outboard motor question
 

Posting some pics of the bottom fin on my outboard. I had an incident at the boat launch on the weekend (with the trailer winch.....replaced it already). Boat rolled off the trailer early and hit this fin on the concrete ramp. It looks twisted to me, but I don't know if that is how they are manufactured or if I bent mine. If it is bent is there a safe way to straighten it out? Its cast aluminum, I don't want it to snap off! I am an outboard rookie so please excuse my ignorance, Thanks folks!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1377657960.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1377658119.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1377658197.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1377658272.jpg

ps. The bearing housing doesn't seem to be compromised everything turns nicely without noise and the boat doesn't seem to pull to one side or anything? Maybe (hopefully) I am worried about nothing.

The skeg bent like that will have an effect on the steering.

I can't imagine you can straighten it. Since it is toast however, you might as well try. What if you heat the bejezus out of it with a Mapp gas torch or similar and straighten it? It will crack and be even worse but at least you will have tried.

Best of luck.

Larry

Before you do anything, put the boat back in the water and go for a ride.

Definitely launch the boat and run it wide open and see how it has affected the steering. It can be corrected with heat but, you would have to pull the lower unit, drain the oil, remove the gears and water pump impeller. The heat will ruin the seals in the lower unit so, they would need to be replaced. Additionally, you would need to find a good metal fabrication or weld shop that has experience with working with aluminum castings. If the boat steering/handling is not affected too much I would then just leave it as is.

Boat will just go in circles while you drink beer....Heating is tricky, would ask a welding shop to do that for you.......

Hit a rock going left, sorry I mean hit a rock going right.

try to find a "prop Shop" that specializes in welding aluminum. You're not the 1st one to damage an outdrive:)

Try it first to see how much it affects straight line running. Maybe you can compensate with the prop trim tab. I probably would not attempt to straighten it.

Leave it and drive the freakin boat. It has zero effect that you will notice. It is only there to afford some additional protection to the prop.

I'd just leave it alone also. On a high speed bass boat or something going 60-70 mph, you might notice an effect, but I doubt you will. Good luck!

I would NOT heat it in an effort to bend it. There are seals and fluids in there you don't want getting super hot and expanding or melting.

PS- keep the safety chain on until the transom is IN the water especially if you have a roller trailer.

I always raise my bass boat motor all the way up when putting in/taking out...ramp angles vary and I've never taken that chance. Since I also launch solo many times, I'll give myself several feet of slack in the winch strap so it can "float" off the trailer a bit, but not get away. Keeping it strapped to the winch tightly doesn't work to well on my boat.

I launch solo as well and float the boat off the trailer. Occasionally on a very low tide i'll have to do some pushing (bunk trailer). But on a roller trailer no way i'd let the safety chain off until a winch failure would result in nothing worse than the boat in the water floating.

Certainly a very short ramp and low tide (or water level if you're in fresh) could make a bigger challenge of this.

btw OP you might want to check the lower unit oil for water intrusion. it's an easy job to replace the oil and a good bit cheaper than replacing a lower unit if seals fail.

Good advice. As to the skeg, leave it alone. I doubt you will notice any effect on the steering. Like was pointed out earlier, its purpose is to protect the prop.

Go fishing. Leave it.

What brand of outboard, in a single outboard configuration most outboards have a torque tab to compensate for RH prop torque, some have it built into the skeg.

Its cast aluminum, attempting to fix it will probably not have good results.
(heat will ruin the seals if assembled, heat disassembled distort case won't seal)

Leave it alone.

The twist was probably built in to compensate for P-factor.

THAT is exactly what happened......I left my trust in the ratcheting mechanism on the winch.....Felt like a total idiot. That's the only damage done, those roller trailers are pretty slick I must say.
Thanks for all the advice guys, I had the motor down because the launch was very busy and I didn't want to be the guy holding anybody up...... Next time, safety cable on, engine trimmed all the way UP!!!
We still fished that day but only after I pulled it back out to check for hull damage ......so in my rush to be quick I actually caused more commotion at the launch. Its only an 85hp Suzuki, and it seemed to track straight and steer fine, I had adjusted the small torque tab as someone called it earlier to help compensate the weight difference between driver and passenger so I think I have a good grasp of that part anyways!!!
Thanks again!

Don't be embarassed. It happens. Just have your transom straps off and the boat loaded before you back up to the ramp and nobody will complain.

Indeed...save the embarrassment for when you leave the plug out. Many years ago, a friend with a new center console and it happened with a bunch of us guys along....we've never laughed so damn hard in our lives. Good buddies can be BRUTAL to each other :D

Here's my buddy's day at the lake:)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1377742280.jpg

Now THATS how you hold everyone up! Can't help but notice that tower thingy on the island in the background....what is it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Murray_(Oklahoma)

Cool...thanks!

Lake murray is nice. Clear water, great people.

OH NO!!! That is really somebody you know? How does one get so far past the point of no return???

By letting your wife or SO back down the ramp :p

Serious answer...probably ready to pull back out and forgot to shift out of reverse would be my guess.

If it does seem to affect your steering to the point you don't like it you can check out Overton's or a prop shop, they have slip over replacements and gaurds.

lower skeg | Overton’s

I ran for years without most of my lower skeg (broken off and twisted a bit) on a 200hp Merc and never noticed the difference.