or leave it alone

Salty Gator wrote:Skeg guards are bad news, they create a weak point. Take it to porters or leave it alone

Just curious, why is this? Is it the ones that you bolt on or all of them?
thank you

AugustusMccrae wrote:

Salty Gator wrote:Skeg guards are bad news, they create a weak point. Take it to porters or leave it alone

Just curious, why is this? Is it the ones that you bolt on or all of them?
thank you

I'm curious too. I just had one put on mine, and it was Porters who did it!!!

STMU wrote:

AugustusMccrae wrote:

Salty Gator wrote:Skeg guards are bad news, they create a weak point. Take it to porters or leave it alone

Just curious, why is this? Is it the ones that you bolt on or all of them?
thank you

I'm curious too. I just had one put on mine, and it was Porters who did it!!!

I bet you have a porters rock guard. That’s different. Apparently skeg guards corrode badly ( electrolysis from different metals and trapped salt). More importantly, the drilled holes that bolt on skeg guards use create a weak point where instead if the skeg braking off, it rips thru the case. Here’s a hull truth thread w pics.

https://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-fo ... st11742511