What did I do

[produceguy]

On the last outing as we were retreiveing I noticed thi chunk of metal missing. I did not even feel hitting anything. Will this cause more problems if not fixed. Can I fix this without replacing the lower caseing?

 

[stonyloam]

Re: What did I do

Can I fix this without replacing the lower caseing?

Sure, drop the lower and take it to a prop shop and have them weld a new piece on. Matter of fact, any good welding shop should be able to do it.

 

[produceguy]

Re: What did I do

Hey thanks . Why didnt I think of that.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: What did I do

Howdy,


I would just clean it up with a file, squirt a little paint on it and run it as is.

It won't hurt a thing!

If it bothers you, cut the other side off to match!





Regards,


Rick

 

[produceguy]

Re: What did I do

Haaaahaaaaaaa, No, doesnt really bother me, just looks bad. I like your ideal also, cut to match. Would look a bit more areodynamic.

 

[sethjon]

Re: What did I do

On the last outing as we were retreiveing I noticed thi chunk of metal missing. I did not even feel hitting anything. Will this cause more problems if not fixed. Can I fix this without replacing the lower caseing?

It should not give you a problem, but if you ahve it welded remove the lower. If not the heat could melt the impeller and that would for sure give you a problem.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: What did I do

Haaaahaaaaaaa, No, doesnt really bother me, just looks bad. I like your ideal also, cut to match. Would look a bit more areodynamic.

HYDRODYNAMIC actually ,,,,,,,,, aero=air

 

[produceguy]

Re: What did I do

I am learning more everyday. Thanks

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: What did I do

You can take it to a welding shop just like that.It's far enough away from anything important to do any damage.
Get the prop fixed too.It's more important to have a good prop with all 3 blades intact than fixing the cavitation plate.J

 

[robert graham]

Re: What did I do

A welder should be able to tack on aluminum plate very easily, then shape it up with a file or grinder, spray paint and you're good to go. I doubt the little bit of heat to do that is going to hurt anything, but maybe it'll make you feel better to drop the lower unit. Looks like somebody stepped down hard on it and snapped it off! Good Luck!

 

[produceguy]

Re: What did I do

jerryjerry05, prop is in good shape.I think your looking at where the paint is chipped or do you see something else?

 

[Dshow]

Re: What did I do

I like the idea of making the other side match. If you angle both sides off and make it look "aerodynamic" as mentioned earlier, then call it a "Feature", people will be lining up at your door to have it done to theirs! (If you do end up selling this mod, I want a finders fee.)

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: What did I do

I'd take some measurements of your prop blades to be sure that it's not bent. I'd bet money it is. That looks like a stick could have been wedged in there and broke that piece off. Thus, no marks on the prop blade. Rebalancing an aluminum prop isn't that expensive.

 

[Dakota47]

Re: What did I do

Have it fixed, dont cut the other side.. ayuh - duh...

 

[wire2]

Re: What did I do

That is a super-simple fix. I wouldn't even bother to remove the leg.

Sand the paint off ?" back from the edge of the cav plate break, (top and bottom) clamp a copper strip under it, also clamp a cut piece of 1/8 aluminum plate to the copper to leave a 3/32" gap, then tig weld from the outside to the middle, do ?" at a time alternately to limit warp stress.

The copper will allow 100% penetration, prevent oxidization, and leave a smooth bottom surface. The aluminum weld won't stick to it. Promise.

No copper strip in your junk box? Flatten a short piece of ?" copper pipe with a hammer.

 

[produceguy]

Re: What did I do

Dshow, I love it ( THE FEATHER ) I will send you a check.

 

[produceguy]

Re: What did I do

Guys, I dont know how to weld and I wouldnt know the first thing about how to measure my prop blade, heck, I cant tell its bent. How do you measure your blade to see if its bent? As for the caseing I,m going with ( THE FEATHER ).

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: What did I do

Hey ProduceGuy, I have similar damage to my cavitation plate (my stupidity, rubber mallet+fragile aluminum= ) Anyway, I took the entire unit to a local prop shop for the weld fix as described and after examining the damage, prop hero says, "Eh, just leave the pieces here for a couple days 'n I'll get to it...probably be about $125-150." I thought that was too much and walked out with it. Went 20 miles down the road to get an opinion from a fellow who does custom work on Cigarettes, Formulas and the like; showed him my suffering, and with a knowing smile he says, "Won't hurt a thing, put it back on the boat and forget about it." I ended up driving it like this all summer, and as far as I can tell, it doesn't affect safety/performance at all. Just ugly, but so is the whole dang drive

 

[JupiterJoe]

Re: What did I do

Go get a set of Doel Fins and be done with it . You'll get a better ride

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: What did I do

NO stinkin fins!!!! EVER! Fix it right! If you need tabs get tabs!
Now that I've got that little outburst off my chest...

Measuring the prop:

Pick a fixed point on the outdrive that you can consistently measure from with a ruler parralell and square to the driveshaft. Rotate the prop slowly and note the leading edge and trailing edge of each fin. More than 1/8" varience means it's bent. Balance time before you shake your lower unit apart!