bent skeg

[cobra03570]

I just bought a boat with a 2001 25hp mercury tiller. I just noticed the skeg is bent form hitting a rock. It is not cracked , Just a small chip is missing. Is it possible to bend the skeg back to the original position. If how do you do it without breaking the skeg off.??

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: bent skeg

cobra. can you send Pics?

 

[cobra03570]

Re: bent skeg

I could try to get a pic on here but I dont think the pic will show the bend. The bend tilted the back of the skeg about 1/8th to 1/4 of an inch and a small piece of aluminum chunk came out I have the small chunk and im thinking I can jb it back in.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: bent skeg

Generally aluminum only bends once. So, yes you could break it by bending it back.

 

[mrlassi1]

Re: bent skeg

As much as it may bother you, my advice is to leave it alone. File the rough edges off the broken section and touch it up with paint. It is part of the "character" of your motor.

 

[rivermouse]

Re: bent skeg

I had a piece broken off and used JB WELD MARINE EPOXY (water weld) to fill in the place missing. It has not come off and that was 3 years ago. I would smooth up the damaged part and forget it.

 

[MercMan82]

Re: bent skeg

Generally aluminum only bends once. So, yes you could break it by bending it back.

While this is true, you can usually get it to bend back most of the way but not totally. It's when you try to bend the aluminum past it's original location that it breaks. I would recommend not trying to get it to bend back all the way but maybe use heat (but not too much) and bend it back most of the way. Or you could leave it. Your choice.