Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

[twopars]

Hi, I'm not a newbie to boating but I made a newbie mistake this weekend. I was pulling my boat out at the extremely crowded launch ramp this weekend and I committed the cardinal sin. I was in such a rush that I forgot to raise my engine !!! I pulled her out of the water and heard a scraping sound so I hit the brakes. My skeg ( the fin on the bottom of the lower unit) had scraped the ground for about 5-10 feet! I inspected my transom and there is no visible damage but the bottom of the skeg was scraped up pretty good. When I got home I filed the bottom of the skeg smooth and painted it and it looks OK but instead of being completely flat accross the bottom it now has a slightly rounded look to it. Will this affect my performance( 150hp Optimax on Nitro bass boat)? How do you replace that fin if you want to? It's a part of the lower casing. I only lost a 1/8-1/4 inch off of the bottom of the fin-- Should I leave it alone or what????? Thanks guys.

 

[dhammann]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

Wipe the dollar signs off your eyes and enjoy your boat. I seriously doubt that you done any damage.

 

[ThatHadToHurt]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

Just leave it alone.

 

[bowriderbob]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

The purpose of the skeg is to protect the prop, period. Other than looks, you did not hurt you motor, but if you are anal like I am about your boat, you will always notice it, even if nobody else does.<br />It can be repaired for around $160, good as new, similiar to the way they rebuild aluminum props. <br />Try not to worry about it right now, sounds like very minor, wait until you get a few more chunks out of it before you think about repairing it.<br /><br />Bowriderbob

 

[Beernutz]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

Effect on performance?<br /><br />Motor's lighter now. Should be faster.

 

[petryshyn]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

no worries mate'<br /><br />(check the oil before the next few trips just to be sure)

 

[dwarrick]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

I will admit I did the same thing once it took a chunk out of the skeg I like my boat to look perfect so I bought a Skeg guard and put it on. A Skeg Guard is made of stainless steel and is easy to install it covers the entire skeg and can be installed in about 20 min. Just a thought for you. You can get them from Overton's or Barts waterports.

 

[FlyBoyMark]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

Look at it this way...all the "go fast" racing outboards have abbreviated skeggs.......

 

[Beernutz]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

I install Skeggards on all my motors, mainly because of where I use them. A lot of bottom dragging. I even reinforce them with a 3/8" stainless rod welded down the front edge, because they wear thru.<br /><br />Or is it the picture in their magazine add and on the package?

 

[twopars]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

Thanks for all of the input. Does installing a skegguard affect my Mercury warranty? It says in the fine print that any modifications to the lower unit can void the warranty on that section of the engine.

 

[Beernutz]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

Dunno about the warranty. But, if rubbing off 1/4" of the skeg bothers you, drilling two 1/4" holes in it to mount a Skeggard may not set well with you, either. I use one due to the abrasive action of frequent contact with the bottom. Oh yeah, I smacked a coral head in the Keys last month that actually bent the 3/8" reinforcement rod I welded to the leading edge. What I'm saying is, if your experience is only going to be an isolated incident, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Doug 123]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

I did the same ting recently mon. Am checking the lower unit oil for water next run. Did you have any long term problems other than cosmetics?

 

[twopars]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

No Doug 123. I installed a Skeggard stainless Steel skeg protector and it seems to be unaffected by the mishap. It's been several months since the incident and all is well. I would recommend a Skeggard. They're about $100 dollars for a large engine so they're not cheap but look good and seem to protect without affecting performance.

 

[Cast-Away]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

Skeg rhymes with keg! Go and buy one to celebrate the fact that your motor is fine. I left a black racing stripe down the floor of my fathers garage this year. I believe the colour was Phantom Black! It's like a kid that falls off of his bike, he scrapes his knee but is just fine.

 

[lepper]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

I think we have all done that atleast once... it really raises the hair on your neck... especially when you know better..... I see it most at busy ramps, when people are just trying to hurry up and get out of the way...

 

[Wellcraft 89]

Re: Did I do damage to my lower unit and if so how do I fix it?

I like the post about it being faster now with less drag in the water.<br />a word of advice about busy ramps.Nobody and I mean Nobody should break your train of thought when launching or retrieving your expensive boat from your favorite lake. I go through a mental chk list everytime. Be safe don't be in a hurry,the other people will wait, if not tough. <br /><br />Skeg it does ryhme with keg ,have a beer when ya get home, like the other poster said.<br />geez! I'm starting to sound like my dad,when he first took me boating yrs ago <br />Rich