Damaged Speedmaster skeg. Repair, remove or replace? opinions please...

[skate]

Started out my boating season with a real bang. Damaged skeg with submerged object strike. There are no cracks on skeg or midsection. This is a 300X speedmaster on 28 Skater. Do I remove damage and attempt to replace or simply cut damage out from front or replace. BTW boat runs fine with it as is.

Thanks for input.

Sam

[Raceman]

First, that's not a Speedmaster. Speedmaster is 1:1 non shiftable (foward gear only, no neutral or reverse) racing gearcase. Back to the question. That's not in a real high stress place on the gearcase and I'd probably have it repaired BUT only by someone who's familiar with working on Merc gearcases because of the alloys and stress levels. Under no circumstances would I let ole' bubba' down at the local welding shop, who's been welding aluminum since he was 3 and is 75 now, and who's uncle's neighbor does all the work on the stealth bomber and taught him everything he knows fool with it.

[Liberator*21]

Quote:
Under no circumstances would I let ole' bubba' down at the local welding shop, who's been welding aluminum since he was 3 and is 75 now, and who's uncle's neighbor does all the work on the stealth bomber and taught him everything he knows fool with it.


Amen, Love the humor in your reply

[skate]

Your right I was having a senior moment. Its a sportmaster! Any recomendations on repair. I have a spare right hand but it has a torque tab. I considered having the torque tab removed with a plasma cautter and the finishing by hand and using that lower unit. Then having the front one inch of this damage removed and keeping it as the spare.

Any recomendations on for a shop experinced with welding if I go that route?

Thanks

[WATERWINGS]

Can you scribe a line at such an angle as to cut that part out?

[SAE]

John:

Tommy Dunn has a lower gear case of mine "it's a Bob's" that may help you out. Plus Bob's sells the Skeg replacement or you can send yours to Bob's to fix. They have 5 different skeg replacement alum. alloy.........

Good luck buddy - PS mine's running like a gray back gorilla on meth!!!!!!!!!!!

Shane

[patchesII]

I agree with Raceman. The case is very salvageable because there is no real stress in that area. If you went with a replacement skeg that case would be nearly worthless as a high performance case in my opinion

[skydog]

Man i would smooth her out and run her!!

[Chaz]

First, that's not a Speedmaster. Speedmaster is 1:1 non shiftable (foward gear only, no neutral or reverse) racing gearcase. Back to the question. That's not in a real high stress place on the gearcase and I'd probably have it repaired BUT only by someone who's familiar with working on Merc gearcases because of the alloys and stress levels. Under no circumstances would I let ole' bubba' down at the local welding shop, who's been welding aluminum since he was 3 and is 75 now, and who's uncle's neighbor does all the work on the stealth bomber and taught him everything he knows fool with it.

Race,
What kind of "alloy" does Merc use that is any different from other "castings" and what rod and technique would you recomend using ...

[Raceman]

Race,
What kind of "alloy" does Merc use that is any different from other "castings" and what rod and technique would you recomend using ...

I don't know the answer to either question. I DO KNOW that all alum is not cast the same, either by alloy or technology and BOTH effect strength, number of stress cycles substainable without failure, and cosmetics. As far as rod and technique, I don't know that either..........I'm not Bubba and my uncle's neighbor never worked on the Stealth Bomber as far as I know.

[THE HOGG]

Your right I was having a senior moment. Its a sportmaster! Any recomendations on repair. I have a spare right hand but it has a torque tab. I considered having the torque tab removed with a plasma cautter and the finishing by hand and using that lower unit. Then having the front one inch of this damage removed and keeping it as the spare.

Any recomendations on for a shop experinced with welding if I go that route?

Thanks

Cant you just use a hack saw and hand saw the "tab" off and then finish with a grinder/da progressing to as smooth as you want it to be? I wouldnt even let myself near my gearcase with a plasma..

[skate]

I cut the leading edge off with a 5"DeWalt circular saw and aluminum cutting carbide. It was like Cutting thru butter. Then ground down and polished. Thanks for all the advice. These things cut a lot easier than I thought.