Lower unit crack fix

[etel]

So I am in the proccess of rebuilding my lower unit.. There is a very small piece of aluminum broken off where thearrow is pointing in the picture. I want to use JB weld stik epoxy. I am wondering if that will hold up? The water pump stainless steel plate sits on top of this piece, so worst case I believe that the water pump will fail and I'll get an overheat alarm. A mechanic told me i shouldnt use jb weld and it should be proffessionally welded.. But i think that it should hold up.. All advice/opinions are appreciated.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would get it welded. if your going to use epoxy, use devcon metal repair epoxy vs JB Weld.

 

[Faztbullet]

That's a Yammy lower unit...and weld is best

 

[racerone]

Think about where this is.------ As in suction to the pump.----Waterpump will work just fine the way it is.----J B will work just fine if it makes you feel better..

 

[F_R]

Confessing ignorance on Yamaha motors, I would assume that the housing fills with water surrounding the pump. So, if it leaks there it would only be pulling in water, no big deal. But on many other motors, with exhaust gasses surrounding the pump, it would pull in air (exhaust) and not pump water properly.

On yours, I'd go the easy route and epoxy it.

 

[etel]

Think about where this is.------ As in suction to the pump.----Waterpump will work just fine the way it is.----J B will work just fine if it makes you feel better..

Thats what I was thinking.. So a crack in that area wont affect the pressure/vacuum of the water pump? I was trying to figure out if the pump even pulls from down there?

And the picture was found online thats not my actualy unit mine is a 1989 evinrude.

 

[Bonaventure]

if you use any epoxy product, the repair area must be absolutely clean. No oil, dirt etc. or the epoxy will likely not stick. Mehtyl Ethyl Ketone, Acetone or Lacquer Thinners should be OK, Acetone is probably easiest to find. The repair area should also be roughed up with sandpaper to give it a bit of "Tooth" as a further aid to adhesion.

 

[racerone]

I use J B along with strands of fibreglass to re-enforce a repair likre that.--------No problems at all.

 

[w2much]

I agree that welding is best but perhaps overkill. I also agree that devcon or J B weld will certainly do the trick. As the lu will be submerged any suction leak will not be a problem. I have a buddy working on his SEI brand new LU with a similar condition. If you run the motor to flush it on ears it will not suck enough water due to the leaking of air into the pump.That is of course if it does indeed leak air. So after your fix run it in a barrel or at the dock to check it. If you just test it on a hose you may be led to believe that your repair did not work due to low water discharge or overheating.

 

[phillnjack2]

I used chemical metal to do a similar repair, mine was worse as it was the threaded area and I just drilled and re-threaded it.
its been fine for about 10 years so no problems.
yours has been done by somebody using a lever to prise the pump plate up when re-newing a pump kit etc.
I personally would not bother doing anything to it, it will not affect the water pump action in any way at all.

 

[OMCfan]

My advice...get it welded, especially where you have situations where vibration is a factor. Epoxy has it's place, but sometimes it is like fixing things with bailing wire and duct tape. Spend the money and get it fixed right so you won't have to worry about it.

 

[etel]

I used chemical metal to do a similar repair, mine was worse as it was the threaded area and I just drilled and re-threaded it.
its been fine for about 10 years so no problems.
yours has been done by somebody using a lever to prise the pump plate up when re-newing a pump kit etc.
I personally would not bother doing anything to it, it will not affect the water pump action in any way at all.

You are absolutely correct, my dad was using the thin wall as a lever to pry the driveshaft bearing housing up.. I blame him. haha

Anyway its good to hear yours has lasted ten years, because i think I have decided to go te epoxy route.. My cousin also said i really don't even need tk do anything to it, but its easy enough..

Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[phillnjack2]

youl be fine once you had made the repair, it will give you peace of mind ha ha . dont forget to charge your dad for the epoxy ha ha

 

[boobie]

If you're going the epoxy route, go with the Gray Marine Tex. I've had super luck with that over the years.

 

[gm280]

Whatever epoxy you decide to go with, once you apply it and it is cured, make sure the area is smooth and resembles the original shape if there is any contour in that area. I can't tell where your actual creak is because the picture you provided doesn't show me anything and you stated it was merely a stock picture anyways. So not seeing your actual problem, just make sure you apply the epoxy right and if needed grind and/or file and sand the area to resemble the original shape after the epoxy cures. JMHO