Bent skeg

I have a very slight bend in the skeg of my motor It really hasn’t been a problem, but am now trying to sell my rig (see my ad in the classifieds). Do I dare try to pound it back? Or where should I take it in the Mpls area? If I do try to pound it back, and it breaks, what do I do then?

I think Dan’s Southside Marine in Bloomington does that type of thing.

Pounding Aluminum will be interesting!

It will certainly weaken it…

10 minutes from Everts is Marine Specialties…ask for Mark…He might be able to fix it while you wait…then take it out to P4 in this 50 degree weather and test it on some walleyes!

I had a bad bend in my 225 HO, I beat it back with a piece of wood and a hammer. It bent back just fine and I have a quarter size piece missing on the back where a rock got caught between the prop and skeg….so a definate weak point! Not saying yours won’t break but their pretty tough. If it breaks below the radius of the prop I would grind it flat and hit it with some paint…good to go. If it breaks higher and won’t protect the prop, weld a new piece on, grind the sides flat on the weld beads along with the bottom and your set. I thought about putting a cresent wrench on the bent part and hitting the wrench but I thought it might be to much stress on a small area. Just my two cents! Matt

I tried pounding one back and it broke. Take it in to get fixed by someone who knows what they are doing. Wouldn’t think it should cost much at all. Better safe than sorry.

wiswalleyenut

Bent mine back with a large pipe wrench and a couple of pieces of wood to protect the metal from the jaws of the wrench. Just gave mine a little pressure at a time and kept checking to make sure it didnt get over bent. The skag was only off about a inch to start with. Good to go now.

rubber mallet and your problems are gone.

Sell it as is, just my opinion…

I do a lot of metal fabrication. Aluminum is easily shaped with a mallet or dead blow hammer. To get rid of the myth of (weakening the aluminum) You only weaken aluminum by using heat or excessive force. A rubber mallet will shape the metal back to its original form.

If you don’t want to pound on it, put a hunk of 2×4 on each side and then use a clamp to straighten it out.

Pretty easy to fix. Use a big 3lb hammer on the back side holding it tight against the skep at the point where you hit the front side with a regular hammer. Don`t start at the tip, start where the bend begins up the skeg and work your way down take a little at a time out.

Let potential buyers look at rig, only in darkness of night … Sorry. I like the pipe wrench idea on aluminum.

big g

I broke one on a old boat trying to straighten it out with a rubber mallet. I would have a repair shop fix it. That way if it breaks they should be able to take care of it on the spot.